Participating venues have been encouraged to reduce or eliminate the sale of bottled water and adopt plastic-free policies, like allowing patrons to #BYOBottle and/or stocking reusable bottles to supply to staff and bands. A number of participating venues noted how artists are talking about sustainability and appreciate efforts like this to reduce waste, confirming the need for Green Music Australia’s work. The Workers Club, a local music venue based in Fitzroy, installed accessible tap water infrastructure in their venue and even in 2020, with the significant reduction of live music events due to COVID-19, they managed to save an estimated 4,000 single-use bottles from use.

Previously, the initiative had been successfully promoted at high profile industry events throughout 2019, including Changes Festival via our ‘Refill Not Landfill’ stall; Melbourne Music Week’s MPavillion panel discussion on Music & Sustainability; and Music Victoria’s second Live Music Professionals workshop.

At Yah Yah’s, we want everyone to be able to enjoy a great night out without the negative consequences. Encouraging guests to drink more water is a key part of us serving responsibly, so to be able to phase out single-use plastics for self-service stations isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for business too, and for everyone to be able to enjoy their night out. - Yah Yah’s