PMC-Backed EvoVinyl Nominated for Music Week Award

The nomination centres on EvoVinyl, a material developed as a substitute for the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compound used in conventional record pressing. Backed by PMC Loudspeakers, the project reflects a growing focus within the music industry on the environmental footprint of physical media.

Vinyl records are pressed from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a thermoplastic made from vinyl chloride, a chlorine-based compound derived from fossil fuels. In record production, the raw PVC is blended with stabilisers, plasticisers and pigments to help it melt, flow into the groove pattern and withstand repeated playback.

The problem, as we now know, is that vinyl chloride is carcinogenic, and if it is not carefully controlled, high-temperature processing can release harmful by-products. Once a record is pressed, it is also difficult to recycle because of its mixed additives. At end of life, PVC does not easily biodegrade and can remain in the environment for decades to centuries, gradually breaking down into smaller fragments rather than fully decomposing.

That has not slowed vinyl’s resurgence, but it should give us pause and encourage a broader conversation about how records are made, not just how they sound.

EvoVinyl positions itself as one potential answer. Developed by Evolution Music, the material is derived from sugarcane and is designed to be compostable at end of life while maintaining compatibility with existing pressing processes. The company says it has passed both production trials and critical listening tests, with commercial releases expected to follow.

PMC’s involvement stems from a meeting between the company’s chairman, Peter Thomas, record producer Bill Gautier, and Evolution Music CEO Marc Carey. Thomas said the appeal was immediate: 

From our discussions, I realised that while PMC makes products to replay music, and we all love the sound and experience of vinyl, the medium on which that music is presented is extremely bad for the planet. Greenpeace says PVC is the ‘most environmentally damaging plastic’ and for this reason, I had to applaud and support Marc’s efforts in trying to do something about it.

Evolution Music says the material has been developed with a broader sustainability focus across its production chain, and is now moving toward full commercialisation, with what it describes as initial releases from “A-list” artists on the horizon.

For Carey, the nomination reflects a wider shift in industry thinking: 

We’re encouraged to see the music industry recognising the environmental impact of traditional materials and beginning to act. While the PVC used in records is only a small fraction of global production, real progress comes from sectors willing to take responsibility and lead by example.

The Music Week Awards, hosted annually in London, recognise achievements across labels, publishing, live events and wider industry innovation. Winners will be announced on 7 May at Grosvenor House.

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