Waste at the Taylor Swift Eras Tour: more than your wildest dreams?
As Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour gears up for its UK leg, it’s important to consider the environmental impact of these large-scale events.
With thousands of fans attending each concert, the potential waste generated is significant.
Here, we will explore the various types of waste likely to be produced during the tour and how it can be managed.
And in true Swiftie fashion, we’ll be sprinkling in some Easter eggs and references to her iconic albums, make sure you let us know if you find some!
Table of Contents
- UK Eras Tour Dates and Venues
- Eras Tour Venue Waste
- Taylor Swift Eras Tour Audience-Generated Waste
- Waste Generated by Taylor Swift and Her Crew
- Eras Tour Waste Mitigation Strategies
- Environmental Impact of Air Travel on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour
- Conclusion
UK Eras Tour Dates and Venues
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in the UK will span multiple dates and locations, including:
- BT Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on June 7 and 8, 2024,
- Anfield Stadium in Liverpool on June 14 and 15,
- Principality Stadium in Cardiff on June 18
- Wembley Stadium in London on June 21-23 and August 15-20, 2024
Each of these venues will host tens of thousands of fans, each contributing to the overall waste footprint.
Eras Tour Venue Waste
Large-scale concerts like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour generate significant waste at each venue, from Edinburgh’s BT Murrayfield Stadium to London’s Wembley Stadium.
With thousands of fans, these events produce vast amounts of plastic waste from single-use cups and bottles, food waste from vendors, and merchandise waste.
Addressing this waste through recycling programs, composting, and promoting reusable items is essential to reduce the environmental impact and make the tour more sustainable.
Plastic Waste
Concert venues typically generate significant plastic waste from single-use cups, bottles, and packaging.
For instance, Wembley Stadium, with a capacity of 90,000, could see an immense volume of plastic waste if not properly managed.
Venues often sell beverages in plastic containers, and while recycling efforts are made, a considerable amount may still end up in landfills.
Food Waste
Food waste is another major concern at large concerts.
Wembley Stadium, one of the key venues for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in the UK, has implemented several initiatives to address food waste.
The stadium has a programme to donate surplus food to local charities and also focuses on composting organic waste.
These measures help reduce the environmental impact of events by ensuring that leftover food is put to good use rather than ending up in landfills.
Other venues on the tour, such as Edinburgh’s BT Murrayfield Stadium and Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium, are also making strides in sustainability.
For instance, BT Murrayfield has a great recycling program and Anfield has been actively working on reducing single-use plastics and improving waste segregation at their events.
Merchandise Waste
Excess packaging, tags, and unsold merchandise can add to the waste problem, emphasising the need for sustainable merchandise practices.
It is estimated that around 26 billion pounds of textile waste is generated globally each year, much of it from unsold clothing and merchandise.
Adopting sustainable practices, such as using eco-friendly materials and reducing packaging, the tour can significantly lower its environmental impact.
Encouraging fans to buy only what they need and offering high-quality, long-lasting products can also help reduce waste.
This approach not only benefits the environment but also aligns with the growing consumer demand for sustainable products.
Taylor Swift Eras Tour Audience-Generated Waste
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour gets fans shaking it off, but it also generates considerable waste.
From travel-related debris to fast fashion items bought for the event, thousands contribute to environmental impact.
With fans travelling nationwide to venues across the UK, disposable coffee cups, food wrappers, and plastic bottles pile up.
Buying new outfits for the concert adds to fast fashion waste, increasing environmental concerns.
Tackling these waste sources is vital to reduce the tour’s overall environmental footprint and keep our planet as “clean” as a Taylor Swift hit.
Travel-Related Waste
Fans travelling to and from concert venues generate waste through disposable coffee cups, food wrappers, and plastic water bottles.
Additionally, the carbon footprint from transportation, including cars, buses, and trains, adds an environmental burden.
Encouraging the use of public transport and carpooling can help reduce this impact.
Preparation Waste
Attendees often buy new outfits, accessories, and other items specifically for the concert, leading to increased waste.
People from all over the world have shared videos on social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube showing them buying hauls for outfits to wear to Taylor Swift.
Some are even adorning plastic gems and beads to bodysuits to copy the singer’s iconic looks.
Fast fashion items, in particular, contribute to landfill waste due to their short lifespan and poor recyclability.
Additionally, Taylor Swift fans participate in a friendship bracelet exchange, creating and swapping bracelets adorned with beads and charms.
While this tradition does create a wonderful sense of community, it also generates extra plastic waste that can be challenging to recycle.
Waste Generated by Taylor Swift and Her Crew
In addition to fan-generated waste, the artist and crew contribute to the overall environmental footprint.
This includes waste from set materials, catering services, and transportation.
The production of large-scale concerts often involves substantial resource use and waste generation, from disposable items in dressing rooms to single-use plastics backstage.
Implementing sustainable practices within the tour’s operations, such as using reusable materials and reducing single-use plastics, is essential for minimising the environmental impact.
Production Waste
The stage setup, lighting, and other production elements generate significant waste.
Using sustainable materials and reusing elements from previous tours can help reduce this footprint.
Personal Waste
Daily activities of the tour crew, including catering and accommodation, generate waste that needs to be managed responsibly.
Efforts to minimise single-use items and adopt sustainable practices can make a difference.
Eras Tour Waste Mitigation Strategies
Recycling Programmes
Implementing robust recycling programmes at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour venues can significantly reduce the amount of waste going to landfills.
This includes providing ample recycling bins throughout the concert areas and ensuring waste is sorted correctly.
Taylor’s team can also work with venue staff to educate fans on proper recycling practices, ensuring that materials like plastic, paper, and glass are disposed of in the appropriate bins.
By taking these steps, the tour can set an example for sustainability in the music industry and help mitigate its environmental impact.
Reusable Items
Encouraging the use of reusable cups, bottles, and bags at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour can significantly cut down on single-use plastic waste.
Taylor’s team can promote initiatives such as reusable cup programmes, where fans can return their cups for a deposit.
Additionally, Taylor can inspire her fans by offering branded reusable merchandise like water bottles and tote bags, making it a stylish and sustainable choice for concert-goers.
By integrating these practices, Taylor Swift can lead by example, showing how small changes can make a big difference in reducing environmental impact.
Sustainable Merchandise
Selling merchandise made from sustainable materials and reducing packaging at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour can also help lessen the environmental impact.
Taylor’s team can offer eco-friendly merchandise, such as T-shirts made from organic cotton, reusable tote bags, and items packaged with minimal, recyclable materials.
By highlighting these sustainable options and encouraging fans to purchase eco-friendly merchandise, Taylor can promote environmental responsibility.
This not only helps reduce the tour’s footprint but also encourages her fans to support and adopt greener practices.
Environmental Impact of Air Travel on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has a substantial environmental impact due to extensive air travel.
For example, in February 2024, her private jet flights for 11 shows in Tokyo, Sydney, and Melbourne emitted 393 metric tons of CO2, which is 28 times more than the average annual emissions of a single person in the U.S.
Additionally, transporting equipment and merchandise across continents further increases carbon emissions.
Taylor Swift and her team are using carbon offsets to mitigate this footprint, highlighting the significant environmental costs associated with large-scale tours.
Conclusion
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour presents an opportunity to highlight the importance of sustainability in large-scale events.
By implementing and promoting eco-friendly practices, the tour can help set a precedent for future concerts and festivals.
The combined efforts of the artist, venues, and fans can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of these events, ensuring a more sustainable approach to live entertainment.
