Written by Sander from VinylFarm.EU
Sometimes a new step for Waxer.eu does not begin with a new website, a new collection or a freshly photographed 7 inch single, but with a much bigger question. What do you do with records that other people no longer know what to do with?
For me, that question has always been important. A record is not just a piece of plastic. It is music, memory, history and material at the same time. At VinylFarm.EU, and now also through Waxer.eu, we try to look at every record with that in mind. Before something is called waste, we first want to know if it can still make someone happy.
Because Waxer.eu is part of VinylFarm.EU, everything we do is connected to the bigger story of how we handle vinyl. Hans, Irene and I created Waxer.eu together, but the idea behind it comes from years of working with records every single day. We have seen how many records are forgotten, how many are overlooked and how many still deserve a new chance.
For me, recycling does not start with destroying something. It starts with looking carefully. Can the record still be played? Can it still be sold? Can it still find a new owner? If the answer is yes, then the best form of recycling is very simple. Let the record remain a record.
That way of thinking became very clear in the story WaardeRing wrote about VinylFarm.EU. In Staphorst, there was a large batch of more than 3300 kilos of LPs without covers. These records had become stuck after the recycler that was supposed to process them went bankrupt. Suddenly there was a huge amount of vinyl that needed a new direction.
Many people started thinking about what could still be done with the records. Schools, festivals, makers and entrepreneurs all looked at the material in their own way. Some records were used for creative projects. Some became clocks, lampshades or bowls. Others were used as decoration. That is valuable, but for us the first question was still the same.
At VinylFarm.EU, that is always where we start. Around 80% of the vinyl that others may see as waste can still be sold by us as playable records. That is a huge number. It means that many records do not need to disappear too quickly. They need time, sorting, attention and the right system behind them.
That same way of thinking is one of the reasons Waxer.eu exists. A 7 inch single may be smaller than an LP, but the idea is exactly the same. Every single that comes through Waxer.eu is treated as its own item. We do not want to hide it behind a standard image or a general database photo. We want to show the real record, because the real record is what deserves a new place.
At Waxer.eu, every 7 inch single receives its own attention. The front is photographed, the back is photographed and the customer can see exactly what they are buying. That takes more time, but for us that time is part of the value. If a record has already lived a life before it reaches us, then the least we can do is show it honestly.
Inside VinylFarm.EU, we use our own way of looking at records that come in. We call it VURA. That stands for Verkoop, Upcycle, Recycle and Afstorten. The order is very important. First we try to sell the record again. If that is no longer possible, we look at upcycling. If that also does not work, we move to recycling. Only when there is really no other option, something would be discarded.
This also became part of my own work. I started building machines myself to make new products from old records, including clocks from old LPs and 7 inch singles. Some records can no longer be sold as music, but they still have a beautiful label, a strong shape or a character that should not disappear. By turning them into clocks, they keep part of their identity.
A clock made from an old record is not just a product to me. You can still see what it once was. The label remains visible. The round shape remains. The material remains. It becomes something new without completely losing its past.
Of course, not every record can become a clock. Not every record can be upcycled. Sometimes recycling really is the final and best option. Then the vinyl can be shredded and used again as raw material. But for us, that only happens after the better options have been checked first.
At VinylFarm.EU, almost 2 million LPs have already gone through this way of thinking. That number shows why a proper system is so important. When you work with large amounts of vinyl, you cannot only focus on the records that are easy to sell. You also have to take responsibility for the records that are difficult, damaged, incomplete or forgotten.
That is one of the reasons Waxer.eu is so important to us. Many 7 inch singles are overlooked because they take a lot of work. They are small, they are often mixed together in large boxes and every single item needs attention. But that is exactly why we believe they deserve their own platform.
A 7 inch single can be a radio hit, a forgotten B side, a local release, a jukebox memory or a song someone has been searching for for years. It may look small, but for the right person it can mean a lot.
For me, this is where Waxer.eu and recycling come together. Every single that we photograph and list is a record that gets another chance. Every order means that something old finds a new listener. Every item that stays in use as music is better than material that is destroyed too soon.
VinylFarm.EU gave us the scale, the experience and the system. Waxer.eu gives us the chance to tell that story through 7 inch vinyl in a clear and honest way. Real photos, real records and real attention for every item.
For me, this is not only about recycling. It is about taking the time to look one more time before deciding what something is worth. Sometimes a record is still music. Sometimes it can become something new. And sometimes it simply needs the right person to discover it again.
That is why Waxer.eu feels like such a natural next step. It is not only a webshop for 7 inch records. It is also a way to show that small records still deserve a big future.
Every single that appears online has already had a life before us. Our job is to make sure that life does not end too early.
Sander from VinylFarm.EU
Co creator of Waxer.eu together with Hans and Irene
