One Music Retailer Is Leading The Charge
“Going green” is not a trend: it’s an operational way of life that rewards not only the environment, but also the livelihood of many industries. Particularly in music retail, the advantages of eco-friendly processes are evident through waste reduction, cost savings, positive customer perception and more.
Although these business advantages are important, what is most significant is the recognition of the part we play in influencing environmental change. It’s our responsibility as industry leaders first to establish awareness of our environmental footprint and, second, to encourage a culture that provides the opportunity to thrive in the long term.
To put this into perspective, here are some nationwide statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that suggest why the music retail industry should do its part in going green:
101 tons of solid waste are produced by businesses every year in the United States.
20 to 50 percent of electricity consumption comes from lighting.
75 percent of polled consumers said companies should provide information on their environmental impact.
Green Methods & Benefits
Cost is generally perceived as an obstacle to implementing eco-friendly practices; however, there are approaches that not only produce zero increase in cost, but that, in fact, can actually reduce spending. Over the last year at Music & Arts, we have instituted eco-friendly initiatives specifically in our repair, distribution and real estate departments. We did this because of the hundreds of thousands of instruments we work with through instrument rentals, school programs, store openings and more. This article will specify some of the approaches we employ.
Reduced Waste & Better Habits
Reducing unnecessary waste can trim operating costs and improve overall efficiency. For example, since March 2006, our distribution department has saved
approximately $50,000 annually between space-utilization efficiencies, reduced freight costs and corrugate savings. By using ridged UniPaks, we were able to fit 30 pallet positions on a 53-foot trailer as opposed to 26 pallet positions with the old wood pallets and Gaylord boxes. These plastic pallets not only have a lifespan of about five years, but also stack in a much more consolidated fashion as compared to wood pallets. This greatly reduces our space needs.
Also, since January 2013, we began re-lacquering trumpets and trombones, which allowed us to recycle current inventory instead of purchasing more. Even with instruments we are not able to re-lacquer, we choose to use them for parts on future repairs instead of throwing them away. Since starting this initiative, we have saved $300,000.
The Green in Going Green
Even setting aside the ability to save money simply by reducing waste, the government also offers certain incentives like federal tax credits (dollar-for-dollar tax reductions), deductions (reduction in taxable income) and rebates that make investing in these practices more worthwhile. For instance, in January 2013, we invested in LED track lighting for our new retail stores. By doing this, we were able to take advantage of government incentives and saw huge energy savings with quick paybacks. These lights emit less heat, which allows us to spotlight our products properly without damaging them. Plus, there is less cost for maintenance due to the longer lifespan of these lights.
A Music & Arts employee picks up ridged UniPaks. These pallets have a lifespan of about five years and are easier to stack.
A look inside the Music & Arts distribution center, the largest full-service repair facility in the country.
Trumpets being rinsed after an ultrasonic bath during Music & Arts’ Repair Shop instrument-refurbishment process.
101 tons of solid waste are produced by businesses every year in the United States; it’s our responsibility to first establish awareness of our environmental footprint and then encourage a culture that provides the opportunity to thrive in the long term.
That same year, we also began our retrofit lighting project, converting fluorescent tubes to LEDs or T12 lights to T8s in our 135-plus retail locations. Converting to LED or T8 lights results in more energy-efficient lighting. We’ve done the same retrofits in two of our larger instrument hubs in Liverpool NY and Itasca IL. Both hubs were completely converted to energy-efficient lighting. In Itasca alone, our estimated yearly savings were around $14,000. Though this lighting project is a long-term investment and the payback can take anywhere from a couple of months to a couple of years, we have already received 90 percent of our cost back with these eco-upgrades.
Positive Customer Perception
Although cost savings are not the sole motivation for implementing eco-friendly measures, they can have a positive impact on customer opinion. Businesses are linked to the various communities in which they operate, whether it is through retail stores, distribution hubs or something else. We should take into account how our practices will affect the community and environment, whether positively or negatively. For example, instead of using exotic woods in our violin and viola bows, we choose to outfit our bows with fiberglass. We do this because, generally, the wood used to produce these bows comes from rainforest regions that have chances of becoming endangered. The fiberglass bows we have used for the last 36 years are not only more durable and less expensive for customers, but also more readily available. This shows concern both for our customers and for the environment in which we live.
A Sustainable Future
Sustainability, as defined by the United Nations World Commission on Environmental Development, refers to meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. We can always do more to make our businesses more sustainable. For example, in 2015, we will start using bailers to recycle all our corrugate and plastic. Our recyclables will take up less space, and we will be able to sell them to generate revenue rather than expenses. As a bonus, this measure will also save us approximately $10,000 annually.
The overall benefit of going green is to preserve the health of our environment. It is important to ensure these sustainability efforts are designed over the long run not only to affect the bottom line, but also to address the needs of customers, employees and the community. In order to make progress, we need to understand where we are headed, and we must make plans to create a better future with lots of healthy growth.
Together, we can make the music industry a more sustainable one.
Pat Wiegand is Director of Repair & Refurbishment Services for Music & Arts.
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