sustainability
SPILL recognises that climate change and environmental damage is a serious global problem and as a business we are committed to minimising our contribution to it. We create an annual Environmental Action Plan to facilitate better understanding of the environmental impact we have, effective ways to monitor and reduce this impact, and to establish a standard of best practice within the organisation. SPILL also has a regularly updated Environmental Policy that ensures we remain accountable and committed to achieving our sustainability goals.
As an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, SPILL is committed to the Environmental Responsibility investment principle and reports regularly on progress against action plan targets to Julie’s Bicycle, a charity that supports the creative community to act on climate change and environmental sustainability. We utilise the Julie’s Bicycle Creative Climate Tools to calculate and monitor our CO2e emissions, water usage, and waste output. When calculating our overall carbon footprint we also include the emissions created by audiences travelling to attend our events. Year after year SPILL’s CO2e emissions remain well below the industry benchmarks set by Julie’s Bicycle.
We aim to make SPILL as resourceful as possible by reducing unnecessary emissions, consumption and waste, and by establishing incremental targets to create a more sustainable future.
Details of our current environmental policy and action plan
headline successes
We have reduced our CO2e emissions from 27 tonnes in 2013-14 to 4 tonnes in 2022-23.
In the last 10 years we have halved our waste output.
Our energy usage has dropped from 21 tonnes CO2e in 2013 to 2 tonnes CO2e in 2022.
In 2023 SPILL were awarded a Carbon Charter Bronze award in recognition of the steps we have taken to reduce our carbon emissions and wider environmental impacts. The Carbon Charter is a sustainable business network and environmental award program that recognises and encourages organisations on their way to Net Zero. Suffolk Growth, a Carbon Charter Pathfinder Partner, assisted SPILL in joining the Carbon Charter in Summer 2023, as part of its efforts to cut emissions from Suffolk's Visitor Economy.
2022-23
Successes
We switched to Who Gives a Crap for 100% recycled toilet paper for the Think Tank, delivery of which is carbon neutral and the company is B Corp Certified for environmental impact.
We improved our monitoring system for waste disposal, recycling and composting to provide more accurate data to Julie’s Bicycle.
To reduce our water usage we placed “Save-a-Flush” bags in the cisterns of the Think Tank’s 5 toilets.
Goals
In line with the Theatre Green Book’s guidelines we will make sure a minimum of 65% of all materials go on to future lives, through storage, re-use, donation to other charities, selling or recycling.
We will amend our policy, budgeting and purchasing procedures to include making an appropriate financial donation, determined using online carbon calculator tools, to the Woodland Trust as a means to attempt to off-setting carbon when artist or freelancer flights are considered absolutely necessary.
We will continue to research and collect and share information on the environmental credentials of the corporations that supply our financial services (such as HSBC) and investigate alternatives where necessary.
2021-22
Successes
Apart from a handful of freelancers who flew from Europe, the majority of our artists travelled to Ipswich by train.
Overall our team are more aware of the importance of using less single-use plastic and are increasingly choosing reusable tupperware, avoiding single use plastic packaged food and drink, etc.
We sell, recycle or donate much of the unwanted materials and items left over from the festival.
Goals
Improved monitoring and recording of audience travel to events.
Where practical, source products responsibly choosing local suppliers with good environmental practices to support such businesses and reduce air/road miles, investigate alternative products made from recycled materials/products that can be recycled, and order only what quantities are necessary.
Identify and use shredding services which recycle waste paper rather than sending to landfill.
2020-21
Successes
We operate as a largely paperless office. Paper is used and filed only when necessary. Instead documents are created, sent and stored electronically.
We sourced fabric – instead of plastic – plant pots for growing vegetables for the work Eden by Mary Catherine Newcomb.
In 2020 we contracted PHS to remove sanitary waste from the toilets at the Think Tank. PHS have an environmental policy which includes using waste for energy production, whereas previously this waste was going to landfill.
Goals
To use more sustainable alternatives and reduce single-use plastics when sourcing supplies for events and projects.
Reduce the amount of items we send to landfill by taking them to the local recycling centre or donating them to charity.
Reduce the use of disposable cloths and towels in the Think Tank.
We Are Ipswich Sustainability Principles
We are Ipswich (WAI) is a network of Ipswich-based cultural and creative organisations which vary in size, funding model, and artform. We work together to advocate for arts and culture in our town and share the common goal of making our work more environmentally sustainable.
Together, we follow six shared principles to help us achieve our collective sustainability goals:
We acknowledge the climate emergency
We reduce our carbon emissions
Where it is feasible to offset the carbon emissions we cannot reduce, we use ethical offsetting initiatives
We loan equipment to each other
We work together to track levels of waste and recycling
We meet at least twice a year to monitor our progress