Green record labels

As I mentioned last month, some record labels are attempting to limit their impact on the environment by eliminating plastic CD cases. Now, though, some labels are taking the "green" philosophy even further. Last year, Wired Magazine reported that Sub Pop Records was the first record label to go 100% green. Sub Pop made its mark in the 1990s by helping to launch Nirvana's career, and it quickly established itself as one of the biggest independent labels in the country (it was also the final home of indie-rock legends Sleater-Kinney, who just happen to be one of my favorite bands). Sub Pop was able to offset its carbon dioxide output by buying "green tags" from the Bonnevillle Environmental Foundation. These "green tags" are vouchers that can be purchased as subsidies to fund sources of renewable energy, such as wind and solar power. Anyone can buy these "green tags" by simply using BEF's "carbon calculator" to determine their output and then buying the tags in $20 and $24 increments.

Sub Pop isn't the only label to make a concerted effort to reduce its environmental impact. Earthology Records, founded by the band Cloud Cult, takes this idea to a whole other level. The label is based on an organic farm in Minnesota, powered by geothermal and wind energy, where the band personally recycles and cleans old plastic CD jewel cases and packages the CDs in recycled paper and non-toxic shrink wrap. The band also donates all profits to environmental charities. Not only is this attitude helpful to the environment, but it brings back a certain do-it-yourself ethic to music that is very rare these days. Time will tell if other labels follow the lead of Earthology and Sub Pop, but until then they will continue to set an eco-friendly example.

NOTE: At the time of this blog post, Earthology Records' website had been hacked and was unavailable.