Design Life-Cycle

Jeslyn Chinnapha

Miles Kim, Curtis Lam

DES 40A A04

Professor Cogdell

The Life Cycle of Bagpipes: Materials

The bagpipe is one of the most complex wind instruments, distinguished by its unique sound. One of the most popular brands to buy for beginner players is the McCallum bagpipe. A vast variety of materials are utilized and processed to make each component of their bagpipe. These materials include: African blackwood, plain aluminum alloy, synthetic Gore-Tex material, plastic, leather (animal hide), and silk. This paper analyzes the different materials used in the McCallum bagpipe, including all of its raw components from extraction to any additives in the manufacturing process.

The basic bagpipe consists of eight components and five main materials used to create each part. These include: the pipe bag, projecting mounts, ring cap, ferrules, slide, pipe chanter, synthetic drone reed, and silk cords. Each part is equally as important as they work together to be able to create the distinct sound and look of the bagpipe. 

One of the most dominant features of a bagpipe is the projecting mount. It is used for both the stability of the instrument and decoration (Lenz). The McCallum bagpipe uses African Blackwood: a popular material used for many woodwind instruments such as clarinets, oboes, etc. Its heartwood is highly valuable in the music industry for its unique pitch and timber, as well as its rich and deep color. African Blackwood, also known by its native name, Dalbergia melanoxylon, is naturally found in the coastal regions of East Africa such as Tanzania and Mozambique. As the material became more popular for woodwind instruments in the 19th century, it quickly spread to European countries by trade, and not soon after, spread throughout the world (Nakai). To make the McCallum projecting mount, once the heartwood is harvested from Africa, it is exported to the Kilmarnock manufacturing factory in fourteen piece blocks. In the manufacturing process, these blocks are profiled and shaped into mounts using all computerized cnc machines. After, all of the decorative filing and polishing is done traditionally by hand. There are no added materials in this process (Dudelsackschule).

The pipe bag is the largest component and the foundation of the bagpipe. It is responsible for holding and regulating air flow to maintain a continuous sound from the instrument. This part is traditionally made from local animal skin (cow, sheep, etc.) to create a leather bag. However, with the creation of synthetic material, many bagpipes today utilize these materials as a replacement for the leather bag (Begg). The McCallum brand uses both synthetic material and leather for their pipe bag. The bag covering is made with leather from cows found in Scotland near the manufacturing company (“Willie McCallum Bannatyne Hide Pipe Bag.”). The bag itself uses Gore-Tex, a waterproof but breathable Teflon fabric created in the 1980’s. Unlike traditional pipe bags, this synthetic fabric allows for easier maintenance as there is no natural moisture to deal with, making it a popular choice for material (Bowen). The production of Gore-Tex involves the production of PTFE, stretching into ePFTE, and bonding with polyurethane. Firstly, TFE has to be formed by mixing fluorspar, hydrofluoric acid, and chloroform through heat (Sewport Support Team). Fluorspar is found in geological environments within North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa (Bulatovic). Hydrofluoric acid is a chemical compound dissolved in water, while chloroform is produced by heating a mixture of chemical compounds from which its components are found naturally from the earth (Ivahnenko). Once TFE is made, it is exposed to an initiator substance and combined with water resulting in PTFE. PTFE is then heated and stretched into a ePTFE layer, and is bonded with a polyurethane layer (a plastic material that can be made with different natural gasses) (Sewport Support Team). The end result is the Gore-Tex material that can be transported to the McCallum Bagpipe company and sewn into the inside of the pipe bag. 

The chanter, or melody pipe is what creates the notes of the bagpipe. This part is traditionally made from wood such as boxwood, plum, or other fruit trees (Lenz). Much like the pipe bag, modern technology has made it possible to use other synthetic materials as well. For the McCallum brand, their chanter pipes are made from polyacetal plastic, aka POM plastic (“Acetal Plastic: What You Need to Know.”). This thermoplastic is based on formaldehyde, a gas commonly found in the environment due to emissions and incineration (Shakeel). Once formaldehyde is obtained and acid-catalyzed using sulfuric acid, 1,3,5-trioxane is created. This is followed by purification via distillation to remove water and other impurities. Separately, a co-monomer of either dioxolane is created to be used with the trioxane. Dioxolane is formed in catalysis by reacting ethylene glycol (an organic compound sourced mainly from used antifreeze) with formaldehyde. Dioxolane and trioxane are then polymerized with the addition of an acid-catalyst, forming the acetal copolymer used for the chanter (“Acetal Plastic: What You Need to Know.”).

Drone reeds are a key aspect to creating the bagpipe sound. They are traditionally made from a natural cane that is native to Europe. However, the wood’s sensitivity to humidity and other environmental factors made it difficult to maintain over a long period of time.

Nowadays plastic is often used to make a drone reed. This takes away the issue of humidity with the natural wood reeds. McCallum uses polystyrene plastic to create their drone reeds (Lenz). Polystyrene, or poly-phenylethene is a polymer composed of styrene molecules (Tesfamariam). Styrene is a liquid hydrocarbon that is derived mainly from petroleum, which can be found in natural gas in the environment (“Styrene and How It’s Made.”). In order to obtain styrene, petroleum undergoes the process of fractional distillation, which uses heat to separate petroleum into compounds. Once separated, styrene becomes polymerized through a radical chain mechanism involving heat to initiate it (Tesfamariam). After this process is finished, the resulting product is the polystyrene used for the synthetic reeds.

The smaller components of the McCallum bagpipes are the ferrules, slide, and ring cap. A slide is a metal tuning pin that can adjust the length of the drone to match the pitch of the chanter reed. Ferrules and ring caps are metal rings supporting connection points to prevent breakage of the pipes (Lenz). These metal parts are made from a basic aluminum alloy. An alloy is a combination of at least two metal elements The McCallum bagpipes use aluminum and steel to create their plain alloys. The making of steel requires iron ore, an iron compound, and other materials that are mined from nature and transformed through the blast furnace. This essentially removes oxygen from the ore, resulting in steel (“Making Steel: Arcelormittal.”). Separately, aluminum is created with bauxite, a rock found in most countries, as its main source. After it is mined, the bauxite is refined into alumina through the Bayer process. The process goes through steps of digestion, filtration, precipitation, and calcination which involves the addition of sodium hydroxide and removing impurities such as red mud, until the material of alumina is left. Alumina is then transformed into aluminum through electrolytic reduction which requires the mineral cryolite found from the earth (Bhutada). Once aluminum and steel are created, they are ready to be turned into an alloy. The two metals are mixed with a strip caster machine, and rapidly cooled through a copper drum into flakes or lumps. No additives are added in this process (“Alloy Making for Dummies.”). Once finished it is sent to the manufacturing company to be used for the metal parts of the bagpipe.

The silk cords on a bagpipe are both decorative and functional. They are used to tie the drone reed and chanter in position. These chords are normally made from either synthetic plastic fabric or silk (Lenz). The cultivation of silk originates from China, and is derived from Bombyx mori larvae, or silkworms, which are normally found on mulberry trees. Although this practice dates back to the ancient world, the process is still largely the same today. It begins with harvesting silkworm cocoons and heating them. The cocoon is then unraveled to reveal the silk strand which can be done by hand or with a machine. Silk producers then twist the strands together to form the yarn and is ready to be woven into a fabric (“What Is Silk Fabric: Properties, How Its Made and Where.”). There are no other materials added in this process. Because the material has to travel to other countries, it is most likely transported via boat. For the McCallum bagpipes that utilize real silk, once obtained, they are able to create their silk cords.

The complexity of the bagpipe is very much reflected in the acquisition of its materials and the processes used to create each component. Many of the raw materials, such as those used for the basic metal alloy, can be found and created throughout the world while some, like the African Blackwood and silk, can only be obtained from certain regions. Components of the McCallum bagpipe that are composed of mostly natural materials and are easily processed allowed for a more in-depth analysis. However, components of the bagpipe that utilize synthetic material have a very intricate, chemical creation process that was simplified for easier understanding. Overall, the McCallum bagpipe from the acquisition of its raw materials to the production process as well as the finished product, is mostly unrecyclable and not reusable. Even with good maintenance, the synthetic components will become damaged overtime and unusable. The only recyclable aspects would be the projecting mounts and pipes that could be reused for other bagpipes. Hopefully as time goes on, future technological advancements will allow for the discovery of new material that can be used for the bagpipe to prevent excessive waste at the end of its life cycle. 

Bibliography

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“Alloy Making for Dummies.” FlippingBook, Made with FlippingBook Digital Proposal Creator, online.flippingbook.com/view/124279612/. Accessed 3 May 2024. 

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Bowen, Ron, and Sarajane Trier. “Hide or Synthetic?” The Bagpipe Place, 29 Sept. 2019, www.thebagpipeplace.com/consulting/cm-the-bag/cm-hide-or-synthetic-pipe-bag/#:~:text=Synthetic%20bags%20arrived%20on%20the,water%20vapor%20to%20pass%20through. 

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Minseo Kim

Curtis Lam, Jeslyn Chinnapha

Des 40A A04

Professor Cogdell

Embodied Energy Life Cycle of a Bagpipe

The bagpipe is a very unique and intricate instrument that requires a couple more steps to make compared to most instruments. Created in the late 14th century in England, the bagpipe’s history sings the different culture’s prides that came along with each instrument. Out of the vast selections of different bagpipes, the McCallum bagpipe will be analyzed to explore some of the most distinct embodied energy demands mainly in the acquisition of raw materials, transportation, and manufacturing stages of the life cycle.

The bagpipe consists of six main types of materials that make up its vast complex structure: gore tex, leather, african blackwood, plain alloys, plastic, and silk. Each material being used to create each of the bagpipe’s components respectively: pipe bag, pipe bag cover, projecting mounts, (slides, ring caps, ferrules), (pipe chanters, synthetic drone reed), and drone cords. 

The journey for the bagpipes embodied energy cycle begins with the gore tex and leather. Gore tex is produced in three main steps: PTFE production, stretching, and bonding with polyurethane. The production of PTFE begins with forming TFE by combining fluorspar, hydrofluoric acid, and chloroform. Using heat, the three substances combine and are formed into a gas at room temperature. Cooling the combined product turns it into a liquid and is stored in pressurized conditions. Then using water with a technique known as suspension polymerization or dispersion, the TFE is exposed to ammonium persulfate or another initiator substance. This exposure of chemicals mixes with the TFE transitioning it to PTFE in the form of powder or pellets. Heat is used once again to mold and shape PTFE into solid forms of rods, blocks, or other large solid shapes. The resulting PTFE blocks are heated once again and stretched to form a very thin filament or into large sheets. Lastly, the PTFE is layered with polyurethane bonding the chemical and material together. This final transformation creates ePTFE which is gore tex that is later shaped into the shape of the body of a bagpipe. The major types of energy used to create gore tex is consistent with thermal and chemical energy [1]. With the recent upbringings of synthetic materials leather is usually replaced. However, the McCallum bagpipes “were made of Gore-Tex, a waterproof, breathable Teflon fabric invented in 1969. Gore-Tex repels liquid water while allowing water vapor to pass through” [2]. 

The bagpipe covers are made from the leathers of sheeps or goats to give the bagpipe an authentic feel [3]. The process of making a leather pipe bag begins by testing the quality of the leather, “test for airtightness by holding the leather to my lips and sucking air in enthusiastically. If no air seeps through then it is probably adequate for bagpipes” [4]. Then the bag is prepped for gluing by sanding the side of the leather with coarse sandpaper. Once the leather has been sanded glue is applied to the sanded areas and joined together. Lastly a separate leather strip is also sanded and glued to the outside of the previously glued area to ensure the leather has support when the air in the bag pushes against its edges. Once the strips are secured onto the bag, holes are poked through the layers of the strip and the bag for sewing. The “saddle” stitch, technique of using two needles to sew, is applied through the holes to tighten the support between the bag and the support strip, finally creating a finished leather pipe bag cover [4]. Most of the process with creating and working with leather pipe bags is human labor and technicality.

The next step in materials is African blackwood. African Blackwood also known as Mpingo or Grenadillo is a growth-stunted tree that is known for its density and tones used in musical instruments. Mostly grown in Tanzania, south of Mozambique, these trees are grown and maintained in drywoodlands or savannahs. Blackwood trees are usually harvested at only the age of 70-80 even though they do not fully mature until 200 years old. The harvested trees are then brought to the “Forest Stewardship Council certified Mill” where they are processed. Once the trees arrive at the mill they are debarked by hand and the logs are split. The split logs and the smaller diameter logs are then run through saws to turn them into “cants”. The blackwood cants are then graded and checked based on their cracks and irregularities. The cants that pass are then waxed and are sat for a couple weeks so the surface of the moisture dries up completely before being shipped [5]. The transported blackwood is then shipped to markets in Europe and America where McCallum buys their products. Once the wood arrives into the McCallum factories they are taken in to become projecting mounts. “From design and manufacture to the distribution of the finished product under one roof” (McCallum). Starting with the design process happening within the planning office, specific measurements are inputted into the computer process to ensure a very clean and precise finished product. “Using the state of the art machinery, our instruments are precision manufactured to exact specifications under the strict supervision of our expert craftsman” [6].

On the other side of all this woodwork, plain alloys are another material that meet the necessities of a bagpipe. Alloys are used to make the slides, ring caps, and ferrules for a bagpipe. An alloy “is a material that is made up of at last two different chemical elements, one of which is a metal” [7]. The materials that are used to create plain alloys for the McCallum bagpipes are aluminum and steel. The raw materials that help in the creation of aluminum is the refinement of bauxite. Acquiring aluminum from bauxite requires two steps: refining bauxite and smelting alumina. The refinement is carried out using the “Bayer process”. The Bayer process consists of digestion, clarification, precipitation, and calcination which helps derive aluminum from this ore [8]. Steel is created by removing oxygen from the iron ore. This process is completed through the use of blast furnaces, a type of metallurgy furnace that has the capability to produce intense amounts of heat in order to melt metals [9]. Steel and aluminum once refined are then put through the steps of alloy-making. The two metals are loaded into a machine called a “strip-loader” where the metal is melted and mixed together. Once the metal has been thoroughly mixed together they are poured into a rotating water cooled copper drum in either lumps or flakes. From the process of chemical refinement to the furnaces used, the production energy used to produce plain alloys are heavily thermal and chemical [10]. 

Now that all of the heavy materials have been produced and explored we begin to move more into the lighter compartments of the bagpipe like pipe chanters and synthetic drone reeds. The pipe chanter and drone reed, however, use different types of plastics and each one has its own unique production process. Starting with chanters, they are made from the final product of polyacetal plastic. Acetal plastic is a type of engineered plastic that has better mechanical properties and handles heat better than commodity plastics” [11]. Polyacetal also known as acetal plastic also known as POM plastic is a thermoplastic made from a formaldehyde molecule. To obtain this formaldehyde molecule, oxidation on menthol must occur [12]. Menthol can be obtained from peppermint oil or by the process of hydrogenation of thymol [13]. Once the formaldehyde is obtained through the hydrogenation a catalyst is mixed and turned into trioxane. It is then distilled for purification. After the purification process, comonomers like dioxolane and ethyl oxide are added using the chain growth polymerization. Chain growth polymerization process “is the sequential  linking of monomer units to form a long polymer chain. Double or triple carbon bonds are usually seen in the chain growth process” [14]. After the growth process a final catalyst is added to the polymer and the reaction produces the acetal copolymer. We then move onto polystyrene, plastic used for creating synthetic reeds. Polystyrene is composed of a monomer named “styrene”. Styrene is a liquid hydrocarbon that is commercially produced from petroleum [15]. The procedure for changing petroleum into styrene requires a process called fractional distillation. Fractional distillation focuses on separating the mixture of petroleum into individual compounds using heat [16]. During the heating process a fraction of the mixture will vaporize and when the vapor condenses it becomes styrene. Then using free radical chain mechanism normal distilled styrene can be changed into polystyrene which is then used in the creation of synthetic reeds [17]. The polystyrene is then glued together with resin and shaved into its ideal shape to imitate the fibers of a cane [18]. The process of creating synthetic plastic, and fibers always requires chemical and thermal energy to produce products. 

The last cycle of the energy life cycle is the making of silk cords. “A silk cord is a decorative and functional element of a bagpipe. It is used to tie the drone reeds and the chanter to the stocks, adding an aesthetic touch to the instrument” [19]. Silk is produced from a species of silk worm, Bombyx mori. It begins with sericulture which is the process of gathering, taking care of, and harvesting silk worms. Once the silkworm caterpillars are fully matured they begin to cocoon themselves and the silk cocoons are extracted. By putting the cocoons into boiling water loosens the gum that is holding the silk together. Each thread is then reeled individually into a washing area where the gums are cleaned off. Once the cleaning is complete, a traditional spinning wheel is used to collect the thread into a bobbin. This bobbin is then shipped across the world to whatever markets buy them. The silk is then woven into traditional silk cords that are used in bagpipes. The steps it takes to make silk cords required more labor work of humans, and natural energy from the caterpillars producing silk [20]

Most of the raw materials used for the production of bagpipes used transportation methods: boats, trucks, railroads, trucks, and planes. Heavier materials like the different types of metals and the African blackwood typically use boats as their main method of transportation because of their weight and are usually transported across countries. Then the lighter materials like plastics and silk can be transported in any of the mentioned methods [21]. “The Plastics Europe EPS Committee recommends that these guidelines are adopted by all parties who are involved in the distribution of EPS” [22]. All of these transportation methods, however, use up a nonrenewable resource, fossil fuel, in order to transport all these materials to their destinations.

Unfortunately bagpipes, even though they last a long time, are not reusable and restoration can only keep it working for so long. This is due to the pipe bags drying up over time, and trying to hydrate the bag will only make the already existing cracks in the bagpipe bigger, further damaging the instrument [23]. The only real method of recycling this instrument is restoring the other components of the bagpipe like the pipes, and the projecting mounts for future instruments. 

In conclusion the life cycle of the embodied energy of a bagpipe, from its raw material acquisition to the large amounts of energy deposits required during the multitude of production processes is not very sustainable. During this research we decided to simplify the process of extraction, construction, and waste because each of its life cycles could be expanded upon and we wanted to have a simpler method of guidance per material. Most of the “raw materials” acquisition was hard to look for due to the product being very complex like the synthetic plastics, and gore-tex. 

Bibliography

Arcelor, Mittal. “Making Iron & Steel - Blast Furnace: ArcelorMittal.” Home Page, 2024, corporate.arcelormittal.com/about/making-steel/making-iron-steel-blast-furnace?chapter=Making+iron+&+steel. [9]

The Bagpipe, Place. “Hide or Synthetic?” The Bagpipe Place, 29 Sept. 2019, www.thebagpipeplace.com/consulting/cm-the-bag/cm-hide-or-synthetic-pipe-bag/#:~:text=Synthetic%20bags%20arrived%20on%20the,water%20vapor%20to%20pass%20through. [2]

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Insurance Association, German. “Silk - Transport Information Service.” Silk – Transport Informations Service, 2024, www.tis-gdv.de/tis_e/ware/fasern/seide/seide-htm/. [21]

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Piping, McGillivray. “About Mcgillivray Piping Vintage Bagpipes.” McGillivray Piping Inc., 29 Dec. 2018, piping.on.ca/about-mcgillivray-piping-vintage-bagpipes/#:~:text=An%20old%20set%20that%20has,the%20crack%20was%20already%20there. [23]

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Steven Williams, ISM. “What Is Acetal Plastic? - Pom Plastics for Flow Control Parts.” Industrial Specialties Mfg., 2015, www.industrialspec.com/about-us/blog/detail/what-is-acetal-plastic-pom-polyacetal-polyoxymethylene. [11]

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Curtis Lam

Jeslyn Chinnapha, Miles Kim

DES 40A A04

Cogdell

The Life Cycle of Bagpipes: Waste

Introduction

When we think of the sounds of Scotland the first thing we think of are the bagpipes. But has anyone ever explored how this instrument is constructed and the waste behind it? This paper takes a deeper look into the waste left behind after the final product. The bagpipes are a complex instrument made of various unique materials like African blackwood, metal alloys like nickel and silver, plastic, and animal fibers. Exploring each stage of its life cycle exposes how the majority of the actual materials result as waste or recycled materials but also creates byproducts of emission. 

Overview: How are Bagpipes Made?

The construction of the Bagpipes has been around since the 14th century. Since then, the construction process to produce such a traditional instrument has changed over time from all natural materials to more convenient synthetic materials used today. 

The making for bagpipes begins with the wood, African blackwood is imported into the factories where they will be cut into planks and dried. After the wood has been properly dried and has the correct moisture content it is ready to be cut into the different pipes of the instrument by using different power tools. The ferrules are then press-fit and glued into the pipes and the protecting mounts are threaded in. The pipes are then finished with different oils, lacquer, wax, and varnish. (Bagpipes)  

Originally, the bag compartment that is part of the bagpipes was made with sheep stomach and other animal parts but in our modern era the construction of the bag is made with synthetic plastics like gore tex and covered in leather. The whole instrument is completed when the wood pipes are tied to the bag. (Bagpipes) This long process that requires many different materials results in different kinds of waste and emissions that are put back into the environment.   

Wood Waste

One of the main materials used in the construction of Bagpipes is the African blackwood that is used to make the reeds that are attached to the bag compartment. Like many other sources of wood, wood is harvested normally by cutting down trees and are shipped to the place it needs to be. African blackwood is also under threat as this wood is considered a material used for many different musical instruments. However a recent study from Berkeley Law states that the wood supply chain contributes to 0.6% of annual emission. (Evans) This is the waste that contributes to just importing the wood from country to country.

When first discussing wood waste, we need to know where it comes from when constructing bagpipes. The wood used to create the pipes and reeds of the bagpipes are cut and shaved down and produces sawdust. Sawdust is the wood dust that is created when people work with wood. It is considered toxic for humans because breathing in these particles causes respiratory problems so properly disposing of sawdust waste is important. There are 3 different ways sawdust is disposed of. The first is disposal where sawdust is either incinerated or deposited in landfills which makes up 37% of sawdust waste. 33% is contributed towards material recovering and recycled materials. Lastly, 30% is contributed for sources of energy like generating heat and electricity. (Evans) Most of these methods of using sawdust waste will result in carbon emissions from either burning sawdust and the transportation of sawdust waste to recycle or landfill facilities. 

On the other hand, sawdust is easily recycled and many people are finding different ways to reuse sawdust and put it back into the Earth. Sawdust is widely available because it is a by-product for all wood manufacturing processes. The use of sawdust is considered easily recycled because it’s very cheap and there is a large amount of it in the world. If the wood is all natural, it can be a source of energy for plants and agriculture as it is easily biodegradable. For construction, sawdust can also be used as an ideal filter for cement or the preparation of composites. (Mallakpour) It’s also a low cost adsorbent of oil which people have been studying to see if it can clean up oil spills. (Nurliyana) Previously mentioned, it also can be a source of fuel and can activate carbon. Of course this method isn’t as popular because other fuel sources can exert a greater amount of power with less material. (Mallakpour) The remains of sawdust after the production of the bagpipes can be a source of renewable energy for many different things and can be put back into the Earth. It is a cheap and widely available material that is able to be reused in many different ways from composting to cleaning oil spills. 

Gore Tex and Leather Waste

Gore tex and leather are the two major materials used when producing the bagpipe’s bag compartment. Gore tex is a water proof, wind proof, and breathable fabric often used for the production of clothing and camping gear. The material is made from different kinds of plastic and are then formed into different layers and laminated into fabric. Leather on the other hand is a natural material that is derived from cow skins. Producing leather itself is a long process that requires slaughtering cows for their hides which is a by-product of the meat industry. Harvesting these materials produces a lot of waste as both materials require different chemical treatments and different methods of washing which produce a lot of chemical and water waste. When it comes to the post production of making the bagpipes, the scraps of these two materials can be handled in different ways. 

There are two ways in which leather is disposed of and that is by either being recycled into new materials or deposited into landfill/ incineration. Leather scraps can be recycled and repurposed for new things like small leather goods or book binding but these methods are often expensive and also produce more emission and waste when renewing these materials. (Odo) Most leather scraps are often discarded in landfills or incinerated. Studies have found that leather makes up 6.1 kg of solid waste and the rotting of cow skins release methane into our environment. (Xia) The practice of producing leather has a large impact on the environment as well. The chemical substances used to produce leather creates waste and water pollution with chemicals being deposited into our atmosphere. Leather has also been a victim of greenwashing as people perceive the material to be renewable or recyclable but really the majority of leather waste ends up rotting in landfills and polluting our environment.

The scraps of gore tex remaining from post construction of the bagpipes is also environmentally hazardous. The majority of gore tex scraps, like leather, are also deposited into landfills or are incarcerated. Since the material is largely plastic based it takes a long time to decay back into the environment. (Mark) There have been organizations that are trying to create biodegradable versions of gore tex, seeking to reuse plastic waste. The organization did not specify if the process had a larger amount of emission when producing this new fabric. (Mark) Both leather and gore tex are textiles that often leave a large amount of waste in emission in our environment. Both processes of manufacturing and post production waste are extremely harmful to the environment with both materials largely being deposited into landfills.

Metal Alloy Waste: Steel & Aluminum

Metal is also another material that is featured in the construction of the bagpipes. Producing these materials for the construction of the bagpipes is a long process that also comes with a lot of emission and waste that are then deposited into our environment. The first step to obtaining these metals is by methods of mining. Mining significantly impacts our environment which include land degradation, soil erosion, water pollution, air pollution, climate change, and resource depletion. (How) 

Metal after the post production of the bagpipes are handled similarly to wood, it is either thrown in the landfill or recycled. But in contrast to wood, metal is more often recycled because there are greater benefits to the environment. When metal is recycled it goes through a long process of being sorted, reshaped, then melted down. (Norgate) Even though the energy it takes to melt down metal is significant, the environmental impact of recycling metal has less of an environmental impact in comparison to mining for new raw metal ores.  

Synthetic Plastic Waste: Polyacetal & Polystyrene 

Polyacetal and Polystyrene are both thermoplastics that are used for the structure and packaging of the bagpipes. Not much evidence is found for the waste of these two materials but both plastics are produced chemically and contribute a lot of waste in the forms of insufficient processing, equipment cleaning, and material handling which also produces scrap plastics, excess resin, and residue from equipment cleaning. (Energy) The result from using these materials can be hazardous to the environment. They first accumulate in landfill as these plastic materials take a long time to decay into the Earth. It also depletes the Earth resources as it takes energy to produce these plastics and the utilization of water and raw materials like resin. Lastly, these plastics have a negative impact on the Earth’s ecosystem by affecting wildlife and pollution for ecosystems. (Saylor)

Silk Fiber Waste

Silk makes up a small part of the bagpipes as they are used for the tassels that decorate the instrument. However the amount of waste that contributes to this part of the instrument is significant. The cocoons in which the silk is unwound from during the reeling process can be used for breeding but the majority of the time it is discarded as waste. Also during the reeling process, if the silk fibers break and are too short for use they are also discarded as waste. There is also a significant amount of chemical waste during the harvesting process. Chemicals like soap and alkaline are used during the degumming process where proteins are removed from the fibers and create waste water. (Silk Waste) The wastewater has to be disposed of effectively to avoid contamination. The production of silk has a large impact on the environment because it requires a significant amount of resources like water, energy, and land. 

 After the silk has been used to create the tassels the leftover waste is either thrown away into the landfill or can be recycled. (Gaviria) Most silk products which have been treated with chemicals and dyes are not able to be recycled therefore are often thrown into landfills. If the silk fiber meets the right conditions then it can either be recycled or composted. In terms of recycling, silk fibers can be upcycled with other textile wastes and used for other projects.   

Conclusion

In our modern era, the production of bagpipes requires many different materials which range from metal, wood, plastics, and textiles. Each process to produce these materials produces a large amount of waste which is similar to post production waste. Some materials are either discarded in landfills or into the environment and others are recycled regardless of the factors the emission it takes to produce a bagpipe is also still prevalent and affects our environment in different ways.

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