Sustainability

© Can Stock Photo / Pakhnyushchyy

Books

2013

Sustainability Ideas

Electrical efficiency

Power off the lighting rig when it’s not being used (particularly moving lights)
Investigate lower-wattage light sources (e.g. compact fluorescent or LED) for backstage working lights,
Replace high wattage tungsten halogen lanterns with LED equivalents

Reduce Wastage

Ensure spare catered food is saved and distributed to local shelters
Use cable ramps or rubber mats to replace large quantities of gaffer tape to hold cables down
Donate unwanted gel to local play schemes
Recycle unwanted set / props, or set up a local scheme to store set & prop items for reuse by other companies
Design modular scenery that can be reused repeatedly (by repainting or recovering).

Reduce Plastics

Reusable water bottles can be refilled hundreds of times, to reduce plastic bottle use
Don’t use plastic straws – metal, paper or bamboo straws are available
Reusable rubber ties or short lengths of tie line or rope can replace PVC tape on lighting rigs or for coiling cables
Velcro cable ties can be permanently fixed to cables to reduce PVC tape use.

See also

Save Stage Lighting (2018)

Resources

Sustainable Theatre Companies

Venues

Documents

BBC Low Energy Lighting Guidelines (2011)

The Greening of Birmingham Hippodrome (2016)

External Links

Companies

Arcola Theatre

Installation

Kirei ECHOPanel sustainable acoustic panel [USA]

Recycling

Ready, Set, Recycle Props, Set, Equipment [USA]

Scenery Salvage Recycle your scenic waste [UK]

Set Exchange [UK]

Resources

Broadway Green Alliance

Entertaining Sustainability (website unavailable) Practical Advice [UK]

Green Shoot Film & TV sustainability

ISO20121 Event Management Sustainability Standard

Julie's Bicycle Sustaining Creativity [UK]

Roadies to the Rescue - Sustainable Gig Ideas

The Sustainability in Production Alliance [UK]

Tips for Green, More Sustainable Shows The Guardian, 29 January 2014 [UK]

Shows

Sustainable Design - Julies Bicycle Live Design