Fans & Sustainability: ‘Inspire Change By Making It Easy And Fun’

Kevin Lieberman – Thirsty For Change
Fans at California Roots Music & Arts Festival take advantage of the event’s free water refill stations, courtesy of nonprofit REVERB. The festival has banned the sale of single-use water bottles since 2014.

Fans can view sustainability efforts at festivals and concerts in a myriad of ways: as yet more inconvenient rules to follow; a reminder of the politically-polarizing climate issue they just want to escape from; or, if implemented with proper context, these initiatives can inspire fans, artists and the industry together for the common good.

“I think it all goes back to educating and how you educate people,” says Dan Sheehan, co-producer of California Roots Music & Arts Festival, which is holding its 10th edition May 24-26 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, Calif. “People don’t want to be told they can’t do something. It’s a matter of figuring out how to do it.”

Since launching Cali Roots in 2010, the festival’s greening programs and initiatives have greatly expanded, from implementing a recycling program in year two to 2019’s initiatives which include a carbon offset program, use of compostable greenware in front and back of house, banning single-use water bottles or plastic straws, offering free water refill stations, and hosting a bike and skate valet.

When the festival first launched some of the programs, fans didn’t really understand how they worked. Sheehan noted that the waste diversion program could be overwhelming with multiple receptacles and they had to educate fans on which to use for composting. Cali Roots had people on site to explain the process and Sheehan said that “over time it’s become more and more muscle memory to where it’s just part of people’s everyday lives where they’re doing the right thing for the environment.”

Through a partnership with Blue Strike Environmental, Cali Roots’ waste diversion program has made major strides in diverting plastic items and food waste from landfill. The festival’s waste division rate increased from 41% in 2017 to 81% in 2018, diverting 4.33 tons of food waste in 2018 along with 54,333 plastic cups and 25,562 bottles. Cali Roots aims to make 2019 a zero waste festival with a commitment to send zero items to the landfill.

“The easiest way to inspire change is to make it easy and fun,” says Lucy August-Perna, manager of Venue Sustainability for Live Nation. The promoter launched its “Sustainability Rocks” program in 2018 to educate fans, employees and artists on the importance of protecting the environment.

“We engage fans with our Sustainability Rocks program from the moment they enter the venue. By giving them simple calls to action and ways to participate we make sustainability feel like a no-brainer versus a chore. It’s been inspiring to see how these small actions have come together to make a big impact.”

Another way to capture fans’ attention is to offer financial incentives, like Cali Roots’ steel pint program, which gives fans who purchase reusable steel cups $2 off drinks all weekend – a win/win for the wallet and environment. The same goes for banning single-use plastic bottles, in conjunction with offering free water stations around the festival grounds, courtesy of nonprofit REVERB.

Recontextualizing fans’ preconceptions of healthy sustainable concessions is another strategy for encouraging best environmental practices. For example, trading in the notion of vegan food as bland and pretentious to instead talking it up as a delicious “plant-based” and innovative culinary treat, which makes for a smaller carbon footprint than meat-based consumption.

Adding in a stamp of approval from a star never hurts either, like The Roots’ Questlove, who in March launched his Questlove’s Cheesesteak, made with Impossible plant-based meat, at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park. The item will be on the menu at 40 Live Nation owned and operated venues across North America this summer.

“I think when we get a musician or a band behind the movement it’s more well received by the fans, obviously because we all appreciate and idolize the musicians,” said Kristen Sommer-Swager, the executive director of Positive Legacy, which works with Cloud 9 Adventures and partner organizations to integrate music and service to benefit people and the environment.

Positive Legacy’s recent efforts includes working with Widespread Panic’s Panic At The Playa and My Morning Jacket’s One Big Holiday to raise funds through ticketing surcharges to establish a clean drinking water program and all natural wastewater treatment plant in Veron, Dominican Republic.

The nonprofit also hosts beach cleanups at the destination music events and partners with Trees, Water & People to offset the carbon footprints of both Holy Ship! events and Jam Cruise.

Sommer-Swager encourages musicians to partner with nonprofits like Positive Legacy “to utilize your voice that so many thousands of people are listening to to really talk passionately about something that we can do to change our environment for the better. We’re way more powerful when we join together collectively than as individuals.”

Cali Roots’ Sheehan is especially proud of the festival’s “Redwood Pass,” its take on the VIP experience. The fest has partnered with the Redwood Forest Foundation and for each pass sold, two redwoods are planted. After planting 1,800 redwoods in 2018, another 2,400 redwoods will be planted in 2019.

“Knowing that we’re potentially creating new forests, is pretty rewarding. The fans that do the Redwood Pass take ownership in that and they feel really good about that,” Sheehan said.

“When the fans take ownership in anything, whether it’s a festival or an artist, it’s such a powerful movement.”

As for the biggest impact fans can have while at shows and festivals, CLIF GreenNotes Program Manager Andrew Arrieta notes that concert attendees often contribute the most to the environmental footprint of a concert. He says, “Simple steps can be made to reduce it. Consider riding your bicycle, carpooling, or taking public transportation. Many music festivals such as Coachella and Lollapalooza offer incentives such as ticket upgrades to music fans who take these steps to reduce their footprint.”

CLIF GreenNotes is one organization that encourages fans to continue greening efforts after leaving the concert.

“CLIF GreenNotes moves the needle on environmental justice issues by activating music fans in their own community,” said Arrieta, who is also the director of Coalitions + Partnerships for Effect Partners. “In just this year, we’ve worked with SOJA, Magic Giant, and Naked Giants to host non-profits at concerts in 21 cities and plan to have a presence in every major market throughout summer. At these concerts, non-profits educate and recruit concert attendees to volunteer for environmental justice issues impacting their city.”