Eco-Friendly Music

Many bands, concert venues, and festivals seem to be going green lately. Performers are starting to become increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability, reducing carbon emissions, and fairer treatment of the land and animals on our planet. Companies, bands and concert venues that can be considered “green,” are those that do their best to offset their energy use 100% and to use sustainable products. They are recognizing the impact their tour buses, amps, and spotlights are having on the environment and they are also recognizing the impact of their fans and how they feel about these issues.

            Sustainable festivals include Bonnaroo, TN, Clearwater, NY, and Rothbury, MI. Our local Philadelphia Folk Festival even does its share by recycling aluminum cans, discouraging waste, and using water stations to reduce the use of bottled water. The Rothbury Festival gives priority camping sites to attendees who don’t bring cars, use 100% recycled paper for their posters and tickets, and use solar power for amps and lighting.

            There are also quite a few bands who are trying to reduce the negative impact they can have on the environment and make others aware of their responsibility to live sustainably. Cloud Cult, Barenaked Ladies, Jack Johnson, Thom Yorke of Radiohead, KT Tunstall, Green Day, U2, Pearl Jam and The Roots are just a few of the many bands that are participating in eco-friendly practices. These bands use 100% recycled material for posters and tee-shirts, donate money to charities, plant trees to offset their carbon emissions, support organizations like the Natural Resources Defense Council, and take part in many other activities to try and be more environmentally friendly. Some bands even use old jewel cases to distribute their CDs instead of having more made.

            Lost Gold Records is also trying to help reduce waste by going digital with our music catalog to significantly reduce the amount of CDs we produce. When we do have to make a CD, we use stickers instead of shrink-wrap on our jewel cases. Lost Gold Records knows it is important to do the little things like recycling at the office and advertising online instead of using fliers helps to decrease waste. Bands and other members of the music and entertainment industries need to realize the impact we have on the environment by living and entertaining sustainably. 

By Katelyn Petherbridge

September 2009