In addition to finding our customers the best equipment and accessories for their playing needs, PWIC also seriously considers sustainable business practices. We wholeheartedly believe in the 4 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle, and repurpose) and try to implement them as much as possible. Almost all of the boxes and packing material we ship have been reused, and we encourage our customers to do the same.
We are also acutely aware of the environmental and societal challenges of utilizing rare African hardwoods to make instruments. Check out the Mpingo Conservation & Development Initiative to learn more. We strongly support the use of Buffet Crampon’s “Greenline” technology, which effectively reclaims unusable Mpingo wood fibre to make professional instruments, often to great effect. Our clients have had great results, particularly in environmentally challenging environments like show pits and road shows, with Greenline instruments which provide both tremendous tonal results as well as critical ambient stability (e.g. the risk of cracking is greatly reduced). These alternative materials also tend to last longer under normal usage than traditional hard woods, which is another consideration when thinking about the career-long impact of playing a woodwind. With that said, there are tradeoffs and all factors need to be considered when making a selection choice that suits the player.
PWIC is also mindful of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which has placed limits on trafficking in Dalbergia Melanoxylon (our Mpingo/Grenadilla) intended to preserve the species. There are numerous complexities CITES has introduced into the lives of instrument manufacturers, dealers, and to traveling musicians and we are doing our part to honor the convention while also assisting our artist clients in doing their jobs.
We also ardently support justice, access and kindness in our business and in the performing arts. We expect it of our partners, our vendors, our clients, our community and ourselves.