Going Green: Sustainable Art House

 Incentivize guests bringing reusable water bottles and coffee mugs by offering coupons, discounts, and other rewards. Always refill water bottles on request. Remember, plastic water bottles are a major contributor to ocean waste. 

Liquids slow down the recycling process and can contaminate paper products in the recycling bin. Keep liquids and organics out of your recycling by making sure there is a clearly labeled drain or receptacle for liquid disposal nearby. Or keep your recycling bins adjacent to your drinking fountain.

Reduce your carbon footprint and electricity usage by increasing your AC by 5 degrees in summer, and decreasing your heat by 5 degrees in winter. Be aware of when spaces are being used and adjust the thermostat accordingly. 

Dirty HVAC filters are less efficient and use more energy. Dirty and blocked vents require as much as 25% more energy to distribute air. Keep your electricity bill low and minimize your carbon footprint by taking care of your HVAC system. 

Host a local non-profit that specializes in spearheading environmentally conscious initiatives. Create space on your screen and in your lobby for them to share information about their initiatives and donate proceeds to support their efforts. 

For its screening of Wasted! The Story of Food Waste the Nickelodeon Theatre in Columbia, SC partnered with the Columbia SC Food Policy Committee, a committee of city government, and Don’t Waste Food SC to host a post-screening conversation and distribute educational materials about reducing food waste. 

At many theaters free popcorn or soda is a key perk of being a team member. Make sure that you have reusable plates and cups available so that staff can enjoy their snack without sending waste to the landfill.

 The typical office computer, monitor and printer draw 200 watts per day. Reduce electricity use by shutting down office computers and printers, and turning off office lights when you aren’t using them. 

Make sure you are only printing when necessary and use both sides of paper. Leftover hand-outs after a meeting? Be sure they end up in recycling. 

Compostable plastics are non-toxic and are made from organic materials including cellulose, corn and potato starches, instead of petroleum. These PLA (polylactic acid) based products are often marketed as the compostable alternative to other plastics. Providers include EcoProducts and Fabri-Kal Greenware. 

Remember, PLAs and other compostable plastics are not suitable for home composting and are not accepted by all municipal compost facilities. Check with your municipality. While the city of Denver is unable to compost PLA plastic containers, Ann Arbor can accept all BPI-certified plastics and containers. Check to learn if a product has BPI-certification. 

A reusable popcorn bowl at the Roxy Theater in Missoula, Montana.

 In many cities and towns, local recycling programs are in crisis and formerly recyclable goods are being sent to the landfill. The best way to keep waste out of the landfill is to reduce waste entirely by switching to reusable options. 

Serve popcorn in reusable bowls. Even better for the environment than recycling composting, switching to reusable popcorn bowls can dramatically reduce the amount of waste a theater produces. Especially since theaters sell so much popcorn each year. Check out your annual report, that’s how many bowls or bags you can keep out of the trash. 

The Roxy Theater in Missoula, MT serves its popcorn in stainless steel bowls that it cleans in a dishwasher at the end of the night.

Serve beverages in reusable cups. From free water to soda and beer, movie guests usually need a beverage to rinse down their delicious salty and sweet snacks. Offer reusable cups to reduce waste. 

The Lyric Cinema in Fort Collins, Colorado serves all of its beverages in reusable glasses and cups and has dish tubs outside of its main auditoriums. Cups are washed by hand in a four basin sink.

Shipping is a major contributor to greenhouse gas and carbon emissions. To reduce your theater’s carbon footprint think locally and partner with local suppliers of concessions, snacks, and beer for offerings manufactured in your community. 

Theaters can also minimize DCP shipping by receiving content via digital delivery. Providers include EclairPlay, Proludio, Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition, and Digital Cinema United.

No matter how much people love popcorn or how carefully we calibrate nightly preparation, sometimes there is some leftover. Partner with a local non-profit or farm to donate food waste as livestock feed.  Check with your county agricultural extension office, state veterinarian, or county health department to learn more about specific state regulations and to find contact information for local farmers. 

The Roxy Theater in Missoula, MT bags and donates leftover popcorn to local urban farms to feed chicken and ducks.

Items purchased and sold in bulk require less wrapping and send less waste to the landfill. Candy can be served in reusable or compostable tubs or compostable brown paper bags. Bulk candy also offers the additional benefit of allowing patrons to mix and match their candy selections. 

The Gold Town Nickelodeon in Juneau, Alaska and the Lyric Cinema both currently offer mix and match candy, reducing their theaters output of wrappers and shrink-wrap.

Get to know your concession stand, and prioritize items with packaging that doesn’t need to go to the landfill.  Generally boxes are compostable while plastic wrappers and bags are not. 

In addition to seeking out ecologically-friendly packaging, stock your concession stand with items with ethically sourced ingredients. Companies like Verdant Trade help theaters find Fair Trade Certified vendors of coffee and snacks that prioritize ethical labor practices and a positive environmental impact.

 Keeping our theaters clean can create waste and use chemicals. When possible use reusable rags and sponges instead of paper towels, environmentally friendly cleaners, and purchase supplies like hand soap in bulk to reduce the use of plastics.

Does your theater offer parking spaces? Consider offering employees bus passes instead or installing a bike rack.

The best way to strategically reduce waste is to figure out what kind of waste your theater is producing. Recyclables going into the trash? Packaging piling up? Identifying how and when your theater produces waste can contribute to greater efficiency, targeted waste reduction, and meaningful conversations with suppliers about their packaging techniques. 

To conduct a waste audit you are going to need to sort and examine your trash.

1. Work with volunteers from your organization and community, using gloves and face masks sort through your landfill-bound garbage. We recommend sorting through a multi-day or week’s worth of garbage depending on your theater’s approach to waste storage. 
2. If possible, separate office and theater waste so you can identify where waste is being produced.
3. Record of the amount of waste produced. 
4. Record the amount of recyclables or compostables in the general garbage and where they entered the garbage stream. 
5. Sort waste into categories such as office paper, packaging, concessions, etc. and record the amount in each category 
6. Analyze your results. What categories of waste are the highest? Are there specific places in your theater where trash is going into the wrong receptacle? Can waste production and mis-sorting be reduced? 
7. Make a plan for reducing waste. Popping too much popcorn at the end of the night? Using coffee pods? Figure out what kind of waste you are producing and identify ways to cut back. 
8. Hold yourself accountable. Plan on conducting a second audit in 1-2 years to see if your plan was successful. 

Are you printing more marketing materials than needed? Track the volume of marketing materials being discarded and adjust levels accordingly. For festivals and special events, allow pass holders to opt in to the printed guide. 

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and LEDs both use less energy than incandescent bulbs. Energy saving bulbs last longer sending fewer bulbs to the trash and use less energy. However CFLs contain small amounts of mercury, be sure to select an eco-friendly variety and dispose of all light bulbs properly. Check with your local hauler or Earth911 to find your nearest light bulb recycling stations. 

From cleaning supplies to e-waste to batteries, art houses regularly use a variety of materials that can be toxic or environmentally harmful if they are sent to the landfill or incinerator. Educate your staff about proper waste disposal and consult your local hauler or Earth911 to find recycling stations willing to accept hazardous materials.

Solar panels at the Loft Cinema in Tucson, AZ.

Installing solar panels can be a sustainable, cost-effective, energy solution for theaters seeking to reduce their carbon footprint and electric bill. After upfront costs, solar power systems’ can result in a significant reduction in utility costs which can make them an ethical and sensible investment. Theaters should investigate local grants, tax credits, and fundraising opportunities that can help support the transition to solar powered systems. 

Amherst Cinema in Amherst, MA and the Palm Theatre in San Luis Obispo, CA both use solar energy to reduce their carbon footprint.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is the most widely used building rating system in the world. Leed offers guidelines and certification for building projects and assesses factors including carbon impact, water efficiency, and materials used.