SUSTAINABILITY
OUR SUSTAINABILITY MISSION
Live On The Green is committed to being Nashville’s premier environmentally-friendly music festival. Each year, we work to further reduce our carbon footprint, bringing us closer to our ultimate goal of operating as a completely waste free, carbon-neutral event. We strive to incorporate sustainable practices in all facets of our music festival – ranging anywhere from using energy-efficient LED lights festival-wide and reusing banners, to selecting the green roof as the location to host the event.
SUSTAINABILITY IN PRACTICE – WHAT WE’RE DOING TO HELP
STARTING LOCAL
Part of offsetting our carbon footprint includes supporting our local economy and reducing the costs and waste associated with travel for out of town visitors, vendors and production. Many of the performers at Live On The Green are local artists, or have their roots in Music City, which allows for a reduced carbon footprint of travel. If travel is needed, the artists have agreed use the most environmentally friendly choices of travel and accommodations. To further improve our sustainability efforts, we partner with community organizations in and around Nashville such as Piedmont Natural Gas, Walk/Bike Nashville, Tennessee Valley Authority, as well as various initiates sponsored by Nashville Metro Government.
LOW WASTE EVENT
As part of Live On The Green’s goal to produce a low waste event, we have partnered with Piedmont Natural Gas in order to provide extensive recycling services on-site. Staffers and volunteers are stationed throughout the event site to assist and answer questions related to what and how to recycle.
PUBLIC SQUARE PARK: FROM PARKING LOT TO GREEN ROOF
Over a decade ago, the city of Nashville set out to redesign the public plaza with some significant green initiatives. The old impermeable parking surface that once greeted visitors to City Hall was replaced with a five story subterranean parking lot topped with a 2.25 acre ‘Green Roof’. The roof itself acts as an open public meeting space while also capturing and utilizing over 50,000 gallons of rainwater each year. This captured rainwater is treated and then used to irrigate the over forty different species of plants (63% being native to Middle Tennessee) in and around the plaza. All of the original stone and granite on the old plaza was also utilized in the construction of the space – drastically reducing the need for additional building material.
ADDITIONAL EFFORTS TO REDUCE WASTE INCLUDE
Eco-friendly requirements for food and drink vendors. Vendors are instructed to supply only enough product for expected sales, and must also meet our standards for environmentally friendly packaging and distribution. Beverages are served used recyclable aluminum cans or recyclable plastic bottles, which can then be recycled at one of the recycling stations on site. Recycling stations are located around the event for aluminum cans, plastic cups and paper products. No glass is permitted on site. Festival goers are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles to the event. Metro Water will have tap water available on site, thus reducing the need for disposable plastic water bottles. All printed materials used for distribution at the event are discouraged unless they meet our high standards for eco-friendly practices, or are multi purpose (ie. handouts that also function as coupons or membership forms). Patrons are encouraged to only take materials that they intend to use, and leave remaining materials behind at the booth for future use.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
We utilize renewable energy sources whenever possible. Our stage and site lighting is primarily driven by energy-efficient LEDs. We only resort to use of fossil fuel burning generators/equipment when no other more eco-friendly alternative is available. We also make use of energy-star compliant sound equipment.
MERCHANDISE
All of our Live On The Green merchandise is made from high-quality eco-friendly materials and inks. T-shirts are made from 100% organic cotton. Additionally, many of the merchants on site are local to Middle Tennessee.
TRANSPORTATION
A free Bike Check, powered by Regions Bank and Walk/Bike Nashville, is available on-site for bicyclists who ride to the festival. Non-Cyclist attendees are encouraged to park at the Nissan Stadium and walk or use MTA’s low fuel emission buses across the river. Carpooling is encouraged. Or you can ride the bus!
FOOD WASTE
Leftover and unopened food items from food vendors will be brought back to their restaurants and re-stocked, donated or composted.
FESTIVAL SIGNAGE
All site signage, banners and other production materials are created using only the most eco-friendly post-consumer recycled materials. Disposable banners and signage are not permitted on-site. All banners must be eco-friendly or re-useable at future events.
EVENT SITE CLEANUP
We work each week to ensure that we leave Public Square Park as clean as we found it. This is one area where we rely heavily on our patrons, asking everyone to do their part in keeping the site clean. At the end of each night we ask that each attendee pick up one piece of trash or recycling on their way out. Your response to this request has been overwhelmingly positive, and we sincerely appreciate your efforts.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
If you have any recommendations on how we could further improve our greening and sustainability practices, please let us know here! We’re always open to new ideas!
