Going Green

[KMC]

Many businesses are adjusting their practices and adopting a more environmentally friendly approach.  The benefits of this are numerous.  In addition to the obvious benefit of helping the environment this can be quite friendly to the bottom line economically as well. 

How can we, as Stage Managers, adjust our tools and practices to take a more environmentally friendly approach?  This could be anything big or small, i.e. printing double sided pages instead of one sided or changing our flashlights and backstage worklights to LED over incandescent. 

We find some incredibly creative solutions to problems and if you ask me we're some of the most creative people in this business.  So let's hear your thoughts and ideas!

[Jessie_K]

The SMA has a similar thread on their forum.

Here is what I posted there:

"easy steps:

recycling bins for cans, bottles, paper, etc
compact fluorescent light bulbs
motion sensors on dressing room and office lights so that they are only on when in use
dimmers on dressing room and office lights so you can only use the amount of light you need
unplug anything that can be unplugged when not in use (or turn off at power switch)
donate/ recycle old sets/ costumes/ props
switch to environmentally friendly cleaning products
switch to environmentally friendly paper products
buy a bunch of coffee mugs for your coffee station instead of paper or styrofoam cups
use a container of sweetener and a spoon instead of individual packets of sweetener
set aside tote bags for shopping errands instead of using plastic bags from the store
use rags to clean instead of paper towels
live plants outside and inside
get furnace and a/c serviced (they work ore efficiently when in good condition)
wash laundry on cold setting or use 1/2 as much detergent

more challenging:
gray water recycling
compost bin
use environmentally friendly products when renovating (example- roof shingles made from recycled tires)"

Add to that:
-energy star appliances
-use organic/ fair trade/ shade grown coffees and teas at your water station
-buy a filter system for your kitchen instead of water coolers
-solar powered water heating system

[Mac Calder]

recycling bins for cans, bottles, paper, etc

Absolutely.

compact fluorescent light bulbs
motion sensors on dressing room and office lights so that they are only on when in use
dimmers on dressing room and office lights so you can only use the amount of light you need

Hmm - I dislike CFL's - they do have quite a large environmental impact when they are not disposed of properly (they contain Hg). Whilst their overall carbon footprint is lower when used correctly, a lot of places do not properly recycle CFLs (and standard Florries). Dimmers for lights are generally quite wasteful, instead, if you do not need that brightness all the time, downgrade the wattage of the bulb you use - use 40 instead of 60, 60 instead of 100. If you are doing a new installation, more circuits is better, so that you can only turn on lights that you need to use.

unplug anything that can be unplugged when not in use (or turn off at power switch)
donate/ recycle old sets/ costumes/ props
switch to environmentally friendly cleaning products
switch to environmentally friendly paper products

Absolutely - if you don't want to pay inflated prices - look for the products that say "Safe for septic tanks" or something along those lines - they are biodegradable and do not kill the good bacteria that is natures natural garbage disposal system.

buy a bunch of coffee mugs for your coffee station instead of paper or styrofoam cups

Even better - everyone brings their own mug.

The biggest carbon footprint in most of the event industry is transport. Try and talk to the cast about setting up a car pool system if everyone drives, encourage the use of public transport by including train and bus routes that pass near to the venues in your welcome packets, if you are involved in the rehearsal room choosing process, look for proximity to public transport and to shops for lunch etc (so people wont want to drive down to McDonalds etc for lunch).

The other one is to calculate how much it would cost to offset your carbon footprint using carbon credits, and to try and convince the guys with the cash to put a % of each ticket sale aside for that (if they qualify they could put something like on the promos and tickets, and it may be a great publicity thing)

[deletedoldnotanymore]

I don't know if this has been posted around, but I thought it was fairly interesting.  The Mayor of London's Office put out some recommendations and a carbon footprint calculator for making theaters more green.
http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/publications/2008/09/green-theatres.jsp

[loebtmc]

I for one always set up recycling (and collect it at the end of the night). If this is a cast that doesn't clean up after themselves, I have stopped doing the ceramic mug thing, because my time has value and after a long day and a long rehearsal/show, I don't want to have to wash 30 mugs too. But I LOVE that Broadway is going green, and I am a big fan of carpooling whenever and wherever possible - tho most actors don't want to come w me, since it means extra time on both ends of the day - but my ASM and I 'pooled on my last two shows, and it was great - we kept each other awake on the ride home, and got to do our minimeeting in the car in private instead of waiting in the theater! I also love that theater in general recycles everything (costumes, etc).

[LCSM]

The theatre i'm working at right now has a huge green initiative going on (Ottawa's Great Canadian Theatre Company) and one of the things they do that i like is that they recycle their programs for future use. There's a box outside the auditorium exit audiance members can drop their programs in and then they're used for the following nights.

[chops]

I have stopped doing the ceramic mug thing, because my time has value and after a long day and a long rehearsal/show, I don't want to have to wash 30 mugs too. (costumes, etc).

One of my stagehands had the great idea that we implemented where the coffee is always free but the styrofoam cups are 5 cents.  It really isn't enforced but most people have switched to travel coffee cups and keep their own cup in fairly good condition (clean).  We also have a joke where a "Code 4" in the theatre is when someone can't find thier coffee cup.  It also has cut down on the random half full cups of coffee strewn around backstage and in the green room. 

[Stuart Plymesser]

At Syracuse Stage, we have been looking into changing over our makeup lights in dressing rooms to some type of full-spectrum compact fluorescent light.  Thus far, we have not found any models that Equity is comfortable approving for this purpose, although we have started a good dialogue with them on the subject.  Has anyone out there had any luck in this area or might you have a model CF light bulb you would recommend?

[sailor_sam]

Printing anything that gets posted on a call board or signs for the rehearsal hall on recycled scrap paper.  (I.E. an old draft of a scrip, copying mistakes, ect.)  Just something simple but very effective.

[Amie]

I am not sure if this counts as "going green" or not, but to minimize on paper usage, I have changed the way I have my cast and crew sign in at the theatre.  Rather than use the "peg style" callboard, I prefer actors/stagehands to sign in with their initials. 

To go green doing this: I printed out one blank paper form with their names, a date area and an area to initial "in" and "out" (or just "in").  I post this on the callboard and cover it with clear transparency paper (if "paper" is the correct term for the clear plastic) and use a transparency pen / marker. Each night, before the show, I wipe off the old attendance and start fresh.  I never have to print a new sign in sheet. I just keep reusing the one I have!

It's really effective.

[Sarah]

We could ask Equity to stop sending SM packets; we can download what we really need at any time from the website.

[sarahbear42]

To go green doing this: I printed out one blank paper form with their names, a date area and an area to initial "in" and "out" (or just "in").  I post this on the callboard and cover it with clear transparency paper (if "paper" is the correct term for the clear plastic) and use a transparency pen / marker. Each night, before the show, I wipe off the old attendance and start fresh.  I never have to print a new sign in sheet. I just keep reusing the one I have!

My last company had something similar-- not for the call board/actor sign-ins, but to keep track of everyone in the offices during the day. If you get a cheap dry-erase board, you can do lines and write the names in sharpie, let it dry, then everyone signs in in dry erase. The eraser won't take off the sharpie, but if you use the expo dry erase board cleaner the sharpie will generally come off cleanly with a little elbow grease. Hadn't thought of it for use for the sign in sheet before.

[Libby]

As far as mugs go, I've found that I label mugs for each actor, and then, on the first day, show them where the sink/soap is they will . They are adults, they can wash their own mugs. At the end of the night, if I see a mug with anything in it, I will dump the coffee out, but still not wash it. I find there is only a small percent of actors who would think this was unfair.

Using sheet protectors: (I got this from a friend of mine.) I also use them for my preset checklist. I have a piece of tie line through one of the 3 punch holes and I loop it to my belt. As I go through the checklist, I use a wet erase marker (I find that dry erase checks will get wiped onto my pant leg), and then, when I have to carry something/or use both hands, I don't have to shove the preset into a pocket/under an arm/etc. At the beginning of each day I take a wet paper towel and just wipe it off. Then back on my belt loop it goes.

[Amie]

Using sheet protectors: (I got this from a friend of mine.) I also use them for my preset checklist. I have a piece of tie line through one of the 3 punch holes and I loop it to my belt. As I go through the checklist, I use a wet erase marker (I find that dry erase checks will get wiped onto my pant leg), and then, when I have to carry something/or use both hands, I don't have to shove the preset into a pocket/under an arm/etc. At the beginning of each day I take a wet paper towel and just wipe it off. Then back on my belt loop it goes.

I like it!  (Takes note)