Saving Strings: Music World Hosts Annual String Exchange Event to Reduce Waste and Raise Awareness

Taylor Balkom, a skilled photographer, captured the essence of Music World’s string-exchange event at Hazel Dell. The event, which has been held for three years now, is an initiative taken by Matt Gohlke, the co-owner and general manager of Music World. The event aims to raise awareness about recycling and reducing landfill waste by encouraging musicians to bring in their old instrument strings and exchange them for new ones.

Gohlke discovered that an estimated 1.5 million pounds of instrument string metal end up in landfills each year due to lack of acceptance through local recycling programs as stated by TerraCycle, a recycling company. To tackle this issue, Gohlke partnered with TerraCycle and guitar string manufacturer D’Addario to organize the event.

During the event, Music World staff replaces the old strings with new ones provided by D’Addario. The 40 sets of strings are exchanged each year, and TerraCycle recycles the old ones. Restringing an instrument usually costs $40, but this promotion encourages musicians to bring in their old strings and get them replaced at a lower cost. This not only benefits the community but also raises awareness about recycling and reducing waste.

One loyal customer, Derek Neiman, who has been shopping at Music World for over a decade, decided to take advantage of the promotion and have his guitar restrung at Music World. Neiman praised the shop for always doing a great job and appreciated the initiative taken by Gohlke to reduce waste in the community.

Music World continues to accept and recycle old music strings year-round, making it easier for musicians to dispose of their used strings responsibly. This initiative not only benefits the environment but also encourages responsible disposal habits among musicians in Hazel Dell.