PLAYING OUR PART | Here at Martin Guitar, our passion for crafting the finest acoustic guitars and strings goes hand in hand with a deep-seated commitment to the planet and its people. By championing the sustainable use of tonewoods and advocating for the utilization of alternative materials, we're preserving forests for generations to come. Through diligent recycling efforts, minimizing waste, and mitigating our ecological footprint, we're not only crafting exceptional instruments but also safeguarding the planet. As we navigate the challenges of the present and look towards the future, Martin invites you to join us on our journey towards a greener, more sustainable world.
2023 Impact Report
Read the Full 2023 Impact Report
Reforestation Support
Martin recently supported reforestation efforts in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Pennsylvania, and provided additional financial support for the reforestation of cocobolo and rosewood in Central America. We also participated in one of the biggest green movements in Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico, planting 85 trees there, while Martin employees helped the Wildlands Conservancy plant 700 native trees in Pennsylvania in one day - the largest tree planting in its history.
Reduce, Reuse & Recycle
In 2023, Martin implemented post-consumer recycled cardboard resale cartons, installed solar panels at our distribution center, added an electric car to our fleet of corporate vehicles, upgraded our electric meter in our Navojoa facility, and changed our instrument hang tags to recycled paper. Martin employees also completed dozens of continuous improvement projects throughout the year, with more than half of them having sustainability benefits.
DSS Biosphere™ II
Dedicated to preserving our planet for future generations, Martin reinforced that call to action on Earth Day with the DSS Biosphere™ II. It's a tribute to the Keiki Kohola Project, a nonprofit that promotes the protection of humpback whale mother and calf pairs during their time in Hawaiian waters. Martin made a generous donation to its cause. The guitar is also FSC® certified, 100% plastic-free, and is adorned with the Preferred by Nature Hummingbird Seal.
Wood Summit
Martin hosted its 8th Wood Summit at our headquarters in Nazareth, Pennsylvania with the purpose of bringing like-minded organizations together to discuss the current and future state of tonewoods. This year’s summit focused on "Tonewood Species Under Pressure" and included representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, World Resources Institute, ForestBased Solutions, Preferred by Nature, the International Wood Products Association, and Environmental Investigation Agency.
C.F. Martin & Co. officially achieved Preferred by Nature Sustainability Framework certification for the Martin OM Biosphere guitar, making the company the first to achieve this certification in the U.S., and only the second worldwide.
We use Richlite on our instruments as an alternative material for fingerboards and bridges because Richlite is an incredibly durable, sustainable, and versatile material made from paper.
Leading the green music movement since 2004, REVERB is a 501c3 nonprofit that partners with artists, festivals, and venues to reduce their environmental footprint while empowering music-makers and millions of music-lovers to take action on today’s most pressing environmental issues.
We were the first guitar manufacturer to implement an environmental policy in 1990, achieving Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) Chain-of-Custody certification (License Code FSC-C008304). Ever since, we have collaborated with numerous environmental organizations because we strive to be good stewards of the planet and because, at Martin, every day is Earth Day.
12 million
strings recycled
Over 12 million strings were recycled through the Playback program. The collaboration is a precise pairing, aligning with Martin’s commitment to environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility.
We partnered with the Better Battery Company, which developed the first ever certified carbon-neutral batteries with a seamless recycling program that not only makes the process of receiving and disposing of batteries easy for you but also makes a big difference for the planet we share.