Billie Eilish Calls for Better Sustainability Practices in the Music Industry

In a recent interview with Billboard, Billie Eilish expressed her discontent with the way sustainability practices are being handled in the music industry. The singer says that while she goes out of her way to make sustainable choices as both a musician and a person, there are other artists who make a surplus of vinyls as a part of their merchandise sales. People speculate that Eilish may be calling out Taylor Swift, as the Eras-tour performer is known for her record breaking vinyl sales. One comment under a tweet posted by the verified account Pop Crave read, "Huge dig on Taylor Swift," while another commenter wrote, "I’m with her. And I love Taylor. What she’s doing is wrong, and it needs to change." 

"It’s so wasteful, and it’s irritating to me that we’re still at a point where you care that much about your numbers and you care that much about making money," said Eilish when commenting on the environmental wastefulness of the industry. 

Eilish mentions that sustainability isn't only important to her, but to her whole family. When she first entered the music industry, her mother would ask music executives what their sustainability initiatives were, and they seldom had a proper response. 

"It was bleak out here. We would be in meetings for things and my mom would [ask], “What are you guys doing to be more resourceful and conscious?” And they’d be like, “Oh, uh, well, you know…” They’d be tripping and stumbling over their words because they’re not doing anything. And it was kind of alarming to find that no one’s really doing anything to better the world," said Eilish in reference to the industry's lack of eco-awareness. 

Eilish's mother, Maggie Baird, also weighed in during the interview and said " 'Wait, why do we have all this plastic backstage?' Or, 'Why are we driving this way?' Or, 'Why are we doing this?' And the answer was, 'Well, that’s just the way it’s done'.” 

However the comment section under the tweet by Pop Crave was quick to mention Eilish's hypocrisy on the matter. One individual posted a picture of Eilish's own vinyl collection and wrote "She’s right, everyone does it." But fans were quick to defend Eilish and noted that she made her vinyls from sustainable materials.

In the interview, the "What Was I Made For?" singer said she was working on making a vinyls more sustainable with the record Happier Than Ever coming out in eight vinyl variants that use 100% recycled black vinyl.

"As we all know, it’s pretty impossible to force someone to care. All you can do is express and explain your beliefs, but a lot of people don’t really understand the severity of the climate [crisis]," Eilish said during the conclusion of the interview. "Believe me, I feel that way too. But 'what’s the point' goes both ways: 'What’s the point? I can do whatever I want. We’re all going to die anyway.' Or, 'What’s the point? I might as well do the right thing while I’m here.' That’s my view."