Dave Matthew's Promotes 'Being Green' On Tour

Dave Matthews, a Seattle resident, has taken on a new cause this year by highlighting the problem of disposable plastic bottle consumption in the U.S. Wherever he and his band play, they display Brita Filter Hydration Stations. 

Fans were asked to reduce their use of plastic bottles -- amazingly, Americans use 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour -- by either bringing their own reusable bottles to the concert and refilling them at one of many Brita Hydration Stations or only buying one bottle and continually refilling it.

What were the results? About 31,430 disposable water bottles were diverted from landfills as a result of fans using the refilling stations. More than 7,800 fans signed up to take the Filter For Good pledge to promise to reduce their use of disposable plastic bottles. Fans also chose to buy carbon offsets and saved 2 million pounds of carbon dioxide in their travels to and from the concert.  

The band also went the extra distance and used biodiesel fuel for its buses and trucks during the tour. They had recycling stations set up in their parking lot for tailgaters to recycle their waste and were able to divert an additional 1,500 pounds from the landfill.

It is truly inspiring to see a band making a difference by taking on one simple cause and spreading the word and education about it. Blogs are writing about it and other bands are taking note. Being in the public eye has its ups and downs and I, for one, am delighted to see a celebrity taking advantage of the spotlight to make a difference.