By: Lindsey Schmidt, WMEAC Eco-Journalism and Blogging Intern
Concerts and music festivals, both indoor and outdoor, have various adverse effects on the environment, from excess solid waste to increased consumption of fast fashion. Sources have estimated that music festivals such as Coachella can generate hundreds of thousands of pounds of waste each day. Coachella takes place over two three-day weekends, meaning this excessive amount of waste is being generated six times within two weeks from various sources such as food and merchandise packaging. Similar waste is produced at concert venues.
How do concerts and music festivals impact the environment?
In addition to food and merchandise waste, fashion is a big deal at events such as music festivals and concerts. Many people opt for a themed outfit that they know they will only wear once, and thus turn to cheap clothing sites such as SHEIN and Fashion Nova. As many of us know, fast fashion companies adversely impact the environment due to the cheap, toxic materials used to produce the clothing and the overconsumption and subsequent trashing of many of these pieces. In addition to fast fashion, many attendees of concerts and music festivals will choose to up their style game with elaborate makeup looks which may involve copious amounts of glitter, one of the most abundant and harmful microplastics. As glitter is already so small, most of it does not continue to break down; instead, it eventually winds up in the ocean where it is consumed by marine animals who cannot differentiate glitter from their natural food supply.
Another, less well-known source of toxic chemicals is plastic tents. Despite its known toxicity, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is commonly used to make tents due to its versatility and durability. Unfortunately, PVC can lead to the development of organochlorines, toxic chemicals that are resistant to breakdown. These chemicals accumulate in the ecosystem and can end up in the bodies of humans and animals, leading to health concerns such as increased cancer risk and decreased fertility. Additionally, dioxins are by-products associated with the synthesis of PVC. Dioxins are pollutants that can accumulate in the food chain, particularly the fatty tissue of animals. They include chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and can be found in cigarette smoke. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has concluded that no amount of dioxin consumption can be considered safe and that there is already a high enough concentration of dioxins in the environment to pose a health risk to the population. Many individuals camp out at music festivals for the duration of the event and choose to sleep in plastic tents. It is estimated that about one fifth of these tents are left behind, contributing to the amount of toxic chemicals such as organochlorines and dioxins in the environment.
Chemical pollution from concerts and music festivals can occur not only as a result of tent usage but also as a result of transportation to and from these events. Fans flock from all over the country to see their favorite artists live. Travel by fans to festivals and concerts can account for a large portion of the overall carbon emissions of concerts and music festivals. Additionally, artists may fly in on private jets to their concert venues or festival sites. The UK policy manager for Transport & Environment, Matt Finch, says a private jet is the most polluting form of transportation you can take. Additionally, with concerts, especially large-scale concerts, many vehicles may be required to transport the stage as well as all of the props and outfits that an artist may utilize during a show. Various studies have shown that travel can account for up to 50% of all the carbon dioxide emitted as a result of concerts and music festivals.
Though most of our conversations about pollution center around chemical pollution, another type of pollution that adversely impacts the environment is noise pollution. Noise pollution is excessive, unnatural noise in the environment (such as construction, planes flying, and car horns) that may negatively impact humans or local wildlife. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), noise becomes harmful above 75 decibels and any noise above 65 decibels can be classified as noise pollution. Concerts and music festivals are loud, averaging about 100 decibels, and festivals tend to take place in remote, natural locations. The noise pollution produced by concerts and music festivals have been shown to impact local wildlife, interfering with communication, impacting breeding cycles, and, in some cases, even leading to death. In terms of humans, noise pollution can have adverse physical and psychological effects (such as headaches and increased anxiety) and can impact people’s sleep patterns and memory capability.
How can we take action?
Concerts and music festivals can impact the environment in a variety of ways, ranging from overconsumption of fast fashion to noise pollution. Luckily, venues and artists have started taking measures to reduce the harmful effects to the environment caused by such events. Many stadiums have their own regulations in place to control the amount of pollution produced by events held at their venues. The EPA has tips for stadiums to reduce solid waste produced by concessions, such as handing out straws and napkins only when asked and providing condiments in bulk containers rather than single-serve packets. Additionally, music festivals have started regulating the waste-producing products available for purchase. Organizers for the Glastonbury music festival pledged back in 2017 to cease the sale of plastic water bottles on-site, switching to selling beverages in recyclable cans instead. Musicians such as Jack Johnson have also spoken out about protecting the environment and have stated that musicians with large platforms have a unique opportunity to encourage a large group of people to make and advocate for change.
As well as addressing these environmental impacts on a large scale, concert and festival goers should also keep in mind the actions they can take on an individual level to lessen the amount of waste produced. In order to be more eco-friendly, concert and festival goers can…
- Shop for an outfit at thrift stores or other more sustainable vendors rather than opt for fast fashion websites.
- Use biodegradable glitter or none at all.
- Bring a reusable water bottle. (Though most festivals don’t allow attendees to bring their own liquids into the venue, they will allow people to bring in their own reusable water bottles to be filled up on-site.)
- Camp out in cardboard tents rather than PVC tents.
- Utilize public transportation, such as trains and buses, if possible. Carpool!
- Be mindful of their surroundings and their own impact on the local ecosystem, making sure they properly dispose of any trash and don’t leave anything behind.
Though concerts and music festivals have a wide array of adverse environmental impacts, there are ways we can offset this. Fortunately, steps can be taken on an individual and community level in order to ensure we can continue to see our favorite artists live without causing harm to our home.
