Recently, I attended the Austin City Limits Music Festival and the Sweat tour, co-headlined by Charli XCX and Troye Sivan. Both events included large sets with high-scale production value. But, the extravagance brings attention to the environmental impact of concerts. From every light shone to each piece of confetti thrown, it all creates a carbon footprint.
Audience members have a responsibility to help make concerts more sustainable. By adhering to environmentally-conscious habits and putting their money towards sustainable artists, attendees can help decrease the carbon footprint of concerts.
Maintaining small habits, such as recycling water bottles and picking up trash, can create a large impact. Sustainable practices can also be cheaper. For instance, audience members can practice sustainable transportation to the concerts. By carpooling, groups can reduce auto emissions while saving money. Alternatively, public transportation, such as the bus or train, offers cheaper fares, which helps clear congested roads and use less emissions.
A perfectly-themed concert outfit can tempt people to choose fast fashion. However, buying a cheap outfit to wear for one day should not be the first choice.
“I definitely see more fast fashion (at music festivals) because buying (multiple) outfits would be expensive,” computer science freshman Stephanie Truong said.
Sustainable alternatives include clothing swaps, second-hand shopping, upcycling or investing in high-quality, eco-friendly companies. Clothing swaps are perfect for college students because you can easily ask your roommates or friends. This method is not only free but is a fun bonding experience. Additionally, thrifting often leads to more unique outfits for a cheaper price. For a more creative route, students can even create their own clothing.
“One of my students is … making herself something (for ACL),” said Jessica Ciarla, associate professor of instruction in the division of textiles and apparel. “You want to express yourself, you want to have fun, you want to dress up, … but just think about your impact.”
The idea of creating your own outfits may seem daunting, but there are many resources on or near campus to help students get started. The Fine Arts Library and Engineering Education and Research Center have sewing machines that are open to students across campus, and Austin Creative Reuse is a store with affordable recycled materials.
“(Making your own clothes is) a great economical way to go and you don’t always have to sew,” Ciarla said. “There’s so many things that you can do to put a garment together.”
Lastly, the artists you support can be really important to sustainability efforts. Putting your money towards artists who use their platform to promote environmental consciousness will raise awareness and advocate for change. Recently, journalism freshman Samantha Rosson went to The 1975 concert and recalled her experience.
“In (The 1975’s) more recent albums, the intro song is just Greta Thunberg talking about the climate of our globe,” Rosson said. “He has videos playing in the background of trash in the ocean and icebergs melting. I know there are other songs where he talks about climate change.”
Who we support and how we act at concerts is the first step to making a change towards sustainable live music. Change starts with the consumer.
Xu is a government freshman from Fort Worth, Texas.
