IMPALA’s Sustainability Task Force is formally backing French indie label trade group FÉLIN as it extends its record recycling initiative, ReDisco, to consumers as well as labels and distributors. IMPALA, the pan-European organisation for the independent sector, is putting the spotlight on that scheme to coincide with EU Green Week, which is happening right now.
FÉLIN set up ReDisco in 2023 in response to a French law which prohibited companies from sending unsold CDs, DVDs and vinyl records to landfill waste sites. It’s a recycling programme that repurposes unsold or unwanted discs into everyday objects or new vinyl records. According to FÉLIN, the scheme has so far “collected, recycled and given a second life to 1.2 million unwanted records”.
The French law in question was called AGEC - or Anti-Gaspillage et pour l’Economie Circulaire - often translated into the Anti-Waste And Circular Economy Law. According to Eurofins, it sought to support the transition to “a less wasteful and more circular economy” and, among many other things, aimed to “limit waste creation”, and promote “re-use, recycling and repair”.
To date ReDisco has only been open to music companies, but this month it is being extended to consumers, initially in the metropolitan areas of Limoges, Bordeaux and the Haute-Vienne. People in those regions will be able to drop off unwanted records for recycling.
Though there will also be a record exchange element to the programme, with FÉLIN saying “you’ll also have the opportunity to exchange records with those brought by other residents in the reuse area - a great chance to make new musical discoveries”.
IMPALA Executive Chair Helen Smith says FÉLIN's ReDisco scheme “proves that independent players are at the forefront when it comes to driving change”. Confirming IMPALA’s formal support of the programme, she adds, “ensuring that innovative initiatives get the recognition they deserve in Europe is essential to building a more sustainable and responsible music ecosystem for the future”.
Meanwhile Céline Lepage, Executive Director at FÉLIN, adds, “we are delighted to have been selected by the IMPALA Sustainability Task Force. With ReDisco, we aim to offer a sustainable national solution for the entire sector and to expand this model across Europe and internationally for a greener global industry. This recognition will help us towards achieving our aim”.