There are no climate change sceptics at Melbourne Fringe. It’s everyone’s responsibility to be mindful of the impact their Fringe event may have on the environment. A lot can be done simply by choosing appropriate materials for your production, limiting the amount of printing you do and by working with your venue to use low power equipment.

What is Sustainability?

Sustainability is about the impacts that our activities have financially, economically, socially and environmentally. Events (at every scale) can make a significant impact, using resources and taking a toll on society and the environment. They can generate waste, put strain on local infrastructure and resources like transport, water and energy. By making some small changes we can increase our positive impact and reduce our negative impacts.

Why Think About Sustainability?

1. It can save you money

Being sustainable is not always about giving things up or spending more. Often it’s about being smart in the way that you use resources. Your environmental impact is linked to energy use, travel, what you buy and the waste you produce. Reducing these things can both save you money and save the environment.

1. Audiences like companies that are green

Customers are more and more concerned with the sustainability credentials of the products and services that they consume. Being sustainable can make you stand out from the crowd! And promoting accessibility and diversity may open up a wider audience for your work.

1. Being sustainable can make you think inventively

Thinking cleverly about how you use resources, how you can save on energy and reduce waste and how you can make your work accessible can be a great way to force yourself to think creatively and come up with the most inventive and innovative ideas.

1. Because it’s the right thing to do

Sometimes it’s just enough to know that you’re contributing positively to society!

Ideas for Being More Sustainable

Here are some simple ideas for how you can make your event more sustainable

Design

• Minimise Waste when designing your set, props and costumes. Make them re-usable not just for the life of this show, but think about how they can have a future after your season. If re-use isn’t possible think about how you can recycle and be low impact. Use second hand (rather than buying new) or use materials like sustainably sourced timber or card rather than polystyrenes. Use environmentally friendly paint (minimal Volatile Organic Compounds – VOCs content).
• Efficient Lighting Design can significantly reduce your energy use (and carbon footprint). Think about if you can get the same effect with fewer lights or by using more energy efficient solutions. You can also ask prospective venues what types of lighting they have. LED lighting is a lot more energy efficient than incandescent lighting.
• Re-use and Re-cycle. Try to source as much as you can second-hand. To reduce waste, make sure you recycle as much as you can. You can find links to recycling drop off points at http://recyclingnearyou.com.au/.