Over the last 12 months we have been making significant changes to The Wharf as well as our habits and behaviour in order to reduce our impact on our environment.  

Sydney Theatre Company’s home, The Wharf at Pier 4/5, is fast becoming a living example of how all buildings – even heritage ones – can be made more sustainable. We now draw energy from the sun, reduce the waste leaving The Wharf to landfill and will soon be collecting precious rainwater from our roof.

In November 2010, our Artistic Directors, Andrew Upton and Cate Blanchett turned on the second largest roof-top photovoltaic array of solar power in Australia on our roof. This allows STC to derive the majority of its required energy from renewable sources.

Construction has also begun on our innovative Rainwater Harvesting System which will store water in a huge pipe suspended beneath the pier’s structure. When completed, it will provide 100% of the non-potable water required for use by all arts organisations on Pier 4/5.

The changes to infrastructure are only a small part of our greening transformation. We have been working with staff, creative teams and guest artists to ensure that Sydney Theatre Company and Walsh Bay will, over time, become recognised as a world-leading sustainable creative precinct.

The Greening The Wharf project is supported by the Federal Government’s Green Precincts Fund, NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change’s Public Facilities Program, three private gifts from Cameron and Ilse O’Reilly, Peter Hall and Laura Smith, and David and Claire Paradice, support from our Energy Advisor Ausgrid, as well as donations from STC supporters and a range of other sponsors and partners including KPMG.

Renewable Energy

Our rooftop solar array is now generating power from 1,906 advanced Suntech Pluto solar cell technology developed by the University of NSW School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy.  The solar power system, coupled with the Company’s drive towards energy-efficiency, will provide up to 70% of STC’s electricity needs.

This project has been made possible by an A$2 million donation from the Shi Family Foundation, representing Dr Zhengrong Shi and Mrs. Vivienne Shi. A renowned photovoltaic scientist, Dr Zhengrong Shi is the founder and CEO of Suntech Power, the world’s leading producer of solar panels. He studied at the prestigious School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), with which Suntech maintains a long-term solar research partnership. Other support has been provided by Tropman and Tropman heritage architects.

Reducing Waste at The Wharf

We’ve now installed streamed waste bins at The Wharf. With support from the Packaging Stewardship Forum of the Australian Food and Grocery Council we’ve been able to invest in new bins for all public and back-of-house areas.

These bins separate waste into three streams: mixed paper, mixed containers and general waste. The Packaging Stewardship Forum (PSF) represents the interests of Australia’s major beverage manufacturers and their packaging suppliers and works with organisations across Australia to reduce littering and increase recycling.

Our aim is to reduce levels of waste sent direct to landfill from The Wharf and we hope to recycle up to 8 tonnes of recyclable drink containers each year. We have worked with the PSF and our sponsor, Veolia, to measure our performance. So please ensure when visiting the Wharf that all recyclable items go into the correct waste bin.

You might not realise that the plastic water cups used in the Wharf Restaurant are recyclable and they should be placed in the cup bank or mixed containers bin after use.

The Wharf Restaurant is now also making an effort to separate the small amount of organic waste it produces daily and a percentage of this is being directed for use on the farm of Chef, Aaron Ross.

Reducing Water Consumption at The Wharf

Late in 2009 the STC’s public bathrooms that serve patrons for Wharf 1, Wharf 2 and the Restaurant and Bar received a long-overdue make-over. The good news is that not only did we stylishly renovate the bathrooms and increase the number of toilets for women, but we also upgraded all fittings to the very latest WELS 6 Star rated water saving fittings with the help of our friends at Caroma.

This was the first and largest step in reducing water usage throughout The Wharf in advance of the installation of our rainwater harvesting and reticulation system.

Making STC Productions More Sustainable

In line with international best practice, over the last twelve months we have implemented our Green Design Policy. This challenges designers working on productions at Sydney Theatre Company to consider the environmental impact of their designs and to work to reduce the overall waste a production generates. This is already informing our 2011 productions. The set of ZEBRA! was made predominantly from recycled timber sourced from our own workshop as well as local salvage yards. The grey-water captured from the set of Baal is collected and used to water parks around the city.

Upgrades have also been made to equipment used in the production department, and throughout the company. Just by purchasing greener equipment, we will cut our energy consumption and carbon emissions by around 24%.

Theatre is a conspicuous user of energy through the lighting of productions. Early in the greening process, we identified the need to investigate ways to limit the environmental impact of its theatrical lighting systems.  For months we researched the latest technologies and explored alternative light sources. In addition to upgrading older and less environmentally sound lighting stock, we have also purchased a range of low-energy, fluorescent and LED theatrical fixtures which we encourage our lighting designers to use. These help lighting designers stay within our new wattage caps for each production, representing a 40% decrease from existing capacity.

Education and Advocacy Plan

Now that we have put some of our own changes in place, we feel in a position to share what we have learned with our precinct neighbours, to our creative industry colleagues, to our corporate and government supporters, and to the broader Australian and international community.

 
On Open Day, we opened our doors to the company and lead a discussion on ‘How the Arts Can Lead on Climate Change’. We regularly present forums and discussions on the subject (including The Wentworth Talks) and we regularly update the Sydney Theatre Company Blog with information not only about the changes happening within our company, but with information on sustainability from around Australia and the world.

We are also working with our Education department to ensure that the messages of Greening the Wharf aren’t lost on our audiences of the future.

Next time you’re at the theatre, make sure you check out our Sydney Theatre Company Green Screens (launching June 2011) which give you a comprehensive and interactive behind-the-scenes look at the various changes taking place at The Wharf.  

We will continue to share our transformation with you on this website. In the coming months you will be able to look through case studies, videos, images and industry advice that will chart the journey of Greening The Wharf to date as well as provide insight into what lies ahead. We hope this will provide a resource to other our creative industry colleagues, to schools and Universities, to our supporters, and to the broader Australian and international community on this unique project.

Interested in The Wentworth Talks?

Since 2010, we have been joining with the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists to present The Wentworth Talks, a series of free bi-monthly presentations and panel discussions at The Wharf led by guest speakers addressing a wide range of topics relating to climate change and the environment.

For more information on the next  Wentworth Talk please click here.

Interested in a Greening The Wharf bag?

We have produced a special reusable shopping bag, with proceeds going towards the Greening The Wharf program. Made with 100% recycled materials, the bag is 100% biodegradable and is now available to purchase for $12 by visiting The Wharf Box Office. For each bag sold, $5 will go directly to Greening The Wharf.

Interested in Greening Your Own Home Base?

We’re passionate about our Greening the Wharf program because it will significantly reduce the energy and water that STC draws from the city’s supply and decrease the amount of waste that is sent to landfill from The Wharf. By setting an example through Greening the Wharf we want to encourage everyone - individuals and businesses – to think about the practical actions that they can take to act intelligently with regard to water and energy consumption in order to address climate change.

To get started, please visit our partners' programs:

Save at home and at work

For Energy efficiency tips and resources from Ausgrid click here.

Apply for government rebates

For NSW Government's Home Saver rebates click here.

Australian Government's National Rainwater and Greywater Initiative rebates www.environment.gov.au

Green your home

For the Australian Conservation Foundation GreenHome pioneering environmental education program

click here.