The upsides of plastic instruments for music education
Plastic has understandably become something of a swear-word when discussing sustainability. Due to its non-biodegradable nature, it contributes to climate change by causing pollution and building up landfill once it reaches the end of its useful life.
However, in music education, plastic undeniably has its advantages. Both Nuvo and pBone Music provide perfect examples of that. Operating since 2010, pBone’s range of plastic alternatives to brass instruments has proven a revelation for young musicians and can now be found in homes, classrooms and concerts throughout the world. Nuvo was established in 2008, taking a fresh look at the form, mechanisms and materials commonly found in traditional instruments, many of which have their design roots in the 1800s. Their instruments respectfully preserve the musicality of traditional instruments while adding modern innovations that make learning more effective, especially for children.
Both brands have proven successful in music education. Some of the practical benefits are obvious. These instruments are cheaper than traditional student offerings but are still eminently playable. They don’t get dented, they’re easy to clean, and the range is designed for students to progress smoothly up through the ranks, starting with a pBuzz or Dood and ending up on a pTrumpet or Clarineo.
Some other benefits, though, aren’t so superficially clear. pBone founder Steven Greenall has demystified some of the stigmas around plastic instruments on their own website, but here is a summary of some key points:
Plastic is not always bad for the environment
Whilst it is certainly true that disposable plastics present a massive issue to our climate, pInstruments and Nuvo are not disposable! This is because they are made from ABS plastic:
ABS Plastic - a thermoplastic polymer that is known for its durability, versatility, and ease of processing. ABS is non-toxic, safe to use, and fully recyclable, and it is also easy to paint and glue.
They should not be put in household recycling bins collected by the council, as they will end up in either energy recovery facilities (incinerators) or in landfill, however, ABS can be recycled by specialists, and at certain central locations – contact your local recycling centre for advice.
As Steven points out: “Brass instruments in contrast are actually worse for the environment, use a lot more energy as well as some pretty nasty materials in their manufacturing processes such as lead and nickel.”
The high energy cost of mining nickel, zinc, copper and silver, significantly increases the carbon footprint of metal instrument manufacturing. Chrome plating, in particular, can be a damaging and toxic process due to the chemicals involved. Nuvo have even estimated that the carbon footprint of making on one of their instruments is around 1/6 of an equivalent metal instrument!
Plastic instruments last
Good durability and easy maintenance are crucial factors in making effective student instrument ranges. Plastic instruments provide both of those things in spades. Firstly, due to pBone’s stringent manufacturing standards, you can dunk their products underwater, drop them, or probably even drop-kick them without breakage! Whereas metal instruments are especially prone to dents and scrapes in school environments, the pInstruments circumvent that issue.
This robustness brings another massive benefit: They last for ages. For schools looking to make their budget stretch further, buying a suite of pInstruments is often a wise investment due to their longevity. You can easily replace parts when necessary, and maintaining them is straightforward, as shown in the video below, and on pBone’s Care Card.
Nuvo are particularly good in this area, designing their instruments to be very easy to repair simply by replacing parts, all of which can easily be bought in isolation and retrofitted to the instruments. We’ll cover some of the other brilliant features of Nuvo’s instruments in another article, and you can read more about their innovative WindStars classroom program range here. Due to their robustness of the instruments and the easy replacement of parts, we feel confident in offering an extended five year warranty for schools and music hubs on Nuvo’s instruments, which is a bonus in education settings for both budgetary and convenience reasons!
Longevity is an inherently sustainable trait too. The longer an instrument lasts, the fewer of them have to be manufactured and bought as replacements, conserving raw materials, energy, and labour, hence reducing the production footprint.
Plastic instruments are cost-effective
For instrument manufacturers, small businesses like ours, and schools, sustainability considerations but always be carefully balanced with commercial realities. Pragmatically speaking, plastic instruments like pBone provide a truly cost-effective solution to getting started in the brass-playing world. Although they ‘will never feel as polished and refined as the most expensive brass metal musical instruments’, these instruments are extensively tested by professionals prior to release, and as a trumpeter I can confirm that they really are a fun play!
Nuvo even offer their instruments in convenient class sets, alongside their WindStars resources.
pBone’s carbon neutrality
In 2020, pBone became the first instrument manufacturer to offer only carbon-neutral musical instruments independently assessed by Carbon Footprint, the UK’s leading validator of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and carbon emissions (CO2e). In 2021, they also became the first instrument manufacturer to sign up for the SME Climate Hub, a pioneering global initiative that aims to create a tipping point for mainstreaming climate action and building business resilience. This shows what is possible for a plastic instrument manufacturer with a commitment to sustainability.
pInstruments and the Environment
In conclusion
Of course, for some, buying a plastic instrument may not make sense. In terms of long-term progression, they'll only take you so far before you need to invest in something more conventional, but for learners looking to take their first trips, and schools providing students with something solid and reliable to play, Nuvo and pBone really are terrific options.
Read more:
Five ways primary educators use pInstruments in their classrooms - An invaluable resource from Adam McCulloch at pBone with ideas and resources on how to use pInstruments in your classroom.
pBone Music: Serious about Making Music Fun! – find out more about pBone’s design, testing and manufacturing processes.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: pInstrument Advice – recommendations on how to make the best use of your pInstrument.
pBone Music and Sustainable Instruments – a full explanation of pBone’s sustainability credentials.