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Bonnaroo is going green. Eco-friendly initiatives are not a new thing for the 4-day music festival, held each year in Tennessee, but a special new green feature will be highlighting Bonnaroo's environmental efforts this year. A company called Stanley is working with Bonnarro to provide concert-goers with clean drinking water throughout the festival—for free. The service exists to minimize the purchase (and waste) of plastic bottles. I had the chance to ask Stanley's Consumer Marketing Manager, JoAnn Anderson, some questions about the program.
Where is the water coming from?
JoAnn Anderson: Stanley has helped Bonnaroo finance the building of new wells, water pumps, and filters. The water will run to the stage areas underground so it will also stay cold.
Although Stanley is working toward providing bottle-free water for concert-goers, will the company also play a role in bottle recycling at Bonnaroo?
JA: We are supporting the clean-up crew by providing them with Stanley bottles, but we are not involved in Bonnaroo's recycling program specifically. This is part of their own expansive efforts to green the festival. They just released their press release about all their efforts, which are pretty impressive. We are also working with 'the trading post'—a place in Planet Roo where people can pick up or bring recycling from their camp to earn points. Our Stanley bottles are one of the many items they can 'buy' with these points.
How much plastic do you estimate this program will save in its first year?
JA: If just one person switches to using reusables at Bonnaroo, they save 24 disposable bottles from being used. Multiply that by all concert goers at the festival and we're looking at up to 1.5 million bottles saved. It's all up to everyone's individual contribution to the collective goal.
How can people get involved with the program?
JA: People can get involved with the program in several ways. They can buy the Stanley/Bonnaroo water bottle. The free water program that they enjoy at the festival is funded by these bottle sales. Purchasing a bottle helps support the program. In addition, $1 of each bottle sold goes to Global Water Challenge. They can visit us in Planet Roo. We will have a place where concert-goers can kick back and relax and write in what they will do/use less of so that there is more of something else. They can also see how many disposable bottles we're preventing from being used as we'll be keeping track with a large 'ticker' sign a la old-school baseball score boards. They can help clean up at the festival.
What kinds of tips/information would you offer to someone hesitant to switch to bottle-free water?
JA: Reusables are good for you, the planet, and your wallet. Good for you because bottled water is often just bottled tap water, so if you're thinking you're getting a better quality product with bottled water; think again. You're paying for something you could just get for free. Good for the planet because bottled water taxes our resources and fills our landfills. Reusables (especially ones like Stanley's which come with a lifetime guarantee) are meant to be used for a very, very long time (lifetime in the case of Stanley), so you can use it again and again and again—which is way better for the environment. If 24 bottles are saved in just a 4-day festival, imagine what that could be over a lifetime? Good for your wallet because tap water costs 4 cents a month. Bottled water can cost up to $6 a bottle.
More on bottled water:
How To Never Drink Bottled Water Again
Which is Healthier: Tap Water or Bottled Water?
Skip the Bottled Water: It's Dirty
The Only Bottled Water Worth Buying Costs $20
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