This Band’s New Album is Made From Reused River Plastic
A collaboration from the leading band Coldplay and The Ocean Cleanup have been working together to turn river trash to music. The band, a supporter of the environmental organization, announced that a limited notebook edition LP of Moon Music – Coldplay’s new album – was manufactured from plastic that was collected in 2023 from the Rio Las Vacas, in Guatemala, according to a press release.
The Ocean Cleanup’s mission is to rid the oceans of plastic. The organization removes trash from the oceans and also captures plastics from rivers that feed into the oceans by using interceptor barges. The nonprofit— that was founded in 2012 – also partners with companies and organizations that can give these reclaimed plastics new life. This is what the partnership with Coldplay is all about.
The Connection
Coldplay got onboard with ocean cleanup in 2021 by funding a new vessel – named Neon Moon 1 – that was deployed in Malaysia, reported New Atlas.
“Without action, there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050, which is why the Ocean Cleanup’s work is so vital,” Coldplay announced at the time. “We’re proud to sponsor Interceptor 005 – aka Neon Moon 1 – which will catch thousands of tons of waste before it reaches the ocean.”
A second interceptor barge sponsored by Coldplay, in 2023, is being used in Indonesia. Now the partnership to produce the limited-edition album has truly cemented the relationship.
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From Trash to Music
Turning plastic trash into a high-quality record was not an easy task, according to the press release. Since records must be manufactured from PET, the plastic extracted from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch which consists mostly of lower quality plastics could not be used. The nonprofit had to turn to the plastics collected from the river interceptors.
The plastic also had to be as clean and free of imperfections as possible to get a product that would ensure the sound quality necessary to produce an excellent record. The plastic used came from the river Rio Las Vacas and was sorted to get the best product. Then the plastic was turned into flakes that could be used to produce new plastic items; like the Coldplay album.
But the record could not be manufactured just by using the reclaimed river plastic, it had to be blended with other recycled plastic to ensure the sound quality. The perfect mix was 70 percent PET river plastic and 30 percent other recycled plastic.
This very special notebook edition Moon Music LP will go on sale in October 2024 but can be preordered now, according to New Atlas. It will include a 28-page hardcover publication that contains illustrations and the song lyrics. A special CD made from 90 percent recycled polycarbonates will also be a part of the package.
