Alright, crazy idea but...

[funkinbottom]

Maybe recycling plastics that would otherwise end up in a landfill is the second best option.

I think we have a winner. Plastic bobbins made from recycled plastic.

 

[fig]

Best to just play air bass.

Concur. I've won a few air awards over the years doing that. Throwing in some bass-face helps.

Kinda weird, though. Some folk thought I was having a spasmodic attack during the solos...

 

[hooky_marr]

Y’know, considering European and other laws concerning e-waste and general recyclability, it might be a good idea for pickup makers to start looking at materials options to make their pickups easily recyclable / zero-waste / carbon neutral.

Cores / bobbins can be derived from plant fibers / upcycled paper and wood waste.

If natural wax is used for potting pickups, that’s recoverable / reusable I think once you strain / filter it?

Wood pickup covers may wear out, but are biodegradable or can be upcycled into fiber etc. There are eco-friendly clearcoats for metal covers (low VOC) that provide corrosion protection, commonly used in gyms and other high traffic areas.

Cloth covered wires vs PVC covered.

Metal components are easily recycled.

Some things that might have to be altered are some metal plating processes for parts such as chrome, as it’s pretty toxic. I think if we move towards minimally processed metals that display less wear (satin finish / bead blasted aluminum / steel) we can eliminate electroplating altogether except for specific use cases?

But maybe the industry also needs to use some sort of recycling deposit fund, so you can trade in your old ones for a set fee?

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I worry about pollution. Plastics don't biodegrade, and almost all plastic is going to end up in the ocean.

I'm considering building some pickups, and the idea of plastic bobbins is sticking in my head. The other option is vulcanized fiber, which can absorb water and lead to lots of issues down the road.

So I'm thinking, what about metal bobbins? The issue with this is that different metals expand and contract at different rates when heating and cooling. This also could cause wear and tear on the wrap wire and lead to a puckup failing.

So how about a copper bobbin? It should solve all of the above issues, and it would probably look pretty cool. What would it take to make one? Milling from a billet would probably be pretty hard, but casting could work pretty well.

Any thoughts?

Biodegradable plastic is available

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Just use the plastic bobbins and drink one or two fewer bottled water.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I worry about pollution. Plastics don't biodegrade, and almost all plastic is going to end up in the ocean.

I'm considering building some pickups, and the idea of plastic bobbins is sticking in my head. The other option is vulcanized fiber, which can absorb water and lead to lots of issues down the road.

So I'm thinking, what about metal bobbins? The issue with this is that different metals expand and contract at different rates when heating and cooling. This also could cause wear and tear on the wrap wire and lead to a puckup failing.

So how about a copper bobbin? It should solve all of the above issues, and it would probably look pretty cool. What would it take to make one? Milling from a billet would probably be pretty hard, but casting could work pretty well.

Any thoughts?

Copper oxide (that green coating) is toxic.

 

[LanciaY10]

Another proof of the americans refusing to convert themselves to selective sorting. So no, really no, 100% of plastics don't end in the oceans, really, nope.

I've been a recycling labor for... all kind of plastics, PET, HDPE, PP, PVC, ABS, there are tools to reduce them in pellets and they can be re-used for many applications. What Australia does is what Europe does, exactly the same. But there's a catch here indeed: you can't recycle plastics indefinitely, it looses some of its properties right after the first recycling.

Now the fact is the US are really lagging behind the rest of developped countries.

https://plasticsstewardshipaustralia.org.au/images/psa/reports/Plastics-Identification-Code.pdf

Report Shows Only 21% of U.S. Residential Recyclables are Captured, Points to Policy and Investment as Immediate Solutions - The Recycling Partnership

The 2024 State of Recycling Report shows that all materials are under-recycled largely due to lack of access and communication.

recyclingpartnership.org

 

[rogerbmiller]

I feel like this might be confused priorities. Plastics are mainly a problem for products that are disposable, and disposed of en masse. I would venture to guess that of all the plastic ever disposed of, electric guitars would contribute a vanishingly small proportion.

So... unless you planned to throw away your bass sometime soon, I don't think that overcoming the technical problems of making a metal bobbin would be worth the infinitesimally small impact of doing so.

Now... if you wanted to do it simply as a challenge, then sure, try it. I would be interested in it from that perspective.

^This^

Now moving on from solutions in search of problems to problems in search of solutions...

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Another proof of the americans refusing to convert themselves to selective sorting. So no, really no, 100% of plastics don't end in the oceans, really, nope.

I've been a recycling labor for... all kind of plastics, PET, HDPE, PP, PVC, ABS, there are tools to reduce them in pellets and they can be re-used for many applications. What Australia does is what Europe does, exactly the same. But there's a catch here indeed: you can't recycle plastics indefinitely, it looses some of its properties right after the first recycling.

Now the fact is the US are really lagging behind the rest of developped countries.

https://plasticsstewardshipaustralia.org.au/images/psa/reports/Plastics-Identification-Code.pdf

Report Shows Only 21% of U.S. Residential Recyclables are Captured, Points to Policy and Investment as Immediate Solutions - The Recycling Partnership

The 2024 State of Recycling Report shows that all materials are under-recycled largely due to lack of access and communication.

recyclingpartnership.org

What do you mean by selective sorting? My county has single stream recycling and we just put it out on our day of the week and there is a central facility to sort. Glass, plastic, clean cardboard, metals, yard trimmings, compostings.

 

[LanciaY10]

What do you mean by selective sorting? My county has single stream recycling and we just put it out on our day of the week and there is a central facility to sort. Glass, plastic, clean cardboard, metals, yard trimmings, compostings.

Did you read the study ? your county is how much percentage of the whole US ? Facts shows disparities between states, what is available to you is not available to the vast majority of the US.

"By the numbers
77%
Percentage of Americans who say they currently recycle, according to a 2025 recycling behavior survey from WM. That’s up from 66% reported in the company’s 2024 survey. Yet the report notes only about 32% of material is recycled in the United States, according to U.S. EPA data, underscoring a significant “say-do gap” between Americans’ intent to recycle and their actual recycling behaviors." in By the numbers: How America recycles in 2025

 

[BassDaddySky]

"Bio-plastics" just popped up in my feed, might be worth a look...

 

[MultiScaleMale]

The problem is that for the given use, plastic is almost ideal. I applaud your efforts to reduce plastic but I just feel like this is a time where plastics make sense. I did see a video where someone pulled apart a 2l bottle and used those strands on a 3D printer. Maybe that's a solution?