As someone who is very earth conscious and doesn't like waste of any kind, I struggle with how wasteful and hard on the environment our industry is. The amount of fossil fuel burned by tour buses alone is enough to make me reconsider my line of work. But our footprint goes well beyond diesel fuel.
Even a relatively small tour goes through large amounts of consumables such as gaff tape, electrical tape, batteries for various wireless equipment, and paper for setlists. We always seem to purchase some new gear before a tour, which comes in a box, inside another box, covered in plastic and surrounded in Styrofoam.
Inside the venue, there are disposable drink cups from the bar, utensils & plates in catering, and the food that’s thrown out at the end of each meal.
Practically everything that goes on the bus is disposable. Keurig coffee pods, paper plates, plastic utensils, paper towels, and all the food containers for after show food. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a meal ordered, brought to the bus, put in the fridge and eventually thrown away without ever being touched. It’s pretty unbelievable what people will throw out when they’re not paying for it.
Most unbelievable is the bottled water issue. SO MANY bottles get tossed after someone takes literally one sip and walks away. It’s a colossal waste that can be avoided if everyone just takes some initiative, and makes a few changes.
Before you open a water bottle write your initials on the cap. I’ve left water bottles sit around the bus many times, but using this trick I always find that same bottle days later and continue drinking it. At the very least you can dump the water from half full bottles in the coffee maker so it doesn’t go to waste.
Of course, we should all be using refillable water bottles. The bar at the club, a water fountain in the concourse, the hotel gym, there is always somewhere to get a refill or top it off. It’s not as easy as grabbing a bottle from the front lounge, but to say it’s too much work is just being lazy.
The good news is that even on tour there are many ways to reduce our footprint. Carrying a refillable water bottle is a good start, for years I’ve even carried my own set of tableware for the bus. Any time I need a plate, bowl, glass or silverware I simply use what I’ve brought. Not only does this help reduce waste, but I also never have to eat cereal from a cup because the bus stock of paper bowls is gone.
Gaff tape is tough to avoid wasting, but we can at least be conscious of how much we use. Don’t go over the top with it.
Batteries are a simple problem to solve. Companies like Telesonix rent rechargeable batteries along with their RF gear. If you can’t swing the extra expense for rechargeable batteries there are companies like Battery Solutions who will recycle used batteries for you at the end of a tour.
And then there is Reverb. Founded in 2004 for the purpose of reducing concert and tour waste, they’ve been very active in protecting the environment and making a change. They've partnered with many artists, festivals and venues over the years, and set the standard for reducing waste on tour.
Start small if you need, but we should all be doing what we can to reduce our footprint when on tour. Tread lightly. Happy Earth Day!