Orion Amphitheater and Tennessee Riverkeeper Fight Plastic

Over the last decades, as the production of plastic has increased exponentially, so has the consumption and perceived reliance upon disposable products. It is no wonder that this has extended into the realm of entertainment, making concerts and festivals responsible for vast masses of plastic waste. Billed as a cost-saving and convenience-based solution, many venues, and promoters allowed the music ecosystem to become reliant on the use of single-use plastic, like cups, containers, and utensils. As more research has emerged about the incredibly detrimental impact that plastic has on our environment, including our vital waterways, artists, organizations, and venues are leading the way towards a more sustainable music business.

Opened in the spring of 2022, Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, AL, is certainly one of those leaders. By encouraging concertgoers to bring refillable water bottles, and partnering with organizations like Turn Systems and Covanta, the venue is setting an example for others to follow.

Shelby Dixon, Group Sustainability Manager at TAG Hospitality (Orion Amphitheater operators) told Tennessee Riverkeeper, “Waste reduction, recycling, and the elimination of single-use plastic are at the heart of The Orion’s waste management plan and our team has made incredible strides since opening in May 2022. Our reusable cup program has already prevented the use of 100,000 single-use cups, our filtered water refill stations have been used almost 25,000 times and our staff has collected over 5,000 pounds of aluminum cans for recycling. Thanks to our partnership with Covanta, any waste that cannot be prevented or recycled is used to create green energy, helping us ensure that all waste created at The Orion is diverted from the landfill.”

Orion’s reusable cup partner, Turn Systems, was a finalist for The Reusies Awards in 2021 in the Most Innovative Reuse Company category. A leader in the field, Turn Systems, “has been pioneering capture and reuse around the world.” They have mitigated the use of over 30 million single-use cups by employing a reusable cup system. Each cup is utilized and returned to marked bins throughout the venue and can be cleaned and reused over 100 times. 

Orion also ensures that partners, vendors, and private events work towards their mission. “We’ve also worked extensively with partners to ensure sustainable waste management is a prerequisite for participating in events at The Orion. Our food truck vendors have successfully transitioned all take-out containers, straws, and utensils to compostable materials and our private event rentals are 100% single-use plastic-free, practices we hope will spread throughout the community,” Dixon says.

Promoters throughout the country employ similar practices to protect the environment and promote sustainability. AEG Rocky Mountains, the promoter responsible for many of the region’s premier venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheater, The Ogden Theater, Fiddler’s Green, and many more, is making great strides towards like-minded sustainability goals. Co-president and Senior Talent Buyer Don Strasburg told Tennessee Riverkeeper, “AEG Rocky Mountains is actively working to reduce plastic use by implementing R-cups (re-useable cups) at all of our venues, from fiddlers green to the bluebird. We are astounded by how much waste was diverted from the trash. I'm also very excited that we use Ridwell, who takes all the plastic wrap/film at the AEG Colorado venues… We must use our platform to educate our community to help the planet.”

Artists often take leading roles in reducing the use of plastics both in their personal lives but also when it comes to touring. Jack Johnson has been at the forefront of the movement for years with his non-profit All at Once, which encourages single-use plastic elimination through education and fundraising. The organization works in partnership with REVERB, a pioneer organization in the movement toward greener touring. One important initiative that Johnson, The Sustainable Concerts Working Group, and REVERB partner in is BYOBottle, a campaign to encourage individuals to bring reusable water bottles to events and to ensure that venues provide water refill stations.

Organizations like REVERB, have gained considerable experience over more than 17 years and are spreading that knowledge in big and small ways. Their work includes developing best practices for tours and educating artists, venues, promoters, and agents to take small steps that, when added together, make sizeable impacts on the carbon footprint of tours.

Billie Eilish is another trailblazing artist when it comes to prioritizing sustainable touring practices, particularly in her work to end the use of single-use plastics. She also works in partnership with REVERB to provide an Eco-Village at every show, where concertgoers can learn more about steps to take to make changes in everyday life as well as showcase the initiatives her tour takes to reduce both waste and carbon footprint. 

When artists, promoters, and venues like Orion Amphitheater adopt thoughtful and environment-forward policies, the reverberation into everyday life is palpable. Tennessee Riverkeeper is always looking for creative, big-picture solutions to plastic pollution as part of our microplastics and cleanups program. Cleanups and educating the public are great tools to fight plastic but Riverkeeper’s strength is battling pollution at the sources.

Since the beginning, musicians and the music industry remain the biggest supporters of Tennessee Riverkeeper. We have also worked with numerous musicians and venues to reduce waste and improve environmental practices on tours while raising funds and educating concertgoers.

This partnership with Orion Amphitheater is a significant victory in our fight against plastic pollution. We will avoid sending hundreds of thousands of single-use plastic items to the landfill while educating tens of thousands of diverse citizens about plastic pollution through events ranging all genres from rap to country. Venues in multiple states have already reached out to ask how they too can participate.