Using plastic within the manufacturing of Okay-pop albums has elevated by over 14 occasions up to now six years, in response to a Korean politician.
Consultant Woo Gained-shik of South Korea’s Democratic Social gathering of Korea, the nation’s foremost opposition, mentioned on Sunday (October 22) that Okay-pop firms used over 800tons of plastic in 2022 to provide albums, per The Korea Occasions.
Woo had cited paperwork obtained from the Ministry of Surroundings, and famous that the determine is greater than a 14 occasions improve from 2017, when 55.8tons of plastic was used. The figures embrace the manufacturing of CDs, photograph playing cards and wrapping vinyl.
Nevertheless, The Korea Occasions studies that the Ministry’s figures are doubtless underestimating the precise quantity of plastic that has been used within the manufacturing of Okay-pop albums.
It cited a sustainability administration report introduced by HYBE in July, noting that the leisure big alone had used 894.6tons of plastic in its manufacturing of albums in 2022.
Elsewhere, the publication additionally estimated that “not less than 1,395 tons of plastic waste had been produced from CDs alone”, based mostly on the variety of Okay-pop albums (74.2million) that had been bought nationwide in Korea final 12 months, assuming that every CD weighs 18 grams.
“Contemplating the worldwide recognition of Okay-pop, leisure firms ought to improve their ESG administration requirements and the atmosphere ministry ought to give you countermeasures,” Rep. Woo mentioned.
Park Jin-hui, a campaigner from Kpop4Planet, an initiative led by Okay-pop followers for local weather accountability, mentioned that “Okay-pop followers are likely to bulk purchase from dozens to a whole bunch of albums upon their launch”.
They are saying that followers achieve this in an effort to “to spice up artists’ gross sales and accumulate photograph playing cards that includes completely different members to get increased possibilities of successful tickets for fan occasions”.
final 12 months, JYP Leisure introduced plans to cut back its environmental impression via digital-only album releases.
