• Place paper recycling bins at each desk, and ensure that cleaning staff know to keep it separate from regular trash.
• Encourage employees to reduce paper usage - by reading documents on the computer, printing double-sided or on the back side of used paper, and decreasing paper margins.
• Purchase paper with the highest post-consumer recycled content possible. Most large chains sell 30% recycled for the same price as that without recycled content; most also sell 100% recycled for a small amount more.
• Try to purchase other products that are made from recycled material, such as binders, file folders, and envelopes.
• Replace large cathode ray monitors with flat panel monitors, which use far less energy and reduce employee eye strain.
• Encourage employees to completely shut off computers, monitors, and peripheral equipment such as speakers at the end of the day or when not in use for more than an hour. This simple step can save a large theater thousands of dollars in energy costs every year.
• Encourage employees to set computer settings so that computers and monitors go to sleep when away from their desks for a short period of time. This step will also lower energy costs.
• Where possible, maximize the use of natural light at desks (which will lower energy costs, and has been shown to increase employee satisfaction and productivity.) In other locations, replace incandescent bulbs with flourescent bulbs, which use about a third of the electricity and radiate far less heat, thereby lowering AC costs. Some energy-efficient buildings have computerized systems installed that allow lights to be adjusted according to the amound of natural light entering the space.
• Ensure that all lights are turned off at the end of the day, or when employees are not present. Also, ensure that all large equipment, such as copiers, fax machines, and so on are turned off as well. This can be more easily facilitated by installing timers.

Scene Shop:

• Research the ingredients contained in solvents, paints, and other products used. Do not refer only to the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) published for the products, as these often do not provide a full list of the ingredients contained or assume toxic ingredients to be safer than they are. For more detailed information, see www.artscraftstheater.org.
• Where possible, use only low- or non-VOC paints. VOCs are Volatile Organic Compounds that have short- long-term health effects. See http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html.

Costume and Prop Shop:

• Consider reusing costume pieces rather than building new ones.
• Buy organic fabrics. Not only are they grown or produced in a more sustainable manner, but they generally do not contain the pesticides and chemicals found in most fabrics, which can accrue in the body and cause long-term health effects.
• In the laundry room, strive to do laundry as rarely as possible, perhaps giving actors the option to some items less frequently. Hang-dry, if possible, to reduce the huge amount of energy used by electric dryers.
• Use non-toxic laundry detergent that is better for both human health and the environment. (Most conventional detergents contain ingredients that are harmful to aquatic life) Many are more expensive than conventional detergents, however, Shaklee sells on that is cost-equivalent to most detergents.

Dressing Room and Backstage:

• Install lighting sensors in dressing rooms and replace the high-wattage globe incandescent bulbs usually used in them with fluorescents.
• In the kitchen area, replace disposable cups with mugs with each actor/SM/run crew’s name written on them, and replace disposable plates and silverware with reusable ones.
• Make washing those utensils easy by providing sponges and dishwashing liquid.
• Install low-flow showerheads in showers.

Lighting, Sound, and Sets:

• When purchasing new instruments, choose the most energy-efficient units possible, such as ETC’s Source Four line. When renting, ask the rental company if these units are available. The energy savings may well pay for the added cost.
• Encourage designers to find ways of using fewer instruments, or to use high-efficiency LED lights for certain applications. Alternatively, once instruments have been hung and cues have been set, revisit the design to see if there are ways in which fewer instruments could accomplish the same goals. (Note that dimming instruments may not result in energy-savings. See http://wiki.diyfaq.uk/index.php?title=Dimmers_&_Switchbanks.)
• During tech, ensure that all instruments are turned off during breaks or when not in use. Purchase Energy Star certified audio equipment Ensure that all equipment is turned off completely at the end of each performance.
• During strike, recycle as much material as possible. Send all metal to the scrap yard. Save reusable units for future productions. Donate flats or other reuseable equipment to other theater organizations in the area.
• If using disposable alkaline batteries for wireless communication and microphones, offer partially used batteries to staff, or ensure that they are properly recycled.
• Consider using rechargeable batteries for wireless communication and microphones.

Stage and Seating Area:

• When purchasing seating, ensure that the seat cushions do not contain PBDEs, which are flame retardants known to be highly toxic.
• When painting, use low- or non-VOC paints. (See http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html.)
• As patrons leave the theater, give them the option to have programs reused by installing receptacles with clear signage. Alternately, ensure that used programs go to the recycling bin.
• Print programs on recycled paper with soy-based ink.
• Reduce the size of programs, thereby saving paper.
• ventilate fog and haze as quickly as possible.

Theater Building:

• When a building is being newly constructed or renovated, hire an architect experienced in “building green” to draw up plans. Aim for LEED-certification by the United States Green Building Council (for more info, see the article on Portland Center Stage here).

Some steps that might be taken in building green include:

• Recycling materials from the old building, such as bricks, wood, etc. in the construction of the new one;
• Using locally-sourced materials (i.e. stone form a nearby quarry that does not need to be shipped from abroad);
• Installing solar panels, solar thermal systems, and/or solar hot water systems;
• Making the building as energy-efficient as possible through better insulation, high-quality windows and doors, window shading, use of natural light, planting of shade trees, etc.;
• Installing low-emission, recycled carpets;
• Particularly in drought-prone areas, landscaping with low-water plants (also known as “xeriscaping”);
• Installing water-saving equipment, such as low-flow showerheads and faucets.

For more information on building and/or renovating green, visit http://www.healthybuilding.net and http://www.usgbc.org/.

General Policies:

• Initiate an energy audit. This will determine what measures can be taken to reduce energy usage and decrease leakage from heating or cooling systems. Many local utilities offer low-cost energy audits. For more on energy audits, see http://www.gard.com/auditType.htm.
• Initiate a building-wide recycling program – place receptacles for bottles, cans, and mixed paper in easily-accessible locations with clear signage.
• Install occupancy sensors in appropriate locations, so that lights shut off automatically when offices, kitchen areas, dressing rooms, audience bathrooms, and so on are empty. Dual technology sensors (which generally use both infrared and ultrasonic sensors) are better, since they don’t have the annoying habit of shutting off lights when people are present. Depending on several factors, the purchase of sensors can pay for itself within one year.
• In kitchen areas, purchase energy-efficient refrigerators and dishwashers.
• Because airplanes emit large amounts of greenhouse gases that may be more harmful than gases emitted at ground level (see http://www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9642282&top_story=1), create policies that encourage fewer plane trips to and from the theater. Encourage phone conferencing and video conferencing. (See, among others, http://www.instantconference.com/ for free phone conferencing and http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/videocall/ for video.) Encourage employees to make shorter trips by bus or train. If flights must be made, purchase carbon offsets to offset the greenhouse gases emitted during travel.
• When new equipment is purchased, strive to buy the most energy- and water-efficient appliances. A number of types of appliances (for a full list, see here) are rated under the EPA’s EnergyStar program because they consume less electricity. For a listing of computers that use less energy, see here.
• Replace faucets and toilets with water-efficient models. For a simpler solution, fill a bottle with water and a few pebbles, and place it in the toilet tank. In men’s bathrooms, replace urinals with waterless models, which not only save water but are – believe it or not – more sanitary.
• In all areas, ensure proper ventilation, since indoor air quality can be up to three times worse than outdoor air quality, due to cleaning solvents, paint offgassing, etc.