Environmental Sustainability

Music production and touring can have a significant impact on the planet. For the release of Seventy, and the forthcoming tour, we’ve chosen to work with partners, venues and providers that are able to implement meaningful changes to help reduce that impact.

There’s always more that we can do, but we wanted to share the specific steps we’re taking to reduce our environmental footprint:

VINYL

  • We’re really proud of our vinyl records. They are made with an innovative low-carbon PVC compound with bio-based materials and metal-free stabilisers, cutting CO2 emissions by 92.5% compared to traditional vinyl manufacturing.
  • All of the printed materials feature FSC-certified paper and vegetable-based inks, with packaging that eliminates single-use plastics in favour of paper sleeves and locally-made, fully-recyclable shipping boxes containing 40% recycled content.
  • The vinyls are made at Suitcase Records’ factory using 100% renewable energy, and a closed-loop water system to minimise waste, and carbon-offset natural gas for more efficient steam generation.
  • The materials we need are sourced within 50 kilometres where possible, with carbon offsets applied for longer-range transportation.
  • The process achieves near-zero waste from the PVC compound by: regrinding all off-cuts and waste for reuse, using 10-15% regrind material in black vinyl, and even repurposing labels from recycled vinyls as merchandise like coasters. 

TOUR

  • Every venue we’re playing is required to provide recycling and composting facilities both backstage and in public areas.
  • No individual plastic bottles are to be provided, except in Christchurch which uses locally repurposed recyclable plastic. Instead, we use refillable bottles, and provide compostable paper cups for local crew if needed.
  • Both concessions and backstage catering prioritise reusable or recyclable options with beverages in cans, cartons, or glass rather than plastic cups, no individual condiment dispensers, and sustainable serviceware like bamboo utensils.
  • No new hospitality items were purchased specifically for the tour, reducing unnecessary consumption.

MERCHANDISE

  • When we sell merchandise, no single-use plastics are used in packaging or dispatch, and our demand forecasting minimises overproduction and waste.
  • Unsold or unusable apparel goes to textile recycling through Upparel rather than landfill. Read more about Upparel here.
  • 95% of blank apparel is sourced from suppliers with published environmental and social impact reporting, and commitments to responsible labour practices. You can read these here: Gildan & AS Colour
  • We print on this apparel using locally-sourced, water-based inks free from harmful chemicals, solvents, and ozone-depleting chemicals like CFCs and HCFCs.
  • The printing facility we use operates on solar energy with systematic waste recycling and screen cleaning to minimise chemical waste.

These initiatives represent our current commitment to more sustainable practices, but we know this is ongoing work.

We’re always looking for new ways to improve and to reduce our impact on the planet. We welcome feedback and suggestions from fans and industry partners as we work towards more environmentally responsible music production and touring.