Bolton Octagon Exterior early evening
Bolton Octagon Exterior early evening

Environmental Sustainability

We are the Octagon

Environmental Sustainability

At the Octagon, we recognise the current climate crisis, and the need for all businesses to play their part in working towards a more sustainable future. We are fully committed to reducing our impact on the environment, both onstage and off. It is our goal to be Net Zero by 2038 in line with the ambition for Greater Manchester.

We recognise the key role the arts can play in taking steps to address the Climate Crisis, and we would like everyone who connects and interacts with us to join us on our journey. Actors and Creative Teams on the stage, Participants, Audiences and Stakeholders all have a part they can play to take environmental action.

We will share our news, challenges and sustainability wins as we progress our journey towards net zero, and we hope you will engage with us along the way!

Below you can read our progress so far, what we will do in the future and what you can do to help and play your part. If you have any suggestions for what we could do better, or would like any further information, please send us an email to info@octagonbolton.co.uk

Our Commitments

Progress We Have Made
  • We recently underwent £12 million capital redevelopment, reopening to the public in 2021, and achieving a BREAAM “Very Good” certification, making the building the most sustainable it has been in its history, since opening in 1967
  • We have an Environmental Policy, backed up with an Action Plan to set out how we will achieve our net zero goal
  • We have an Environmental Sustainability Committee to put our plans into place, and ensure all staff are involved with our sustainability journey
  • We publish our carbon footprint so everybody can see our progress
  • 50% of our theatre lighting is now LED
  • Our Kitchen & Bar recycle waste, such as oil, and food waste is minimal due to careful management
  • We ensure that our suppliers understand our environmental promises and their ethos matches ours wherever possible
  • We now offer a 10% discount on hot drinks in our Kitchen & Bar for anyone using their own reusable cup
What We Are Planning To Do
  • From our 2024 festive production of The Jungle Book onwards, we will accurately record and measure all materials used for our productions to make sure we minimise waste and ensure we are working sustainably
  • We will continue to work with the Theatre Green Book, and aim for all our productions to reach the “Baseline” standard by 2027. Please see below for more details on the Theatre Green Book.
  • We will continue to regularly monitor our energy and water use to ensure a year-on-year reduction of our overall carbon footprint
  • We aim to have zero waste to landfill by 2030
Theatre Green Book
  • The Theatre Green Book began as a collective initiative by theatre-makers in the UK, but has grown to involve theatre-makers across the world.
  • The Theatre Green Book is a complete method for sustainable theatre:
    • A framework for planning
    • Best practice guidance
    • Three standards on the path to net zero
    • A measurement system
  • The Theatre Green Book has three areas:
    • Productions
    • Operations
    • Buildings
  • The Theatre Green Book sets four steps to net zero:
    • Preliminary
    • Basic
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
  • To meet Theatre Green Book basic standards, at least 50% of materials used in a show (costumes, props, set) should be sourced from reused or recycled materials and at least 65% should go on to be reused or stored for future use.
  • If you would like to find out more, visitTheatre Green Book

What You Can Do To Help

  • Believe it or not, the biggest contributor to our carbon footprint is the use of cars to come to the theatre. It would be brilliant if more of our audience would use public transport. We know this is not possible for many people, but we aim to raise awareness, and we are looking at ways we can reward and assist our audience and staff if they do choose to use public transport
  • Purchase re-useable coffee cups for takeaways at our Kitchen & Bar - a discount of 10% is offered if you bring your own re-useable cup
  • When in our building please note our recycling policy and use the recycle bins as indicated
  • We encourage you to go paperless and take advantage of our digital e-tickets, which can be downloaded onto a mobile device and scanned at the door. This small change can significantly reduce the amount of paper we use.