In recent years, a green trend has swept the Korean K-pop entertainment industry. Recently, HYBE, the agency behind popular groups like BTS and New Jeans, announced the release of an eco-friendly album. Not only will the album cover and contents be made of more sustainable, eco-friendly materials, but they will also release photo cards with a water-soluble coating. This has caused an uproar and widespread complaints among fans of the photo cards.
The photo album sold well, but the album itself was trash.
Photocard culture is prevalent in the K-pop world. Companies often release different versions of the same album, distributed across various channels, to boost sales. Fans who want to collect a complete set or a collection of their favorite artist's photocards not only need the financial resources to purchase multiple albums, but also a lot of luck. Some fans even buy large quantities of albums to increase their chances of winning a prize at their idol's autograph sessions.
However, after the required contents are collected, the albums that have been purchased repeatedly may be discarded on the roadside, causing waste and increasing garbage.
Therefore, BTS's record label, HYBE, announced on the 18th of last month that future digital albums released by its artists on Weverse will feature a more sustainable design. These digital albums, without a physical CD, only come with a digital card. Scanning a QR code on the card allows users to listen to the music or view the album photos on a specific app or platform, a design that was supposed to be environmentally friendly. However, to satisfy fans' collection needs, record companies often include random cards or other items.
HYBE plans to use recyclable materials or paper for the album casing and contents, change the outer packaging film to biodegradable plastic, and change the plastic coating of the album casing and photo cards to a water-based coating that is easily soluble in water, making the recycling process easier.
While some agree this is more environmentally friendly, the move has sparked heated debate. Fans claim they will carefully preserve the photo cards, and that environmental measures shouldn't compromise their preservation. If record companies could modify the randomness of the photo cards, sell them directly, or improve the lottery system for book signings, they could effectively reduce the waste of duplicate album purchases.
There is no K-pop on the dead planet
K-pop has taken the world by storm. According to The Korea Times, South Korean lawmaker Woo Won-shik, citing data from the Korean Ministry of Environment, reported that in 2022 alone, South Korea used 801.5 tons of plastic to produce physical albums. This represents a 14-fold increase compared to six years ago.
However, media estimates based on album sales suggest actual plastic usage may be far higher. For example, HYBE, one of South Korea's four largest entertainment companies, reported using approximately 894.6 tons of plastic in its 2022 albums and packaging, according to its 2022 Sustainability Management Report.
K-pop fans hope that Korean Wave will become environmentally friendly. Nurul Sarifah, a fan of Korean groups from Jakarta, Indonesia, founded the "Kpop4Planet" organization with her friends in 2021 to unite the power of fans, support K-pop while also caring about the climate crisis.
The "No K-pop on a dead planet" campaign, launched by Kpop4Planet, collected 8,000 discarded albums from fans last year and returned them to their agencies, calling on companies to address waste issues and reduce plastic use.
Kpop4Planet suggests that record companies offer a "green album option." For example, fans can purchase 30 copies of the same album but receive only three physical copies. This would increase sales for their favorite artists and their chances of winning prizes at autograph sessions without creating unnecessary waste.
References：
*The Korea Times（2023.10.22），Plastic use for K-pop albums increases 14 times over last 6 years
*Kpopmap（2024.3.18），New Age Music Appreciation: HYBE’s Sustainable Changes
*Naver（2024.3.18），포토카드 물에 녹는다…하이브, 위버스 앨범 재활용·생분해 소재 도입
*Euronews（2022.11.28），’No K-pop on a dead planet’: Meet the stans taking up climate activism
*CBC（2023.8.12），Why some K-pop fans are calling for more environmentally friendly practices in the industry
*International Business Times（2023.10.24），Environment Suffering From K-Pop As Plastic Use Up 14 Times; Hybe Used 894.6 Tons In 2022
*Korea Yonhap News Agency (2023.10.22), ‘하이브만 연간 900t’…최근 6년간 ‘K팝 플라스틱’ 14배로 늘어
Source: Environmental Information Centre
