Is there a green solution to the vinyl record backlog?

Artists and music fans are having to wait around a year for their records because of the vinyl industry's slow pace.

Most factories are still using the same pressing methods used in the 1980s, even though demand for albums is at its highest in 30 years.

A Dutch firm is offering a more sustainable solution to the problem.

The material that made vinyl its name is not being used.

It is the new standard for the industry according to the owner of Green Vinyl Records.

A large-scale pressing machine that uses up to 90% less energy than a typical vinyl production machine has been developed by his team over the past seven years.

The machine can do 40% more capacity than the traditional plants.

The pressing here is quicker and better for our planet.

The most damaging of all plastic materials is avoided by the machine in Eindhoven.

It uses a plastic that is easier to recycle.

Theunisse wants to make it easier for future generations to listen to music on vinyl.

He said it was for the children. Our world is getting hotter.

The barrier to finding eco-friendly alternatives to PVC has always been the desire to match the same rich sound quality.

She says the method of Green Vinyl Records is a step in the right direction.

She says that we should stop thinking about the cost at the till and think about the cost to the planet and to our health.

Worldwide demand for vinyl is estimated to be 700 million records a year due to a resurgence in popularity.

The factories are closing down.

The chief executive of Record Industry said it was nice to have a full order book.

There are issues with people who are always over or under-ordering.

When they have a new album out, they order 1000 copies and by the time they get it, they already need 1,500.

Customers who have album plans and gig booked around release dates are frustrated, according to Mr. Vermeulen. He is telling them to wait.

The people are willing to pay more. It doesn't work that way because they say "whatever it costs, it doesn't matter". He told the news that it was the whole chain that needed to be completed.

The company uses the same 33 presses which are painstakingly maintained and has been manufacturing vinyl for over 50 years.

A metal disc is used to make a stamper. The machine is used to melt and press the pellets into the moulds.

50,000 PVC records are churned out by the machines every day.

The deals for Sony, Universal and Warner Music have been in place for decades.

Record Industry is trying to be aware of the planet too, from recycling waste to investing in solar power.

What is the boss's opinion of pressing records being more eco-friendly?

"I've gotten calls from people asking if I could press records from the plastic in the ocean," he said. If it sounds like a normal record, there's a problem, but if it looks like a record, there's no problem.

He says that keeping the quality of the product as it is now is impossible.

pressing plants don't want to use impure materials because of the impact the plastic has on the sound of music.

He raised concerns about the costs when he was a part of the project.

The machines are more expensive than the presses we use over here, so he thinks it's the unknown aspects.

I'm not saying there isn't room for such a new technique, but I'm not sure if companies are going to use it.

Some people are willing to take a chance. There is a new album being pressed.

Theunisse just got his first order from Warner.

The return on investment is estimated by theentrepreneur.

He says you need to buy one and listen to it yourself.

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