It’s no secret the Earth is hurting from climate change, overpopulation… and plastic. Thankfully, one part of the plastic problem is being addressed by two of the music industry’s biggest players.
Coachella, Stagecoach and Live Nation are all banning plastic straws from their events. Live Nation and Coachella parent company Goldenvoice are teaming up with the For A Strawless Ocean campaign. The campaign was created by the Lonely Whale advocacy group and aims to decrease the amount of plastic in the ocean.
Live Nation became a global stakeholder for the For A Strawless Ocean campaign, pledging to remove plastic straws from its 45 amphitheaters and sheds in the US. Goldenvoice began removing plastic straws from Coachella and Stagecoach this year, with both festivals becoming the first in the US to ban plastic straws outright.
“Plastic pollution is a huge problem around the world, and it’s exciting to pioneer change by phasing out the use of single-use plastics from our festivals,” said Mapi Moran, director of festival marketing for Goldenvoice, in an article by Billboard. “Our new straw policy is estimated to eliminate about 300,000 plastic straws from Coachella and Stagecoach. We look forward to announcing similar initiatives later that go beyond just plastic straws.”
In place of plastic straws, marine-degradable paper straws will be used by vendors at Coachella and Stagecoach. Live Nation and Lonely Whale are also developing a plan for sustainable straws being used at all of the concert promoter’s events.