The Broadway Green Alliance is an industry wide initiative to educate, motivate and inspire the theater community and its patrons to adopt environmentally friendlier practices in theatrical production and everyday life.

The BGA (formerly Broadway Goes Green) was launched in 2008 as an ad hoc committee of The Broadway League. The BGA brings together all segments of the theatre community, including producers, theatres in New York and around the country, theatrical unions and their members, and related businesses. Working closely with the Natural Resources Defense Council, the BGA identifies and disseminates better practices for theatre professionals and reaches out to theatre fans throughout the country. Co‐ chaired by Charlie Deull and Susan Sampliner (company manager of the Broadway production of WICKED).

Leading the way for theaters across the country is the touring show of WICKED, Gillian Kadish (wardrobe supervisor of our local production) shared what the wardrobe department is doing to promote greener practices.

1. We have always used Biodegradable, phosphate free, fragrance free laundry detergent. We are currently using a product that offers a 25% post consumer recycled bottle. Recently however, we have made moves to switch to a detergent made locally in Northern California called "Vaska". This is good for many reasons which include supporting a local small business, being kind to the environment and making a smaller carbon foot print on the distribution and shipping of the bottles to the theatre. Vaska is allergen and scent free. It is also biodegradable, does not contain any NPEs, chlorine, phosphates or EPA high priority pollutants. The detergent is is 100% grey water and septic tank safe. The bottle is also made of 50 % post consumer recycled plastic which is even better than our current bottle.
2. We try and use as many stain remover cleaning products as possible that are "earth friendly". One favourite product is "Bac‐ out" by Biokleen. It is all natural, non toxic, biodegradable, not tested on animals, Ozone safe, free of phosphates, no animal products and not materials listed by the ACGIH as hazardous.
3. We never wash things unnecessarily and will always wait to accumulate a large load of laundry to save on water and energy.
4. The dry cleaning hangers are recycled back to the cleaners. We also ask that the cleaners do not cover our garments in plastic bags so as to avoid the plastic waste.
5. We use cloth bags when petty cash shopping for the show, or to transport the shoes to the shoe repair shop etc.
6. We have 2 recycling bins in the Wardrobe room and we recycle all our plastic, and glass jars and bottles along with paper, card and any tin cans.
7. We recycle all of our shipping materials (except for packing tape), so they can be used over and over again.
8. The paints we use in the show are non toxic and water soluble.
9. We make our own padded hangers out of scrap fabric and old wire hangers.

If you have tips that your workplace is doing send us an email and we’ll them up in the next newsletter.