Environment

Here at The Waistcoats we are all about entertaining you and your guests and leaving you with great memories for years to come. We are also committed to use technologies that have very low impact on the environment and continue to update our gear, processes and methods to reflect that commitment for a healthier planet.

Say goodbye to paper.

Gone are those days of carrying around dozens of folders full of printed lyrics (beside the fact that we know most of the 250+ songs by memory anyway). But especially since new songs are constantly added and existing structures need to be constantly updated, not only are printed lyrics ugly to look at – it also means printing them over and over again, for every band member. Luckily we have replaced this “ancient” system with smart iPads, which means that not only is there no more need to print any new lyrics, it also allows us (via centralized WiFi router) to distribute the songs live to our band members on stage and we can even download songs ad-hoc if a guest makes a request that is not on our vast playlist already.

Every internal communication is handled by a centralized, intelligent software platform that channels any source, whether it is e-mail, website inquiries, facebook messages etc. All our communication runs through this channel, so there it is never necessary to print any documents (and it is impossible that any message gets lost – very important!). Everything is securely stored and distributed in the cloud on one side, but also directly in the software, which also means that if either of them fails, a backup is available on the other end – making it faster, safer and cleaner than the use of paper.

Low consumption. High efficiency.

We have completely substituted our lighting system with LEDs. This allows us to be very conservative with our power consumption. In fact, our entire gear (including amps and instruments!) can run through one standard power plug (also read our knowledge base article about our power requirements). We also use modern technolgy that bundles a lot of power into a single device, like our TC-Helicon equipment that combines vocal effects, guitar effects, loop pedal and monitor speaker in one high-tech peace of equipment – thus eliminating the need to bring along a bag of 12 or more individual foot pedals, each with their own need for power. This is just one of many examples on how we have optimized our power consumption. Efficiency at the highest level.

Less weight. Better transport.

We use lightweight equipment where possible, reducing the overall weight for transport. Depending on distance and location we will prefer electric cars, trains (e.g. if you booked our acoustic package or duo/one-man show), or low emission vans for longer distances (or a combination of the above), whenever possible.

Better recycling

On longer journeys we will prefer to use our own, reusable containers and bottles, but in case we need to purchase anything along the way, everything is recycled right away.

After our performance we will always clean up after us, we never leave any litter or garbage behind and if any litter has been produced we will recycle it at the next possible location.

For a cleaner environment

We constantly aspire to lower our impact to the environment, improve the usage of materials and technology by vendors with a proven track record of eliminating dangerous materials and who uphold high standards in terms of respecting and protecting the rights and health of workers involved in manufacturing their products.

Here is a list of some of the vendors we use and their policies or concrete actions to protect the environment:

• Apple (Environment policy)
• Fender (MusicWood Coalition alongside Greenpeace, Taylor, Gibson and Martin)
• Roland/Boss (Green recycling program)
• Thomann (Environment – page available in German only)
• Behringer (Eco-friendly manuals, environment friendly manufacturing plant)
• Shure (Eco-friendly packaging)
• Harman/AKG: (Sustainability)