THE WARPED ECO INITIATIVE

Posted on 09. Mar, 2010 by Lisa in Incredibly Incredible, Uncategorized

Each summer, more than half a million people swarm together to brave the vicious ultraviolet rays, get sweaty, and rock out to some of their favorite bands at the Vans Warped Tour. This tour was started in 1996 by Kevin Lyman, who got the idea by working on various skateboard shows. In addition to music, the tour brings a half pipe for skaters and bikers, vendors selling a wide array of products, and tents for the bands’ merchandise, as well as non-profit organizations, record labels, and magazine publishers. The typical Warped Tour concert-goer is too excited about seeing–and possibly even meeting–their favorite band to realize just how green this tour is. I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing the Warped Tour from behind the scenes for several years. Though I had previously noticed a few ways that the tour had gone green, I didn’t realize how quickly its ground-breaking contributions were adding up until I spoke with Tara Redavid of the Warped Eco Initiative.

The Warped Eco Initiative was started in 2006 in an effort to reduce the impact this large tour usually causes. The Vans Warped Tour is making huge strides for the green music community; I’ve never seen a music tour make a stronger commitment to social and environmental responsibility. Imagine: if even half of the attendees of these concerts took away something from this excellent environmental example, Earth would indeed have a brighter future.

I can’t possibly explain everything that the Vans Warped Tour has done to help the planet because it would go on for ages, but I’ll do my best to highlight the best examples. As you might imagine, creating events of this size require lots of energy and create massive amounts of waste that ends up in landfills. The Warped Eco Initiative recognizes that it would be impossible to create a zero impact event of this type and size. However, their goal is to reduce their carbon footprint by as much as possible. Already, Warped Tour has made huge changes. In 2008, they collected 40,000 pounds of recyclables and reduced the tour’s carbon emissions by 742,218 pounds through their solar, bio-diesel, and recycling programs.

When I spoke with Tara Redavid, director of sustainability for the Vans Warped Tour, she said, “A primary benefit of the Warped Eco initiative program has been to save vast quantities of natural resources and educate hundreds of thousands of people.”

“By recycling and reusing aluminum, paper, glass, plastics, and other materials, we can save production and energy costs, and reduce the negative impacts that the extraction and processing of virgin materials has on the environment,” Redavid said. “In addition, by being proactive and encouraging eco friendly behaviors of concert-goers and touring crew, we create a model for positive change.”

The Warped Eco Initiative sets up a plan of action to fight global warming and pollution while educating their audience. Here is how they made a difference:

Biodiesel Fuel:
Biodiesel fuel is made from natural, domestic, renewable sources and it is biodegradable, nontoxic and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. Biodiesel fuel was used in all production buses and trucks, including 18 trucks, 18 buses, 3 generators and 2 transportation utility vehicles. Bands also had the option of fueling up their own vehicles and generators from an on-site biodiesel truck provided by Warped Tour.

Recycling:
A whopping 40,000 lbs of recyclables was collected in 2008. These recyclables accounted for a CO2 reduction of 400,000 lbs, according to Ms. Redavid. In addition, all tour ad posters and tour books were printed on recycled paper, 1,200 batteries were saved from potentially causing ground water contamination, cell phones were collected for “cell phones for soldiers,” and Warped Tour production offices reduced their paper usage considerably. Warped Tour diverts approximately 750 pounds of recycling from landfills PER SHOW.

Volunteering:
After the shows are over, bands and crew members participate in an organized clean-up day. In 2008, Warper Tour worked with Earth Echo International and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in California to plant hundreds of trees, clean up litter, and post anti-littering signs.

Solar Power:
In 2008, Warped Tour introduced one of the world’s first solar stages into the mix. This solar stage generated 662-kWh of electricity the stage and all of its equipment. They also used solar panels to power their entire nonprofit tent area which used more than 200-kW. Between the two, an estimated 380 gallons of diesel fuel was saved, resulting in 8,360-lbs. fewer carbon emissions. Combined with their recycling efforts, that’s 408,360 pounds of ACTUAL carbon reduction–not carbon offsets, but CO2 that was never spewed into the atmosphere in the first place. WOW! In everyday terms, that means that the amount of carbon reduced by the Warped Tour is the same amount absorbed by 4,749 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

Catering:
The catering on Warped Tour is provided by TaDa! Catering, a company that follows the tour with its own mobile kitchen! They serve more than 600 people every day of the show, between bands and crew members. Vegan and vegetarian options are available and delicious! In addition, the plates and utensils are all biodegradable and compostable.

Bands:
At the beginning of each tour, bands are given reusable water bottles, earth friendly cleaning products, and recycling bins. They are incentivized with activities and contests and encouraged to participate in the Warped Eco Initiative. Recycling is picked up outside of the bands’ buses several times a day. There are even contests that Warped Tour puts on to educate both the bands and their fans and get them involved in the green movement.

Education:
In 2009, one of the projects that the Warped Eco Initiative was most excited about was their mini-magazine called “The Warped Tour Guide to Not Being a Complete Environmental Disaster.” With help from JakPrints.com and DoSomething.org, they were able to create an eco-friendly magazine which contained many interesting topics, including eco-tips for green living and touring. This magazine will be available again this summer at the Warped Eco Initiative tent, so keep an eye out. Warped Tour will also have regular viewings of movies and documentaries with a positive environmental message. In 2009, for example, they showed films like The Cove–an Academy Award-winning documentary about the slaughter of dolphins in Japan. Part of the Warped Eco Initiative mission is to infect concert-goers with knowledge, in addition to awesome tunes.

In 2008, the combination of biodiesel fuel, solar power and recycling saved a total of 742,218 lbs of carbon emissions from harming the atmosphere. The total amount of carbon reduced by the Warped Tour is the same amount absorbed by 3.2 acres of forest preserved from deforestation. Every year they try to decrease global warming pollution and make a more positive impact on the environment. What this company does for the environment sets a model for touring all over the world. Warped Tour has shown that it can be done; a tour of this size can still be eco-friendly and help save the planet.

I can easily say this: The Vans Warped Tour is INCREDIBLY GREEN. Hope to see you this Summer at one of the 46 shows!

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