K-pop has become an indispensable keyword in Korea. But did you know that the more popular K-pop becomes worldwide, the more harmful it is to the environment? Now that protection and sustainability of the environment has become really important, ST wants you to read with interest why K-pop is harmful to the environment, and what the music industry thinks about these environmental problems ..................................Ed
The music industry is going backwards in the eco-friendly era. Recently, various industries have tried new things to improve the environment. The cafe industry started to use eco-friendly paper straws instead of plastic straws, and unified the quality of takeout cups’ material with one type of plastic. However, amid different efforts to be eco-friendly, the record industry is still at a standstill. Worldwide, interest and consumption of offline music are increasing day by day. As the overseas exports of K-POP increase, the sales volume continues to rise, so it is showing interest in related social issues as well.
Why is buying records bad for the environment? Ordinary records are packaged in PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride). However, when PVC burns, it emits strong corrosive gas making it difficult to recycle. And it is fatal to the environment. Also, not many people buy records to listen to music; the real product is the photos and other paraphernalia that come with it, and those are also damaging to the environment. The photos included in the albums are coated with vinyl to stiffen them, and this coated paper can be recycled by separating the vinyl and paper and throwing them away. However, as it is cumbersome to do so, frew people properly recycle them.
There is a growing voice that the fundamental problem of consumers’ mass purchase and disposal of albums lies in the current recording industry system itself. When singers hold a fan signing event, they purchase albums in bulk to increase their chances of winning. In addition, record companies are implementing strategies to induce excessive consumption to maximize profits. A typical example is to release different types of album components, and give them randomly. As a result, consumers buy several albums that they do not need, causing a large amount of plastic and vinyl emissions. On the other hand, more and more artists are trying to make albums with eco-friendly materials. Singer Chungha made all album components with eco-friendly materials, except for photocards, and New Zealand pop star Road released an album without a CD. Numerous K-pop fans also said that they are willing to boycott the album if they don’t care about the environment. In this situation, it is expected that the K-POP music industry will try new techniques.
Yang Su-rin (ST Cub-Reporter)
s066178@soongsil.ac.kr
