Interesting point.
I've used a polypropylene chanter for years, gone to synthetic drone reeds, and will get a Goretex bag when this one wears out. I hear there are plastic chanter reeds available but I haven't seen one in person yet.
I suppose purists could tell some subtle difference in tone, but let's face it, a Highland bagpipe is not meant to be listened to in a tea room. For a player at my very modest level, the added stability under different weather conditions is much more important than niceties of timbre.
I suppose if builders are forced to go away from blackwood there will be much outrage, but probably no long lasting harm to the industry. And maybe even improvement.
Now on the other hand the enviro-activists are probably rather stretching their case. How many sets of bagpipes actually get built in a year? I've never seen one built, but I don't think the old cartoon method of lathing down a whole tree to get one drone pipe is the way they do it.
-Glenn