Playback - The World's First String Recycling Program
- Participating locations
- 1,016
- Available locations
- 490
- Waste recycled
- 3,026,376
Recycling in partnership with D'Addario
After decades of pioneering efforts in sustainable packaging, D’Addario is taking its environmental commitment to the next level by creating an industry-wide string recycling initiative, powered by TerraCycle, to reward players for recycling any brand of strings.
How it works
The program is designed to accommodate collections from retail stores, education institutions, instrument manufacturers and repair facilities, performing artists and tours, etc.
Consumers will be able to bring their used strings directly to stores and place them in the designated bin, which is set up inside each retail location. Store associates are responsible for periodically sending boxes of the collected strings to TerraCycle, where they will be recycled and used in the creation of new products. Store Associates should follow the instructions outlined below to facilitate the recycling process at their store location.
Your store will be added to a publicly viewable map on the Instrument String Recycling Program page. This will let users in your area know that they can bring their used instrument strings to your retail location to be recycled.
What you can recycle
Program accepted waste: Instrument strings and clippings from any string instrument and any brand
Best practices for recycling
As a Store Associate, follow these steps to ensure proper recycling and shipping:
- Check on the collection box periodically. When the plastic bag inside the collection box is full, remove it and place it in a reused box (that you should source locally) so that it may be shipped off to TerraCycle. Place a new, empty plastic bag inside the collection box.
- You should send in shipments that are completely filled with used strings (not partially filled). This is intended to maintain the eco-efficacy of the program. We also ask that you try to reuse a shipping box whenever possible!
- Sign in to your store's TerraCycle account using your email and password.
- Once you are logged in, request a shipping label from this page or from your account profile. Your shipping label will be emailed to the account holder as well as become available on your profile.
- Once your label is printed, affix it to the box that you're going to be using to send back the shipment. The box is now ready to be picked up by UPS!
What happens to the waste
Once collected, the metal and nylon strings are separated by type and the metal is melted down and smelted into new metal alloys. The nylon is recycled into industrial plastic applications. Click here to learn more about the recycling process.
Resources
D’Addario, the world’s largest maker of instrument strings and accessories, has been a pioneer in sustainability for decades – from environmentally responsible packaging to robust tree re-planting programs. TerraCycle is a company that aligns with our mission of creating positive social change while minimizing our carbon footprint. With its global capabilities, TerraCycle helps us turn waste into worth.
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