As the general manager of Music World in Hazel Dell, Matt Gohlke has recently become aware of the impact of disposing of old strings from instruments. According to TerraCycle, a recycling company, an estimated 1.5 million pounds of instrument string metal ends up in landfills each year, which is not accepted through local recycling programs.
Gohlke decided to work with TerraCycle and guitar string manufacturer D’Addario to organize string-exchange events at Music World. He stated that before this recycling program, recycling old strings was never a top priority for him or others in the community.
Music World hosted its third annual string exchange event on Earth Day, with D’Addario providing 40 sets of strings. During the event, Music World replaced the old strings while TerraCycle recycled them. Typically costing $40 to restring an instrument, this event not only benefits the community but also raises awareness about recycling guitar strings.
Though this year’s event has passed, Music World will continue to accept and recycle old music strings year-round. One of Music World’s longtime customers, Derek Neiman, usually restrings his instruments himself but took advantage of the promotion to have his guitar restrung at the store. Neiman praised Music World for always doing a great job.
Photographer Taylor Balkom contributed to this story by capturing images of the event and highlighting its importance in promoting sustainability in the music industry.
