SUSTAINABILITY | Protecting the environment has always been important to us. After all, there’s nothing more critical to our future—and everyone else’s—than developing forests with long-term sustainability. That’s why we were one of the first guitar manufacturers to develop an ecological policy in 1990. We’ve embraced responsible use of traditional tonewoods and encouraged building guitars with alternative woods. We’re on a mission to protect the earth while providing economic, social, and cultural opportunities for people everywhere. As a company, we’re committed to recycling everything we can, wasting as little as possible, and working to minimize our impact on the planet. Read our mission statement and Impact Report.
Reforestation
Martin planted tens of thousands of birch and maple trees to support Wildlands Conservancy in Pennsylvania. We also planted tens of thousands of mahogany, cedar, cocobolo, rosewood, and teak trees in Nicaragua.
Plastic Reduction Initiatives
Martin reduced single-use plastic stretch wrap for shipping guitar pallets by replacing them with reusable canvas pallet wraps. In 2021, 2.5 tons of stretch wrap were eliminated.
The Martin Journal of Acoustic Guitars
In 2021, we devoted an entire issue of our journal to Martin’s sustainability efforts. In support of this, we encouraged readers to enjoy the digital version of the journal, and we reduced the number of paper journals produced by 70%, saving 1.4 million sheets of paper.
Earth Guitar
Martin developed a guitar to bring awareness to the climate crisis. It’s FSC® Certified and it’s the first 100% plastic-free acoustic guitar.
String Recycling
Martin partnered with D’Addario on the Playback string recycling program. Recognizing a growing need in the industry, D’Addario developed the program as a means to recycle guitar and orchestral strings, which are not accepted through municipal recycling programs. With over 3.9 million strings recycled to date, Playback has been widely successful, offering local string recycling centers at dealers, or the option to mail in used strings. The collaboration is a precise pairing, aligning Martin’s commitment to environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility.