Reverb Music Climate Revolution Take Action Artists & Tours: Sustainable Touring Resources

Music Climate Revolution: Green Tour Riders

GREEN RIDERS

The First Step

Green tour riders are an important first step on your sustainable touring path. Shrink your carbon footprint, reduce waste, and support a more sustainable music industry.

Download the green rider and adjust to fit your tour’s needs and goals. Scroll down to see more tips for greening your rider and visit the ARTISTS & TOURS ACTION PAGE to learn more about how to green your tour.

DOWNLOAD GREEN RIDER EXAMPLE

SEE THE RIDER

GREEN RIDER TIPS

Hospitality & Catering

Cutting or eliminating meat is one of the single most effective dietary changes for cutting your carbon footprint.
Request local foods when possible.
Reusable dishes provided for meals will compliment the reusable mugs and water bottles crew carry to cut waste.
Specify any disposables must be compostable or recyclable in venue waste streams; it’s helpful to clarify “no styrofoam under any circumstance.”
Requesting only what you need, and considering whole items (fruit, cheese blocks) instead of platters eliminates the disposable plastic often provided.
Make a plan for food waste. Anything that won’t be used as bus stock at the end of the night can be donated. Ask venue to prepare to do this on your behalf or check out the resources at MusicClimateRevolution.org for tour-wide donation.

Waste Management

Request individual recycling bins placed next to each and every trash bin throughout the venue. 1:1 ratio with signage is really the only way to ensure people backstage and fan can get their items into the correct bin. Request compost in a 1:1:1 ratio if available.
Backstage, it’s helpful to have larger recycling containers in the kitchen, dining room and loading dock. Smaller containers in each office and dressing room work.
A plan for the cardboard at merch count in is essential.
Ask each venue if they have single stream recycling and what is accepted. If recycling must be sorted, ask them to provide appropriate containers correlating to those categories in each location.

Water Stations

Touring with refillable crew and artist water bottles is only possible if there are water stations at the venue. For most mid to large venues, we recommend a minimum of three stations: Dining room, production/dressing room hall, and loading dock. Additionally, for large tours, adding stations inside dressing rooms and offices, and throughout the crew work spaces can help.
Consider how many cases of single use plastic you can eliminate from your request. Each 5 gallon jug provided by a venue is the equivalent of 38 single use bottles. The 5 gallon jugs are deposit-based and re-used, eliminating plastic waste. The tour can carry manual or electric pumps (under $20 available online) to set in the jugs for an easy solution.
For buses that cannot accommodate 5 gallon stations, request 2.5 gallon waters; they sit easily on non-slip mats.

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