Pop star Billie Eilish explains why her merch prices reflect sustainability, not profit

Billie Eilish has never shied away from using her voice — not just to sing, but to spark change. Now, the Grammy-winning pop phenomenon is speaking out about the steep prices of her tour merchandise, insisting they reflect her environmental values, not just fashion trends.

The 23-year-old artist, known for her unfiltered honesty and genre-defying sound, has long placed climate action at the centre of her career. From solar-powered sets to plant-based partnerships, Eilish is reshaping what it means to be a sustainable pop star.

“The problem is making sure that my clothing is made well, ethically, and sustainably,” Billie explained. “That makes it more expensive, but I’m trying to pick the lesser of two evils.”

Her commitment dates back to childhood. Raised in a solar-powered, zero-waste home in LA, Billie was influenced early by her mother, Maggie Baird, who wrapped gifts in handmade reusable bags and eventually founded Support + Feed, a plant-based food initiative the star still champions.

“Plant-based food feeds more people,” Maggie said. “It helps the local economy and the planet.”

The price tag on Billie’s tour hoodies may make fans blink, but they’re made from organic fabrics, manufactured on US soil, and designed to last longer than throwaway trends. “I want people to buy less — but better,” she said during her Apple TV+ documentary launch, which featured merch created from recycled materials.

Her current UK tour doubles down on her climate stance. Each venue features “Eco-Action Villages”, offering water-refill stations, composting bins, and even food redistribution to local shelters. In a nod to Gen Z’s rising environmental consciousness, she’s also hosting a climate summit series called Overheated — inviting activists, musicians and scientists to speak directly to her fans.

“She doesn’t have to do this,” says Billboard UK editor Thomas Smith. “But she cares deeply — and she knows her fans do too.”

That care was evident when she partially powered her 2023 Lollapalooza headline set with solar energy. It’s also present in her perfume line: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, and encased in recyclable packaging. Her efforts even won praise from PETA.

But it hasn’t always been easy. Billie has openly criticised the music industry’s environmental apathy.

“They’d stumble over their words because they weren’t doing anything,” she recalled. “It was alarming.”

Her 2019 music video All The Good Girls Go To Hell — which showed her trapped in an oil spill surrounded by flames — remains one of the most potent pop climate metaphors in recent years.

“This song is about the world, and trying to save it,” she said at the time. “And people not believing it needs to be saved.”

For Billie, touring with a conscience isn’t just PR — it’s personal. And if it means her merch costs more, so be it.

“I can’t ignore what I know and go about my career,” she said. “That’s not how I was raised.”