MELBURNIANS Mike Hendry, Sandra Klepetko and Peter Humphreys are helping to give new life to old pianos to prevent them becoming landfill.
The trio has joined forces to form Pianos Recycled, an organisation that turns old pianos into furniture.
Mike, a piano tuner by trade, said he had long been concerned that old pianos were being sent to the tip and ultimately ending up as landfill.
“I work very closely with several trucking companies,” he said. “I used to see pianos just piling up in their yards and then they would just disappear.
”I was told at one point they’d just load them onto the back of a truck and take them to the tip.”
Those piles of old pianos never left his mind and found his thoughts returned again and again to whether there was a better solution.
About year ago he was at a social engagement chatting with Sandra, a sustainability expert, and mentioned those old pianos.
As they talked Sandra began to lay out ideas about how the pianos could potentially be deconstructed and timbers and other materials re-used; Pianos Recycled was officially conceived.
The recycling process begins with deconstructing the piano into single pieces: veneered panels, hardwoods, hardware, the mechanism, and ebony and ivory key caps.
Good veneers or timbers are then sent to artisans to create new furniture pieces; timber of minimal value is woodchipped.
Other materials such as the iron frame, strings and tuning pins are used in furniture making where possible, or sold as scrap metal.
“We’re on track to have saved 20 tonnes of landfill by June 30, which will mark the end of our first year in operation,” Mike said.
As well as making an impact in terms of sustainability, he said the organisation was recovering materials that were leading to the creation of some distinctive and beautiful items of furniture.
“You can’t buy some of those veneers from pre-WWI English and German pianos these days for love or money.”