The necessary sustainable transformation process of the performing arts sector is taking place in the context of binding European frameworks such as the European Green Deal (EGD) and the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) or the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The latter has been in force since November 2022 and requires certain (large) companies and public institutions, including performing arts organisations and public administrations, to report on sustainability.
While environmental issues such as climate change and transition in energy usage have been receiving attention in the performing arts sector for several years now, the topics of circular economy, resource conservation and waste prevention are still relatively new and filled with uncertainty, although they hold great sustainability potential: Waste prevention measures can not only help stakeholders in the sector to achieve their sustainability goals, but may also elevate their economic benefits through resource and cost savings. This can be achieved in particular by following the waste hierarchy as set out in the European Waste Framework Directive and prioritising waste prevention over recycling and disposal.
Even if these issues have not yet been addressed in a strategic and comprehensive way, there are already some good practical examples that clearly show how waste prevention can be implemented in the performing arts sector and thus can provide guidance to interested practitioners. See e. g.:
- The Theatre Green Book, a practical guide to sustainability in theatres (published in the UK in 2019), includes the promotion of sustainable materials in stage design.
- The Opéra de Lyon has launched a Zero Waste Stage initiative in collaboration with other theatres in France and Belgium.
- The Latvian National Theatre has implemented initiatives to reduce waste and energy consumption over the past five years, such as the reuse of sets and costumes, daily waste separation and the use of energy-efficient lighting.
Zero waste is a concept that aims to reduce the waste of resources and products to almost zero, and extend the life cycles of products and materials. This can be achieved through using resources efficiently, reusing, recycling and keeping them in a closed loop. In the circular economy, zero waste is therefore an integral component that supports the transition from a linear to a circular economy. Zero waste means to minimise material wastage, with a focus on maximising the reuse, recycling and composting of resources that almost no material is wasted and most resources are reused, recycled or composted. Zero waste is a long-term guiding principle.
The modern zero waste movement began taking shape in the 1980s, fueled by increasing awareness of waste's negative environmental impacts. While humans have always practised resourcefulness, individuals such as Paul Palmer are credited with first using the term "zero waste," and Daniel Knapp advocated a shift towards total recycling. The 2000s marked a period of significant organisation and advocacy, with events such as the Zero Waste Conference in New Zealand bringing together like-minded individuals and organisations. In 2003 the Zero Waste International Alliance was founded to group like minded persons to work together for a widespread implementation of zero waste efforts. Simultaneously, European cities began implementing "zero waste city" approaches, demonstrating practical strategies for waste reduction through enhanced recycling, composting, and prevention, showing that a less wasteful lifestyle is achievable and beneficial for the planet. Today the organisation Zero Waste Europe supports cities across Europe to reduce their waste and implement zero waste concepts. Zero Waste Europe is a civil society network founded in Brussels in 2014. Its aim is a vision for a more sustainable way of life and production, which requires the full implementation of a circular economy, minimising and eliminating waste and reducing resource use. Individuals or groups interested in supporting this can become members by making a long-term commitment to introduce per capita waste limits and achieve a 90 % recycling rate.
The circular economy is key to protecting the climate and biodiversity. It aims to keep products in the economic cycle for as long as possible, use resources as efficiently and sustainably as possible and avoid waste. The linear economic system is currently the most common, even though it is not sustainable in the long term. In addition to the loss of resources and biodiversity, increasing climate change is an indication of the need to move towards a circular economy.
The concept of a circular economy is not a recent innovation. Hundreds of years ago, people farmed on a circular system. In 1990, David W. Pearce (British economist) introduced the modern concept of the circular economy. In the late 1990s, the cradle-to-cradle principle was developed by Michael Braungart (German chemist) and William McDonough (American architect).
The Foundation has defined three principles for the circular economy:
- the elimination of waste in the design process,
- the reuse of materials and
- the regeneration of natural systems.
The circular economy sets out important principles for preserving and caring for our environment for future generations. An example of the circular economy is the "Modell Deutschland Circular Economy" (MDCE) is a study that provides a comprehensive picture of the German circular economy for policy and business actors.
The European Green Deal constitutes a strategy that has been established by the European Union with the objective of transforming Europe into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy. The European Green Deal pledges to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The implementation of the strategy took several important steps from the Presentation of the European Green Deal in 2019 to the Entry into force of the Nature Restoration Law in 2024. For example: Adoption of the strengthened Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, Political agreement on the reform of the EU's electricity market design, Fit for 55 Proposal of a Circular Economy Action Plan or the EU Commission's proposal for a law on critical raw materials. The Green Deal includes a number of measures in different areas.
See more information here:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2019%3A640%3AFIN
The Circular Economy Action Plan constitutes an initiative on the part of the European Union, being a constituent element of the EU Green Deal. The plan was presented in 2020. The Action Plan aims to transform the European economy into a sustainable, resource-efficient model in which raw materials and products are used, recycled and reprocessed for as long as possible. This initiative aims to transition from the conventional linear 'take, make, dispose' model to a closed-loop system, thereby minimising waste. The Action Plan contains 54 measures (covering policy areas and different sectors) and 4 legislative proposals on waste.
The most significant objectives and measures are despite others:
- Promotion of ‘eco-design’
- Promoting recycling and reuse
- Strengthening the market demand for secondary raw materials
- Reduction of waste
- Reducing environmental impact
The Circular Economy Action Plan is a significant step towards a more sustainable economy. It aims to reduce dependence on finite resources and protect the environment, while creating new jobs and economic opportunities, and fostering innovation and the circular economy.
R-strategies can be regarded as a fundamental framework for the transformation towards circular value creation. R-strategies can be defined as an approach to saving resources, recycling materials and reducing waste. These strategies are characterised by a hierarchical structure, complementarity, and the ability to coexist. R-strategies cover the entire life cycle of a product. The earlier the specific R-strategy is implemented, the greater the positive impact on the whole product cycle will be.
The product life cycle in a circular economy describes the whole process of the product. The stages of the product life cycle are: resource procurement, design, manufacture, use, recycling and remanufacture, disposal. The overall objective of the circular economy is to design the product life cycle in such a way that, unlike the traditional linear product life cycle (take-make-dispose), it functions within a closed system in which no resource is wasted.
Circular economy strategies. Source: PBL(2017). Circular economy: measuring innovation in the product chain, J.Potting, M.Hekkert, E. Worell et al.
The waste hierarchy represents an order of priority in legislation and policy on waste prevention and management. It forms the foundation of European Union waste policy and legislation and is embedded in the EU Waste Framework Directive (Directive 2008/98/EC). The hierarchy comprises two overarching objectives: Firstly, it seeks to minimise the adverse environmental impacts of waste generation and management. Secondly, it aims to enhance resource efficiency.
The hierarchy is structured into five levels and is usually symbolised by an inverted pyramid, with the most favourable options at the top and the least favourable at the bottom (see figure below). The five levels are as follows:
- Prevent: The most effective approach to waste management is to avoid its generation in the first place. This can be achieved through the design of products to be durable and to generate little or no waste during their different life cycle phases.
- Preparation for reuse: This is defined as any recovery process of inspection, cleaning or repair in which products or parts of products that have become waste are prepared so that they can be reused without additional treatment.
- Recycling: Recycling is a process in which waste is reprocessed into products, materials or substances for the same or a different use as the original product. It is an efficient method of conserving resources and minimising waste.
- Other recovery: This includes the energy recovery of waste, for example by incineration to generate energy.
- Disposal: This term refers to any process that does not fall under the category of recovery, such as the disposal of waste by landfilling or other forms of final waste management.
Source: European Union (2023): Waste Framework Directive, see https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/waste-framework-directive_en
Ecodesign is a holistic design approach that considers and minimises the environmental impact of a product or service over its entire life cycle. The aim is to develop environmentally friendly and resource-efficient products, with the least possible negative impact on the environment during the manufacturing, utilisation and disposal phases.
Since 2005, the EU Ecodesign Directive has formed the legal framework for standardised, binding minimum requirements for the ecodesign of products within the EU.
It is worth designing products that
- are made from renewable and/or recyclable materials.
- do not contain toxic substances or environmentally harmful chemicals that may be released during use or disposal.
- require less energy to produce and use.
- they are durable and easy to repair
- can be easily recycled at the end of their life cycle.