Grunge Meets Green

Pearl Jam may be known as an alternative rock and grunge band from Washington, but they also have an environmental edge too. In the past, the band has been recognized for “rocking the environmental mission,”  as Pearl Jam was named 2011 Planet Defenders by Rock the Earth for their environmental activism and their large-scale efforts to decrease their own carbon footprint. Four years later, Pearl Jam continues to be environmental activists, and even the fans are joining in the movement. Now, as a special gift to dedicated fan members of the band’s hugely popular club, the Ten Club, Pearl Jam and Green Dot (a bioscience social enterprise) have partnered up with Sea-Lect Plastics (a custom injection molding company) to create a biodegradable luggage tag manufactured in their hometown Seattle. Embracing their local roots, Pearl Jam stands at the forefront of this innovative product. Stone Gossard, guitarist for Pearl Jam stresses that the “need for better, compostable plastic goods is just so evident. It’s amazing that the materials already exist. We’re just marching against resistance to implementation at this point.” It’s inevitable that popular bands will be in the spotlight; what they choose to share or how they choose to act is left up to the members themselves. In this case, Pearl Jam has decided sustainability is a must, and they have used their fame to help make consumers think about the products they buy. (Now that is what I call a good PR move!) “We’ve always been an organization that has provided unique merchandise items to our fans,” said Tim Bierman, head of Pearl Jam’s Ten Club. “The band’s hardcore followers who often travel to multiple shows on a given tour, luggage tags were both a functional gift and an acknowledgement of the band’s ideals.” Sustainable and practical—a win- win for the fans and the environment. Elli Sloan, Intern