Musicians pay a lot of lip service to climate change, but BLOND:ISH puts her eco-consciousness into action. The DJ/producer/label owner released her second artist album, Never Walk Alone, on BioVinyl, which is PVC material made from biogenic waste that is 99.98% petroleum-free and eliminates 90% of the carbon emissions from the vinyl cutting process. The materials used for packaging are 100% recyclable and compostable, as is the actual record, should consumers wish to put them back into the circular economy.
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There are no acoustic or physical compromises in pressing using BioVinyl and the additional cost is negligible ($.40 per black vinyl, $.80 per color vinyl). Yet BLOND:ISH, who started the Bye Bye Plastic foundation to facilitate her movement toward “sustainable raving” is regularly faced with challenges when bringing eco-awareness to her artist colleagues.
“Everyone is super-motivated, but when it comes to actually implementing plastic-free practices into their advancing system, the whole team hasn’t subscribed to it,” she says. “There’s no financial incentive for agents and managers unless the artist is super pushing for it.”
What she suggests as a first step is priming artists, their teams and promoters by implementing a plastic-free DJ booth. “It’s a low lift, but at the same time, it gives everyone a taste of what it takes, and how to approach things with more circular thinking,” explains BLOND:ISH.
The eventual goal is 100% plastic-free practices in music events, but the process is gradual and involves education, demonstration, logistics, expansion, planning and execution. Bye Bye Plastic has developed an Eco-Rider that assists with this transition.
BLOND:ISH has some guidelines for partygoers as well from BYOBottole and BYOCup to non-plastic-based glitter, secondhand party attire and offsetting your carbon footprint through programs like The Climate Gig. She encourages ravers to investigate events’ practices and if there is something they don’t agree with, DMing and starting threads about it.
“Make requests for things that matter to you,” she says. “There is power in numbers.”
‘Never Walk Alone’ is now available via Insomniac Records.
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