ABOUT THE BROADWAY GREEN ALLIANCE

 

The BGA celebrated their 10 year anniversary in 2018.

Mission

The Broadway Green Alliance (BGA) is an industry-wide initiative that educates, motivates, and inspires the entire theatre community and its patrons to implement environmentally friendlier practices on Broadway and beyond.

As a community of industry and environmental professionals connected by the shared goal of normalizing greening practices on Broadway and beyond, the BGA has successfully implemented significant sustainability reform at the forefront of the industry since its inception in 2008.

OUR STORY

The Broadway Green Alliance (BGA) was founded in 2008 in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council. The Broadway Green Alliance is an ad hoc committee of  The Broadway League and a fiscal program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.  Along with Julie’s Bicycle in the UK, the BGA is a founding member of the International Green Theatre Alliance. The BGA has reached tens of thousands of fans through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and other media.


OUR PRINCIPLES

  • It is impossible to be 100% “green” - we can only be greener. Each of us can begin by doing something to benefit our environment today, no matter the size of the action.

  • The climate crisis is the result of millions of decisions and it demands action - big and small - from each of us. Change results from the cumulative effect of our actions.

  • Climate neutrality is insufficient. In order to lessen the damage caused by climate change and restore our climate to historically safe levels of atmospheric CO2, the BGA works to promote climate positive action and commitments.

  • We must build an equitable and just climate movement and address the disproportionate effect of environmental degradation on poor and BIPOC communities. There is no climate justice without racial justice.

 

OUR impact

  • We developed free and accessible educational resources, like our Greener Reopening Toolkit, to help advance our industry's sustainable production practices.

  • We led the change all of the marquee lights on Broadway to energy-efficient LED and CFLs. That’s over 100,000 actual bulbs and saves over 800 tons of carbon each year.

  • There is 100% Green Captain participation on Broadway, with over 1,200 Green Captains across the country on Broadway, off-Broadway, regional theatres, and colleges and universities.

  • We have an active College Green Captain program at over 70 colleges and universities, providing free educational and engagement opportunities to student artists and climate activists.

  • Kept over 19,000 pounds of textiles out of landfills since 2016 through our textile recycling drives and our BGA collection bin in the Actors Equity Building.

  • Expanding our ongoing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access work; there is no climate justice without racial justice.

  • Shows now wash costumes in energy efficient washers (generously donated by LG Electronics), which saves enough energy to light the outside and marquee lights for nearly two months.

  • Most shows now use rechargeable batteries in microphones and flashlights, keeping thousands of toxic disposable batteries from the waste stream every month. Switching to rechargeable batteries is easy, saves money, and is better for the environment.

  • We hold electronic-waste and textile recycling events twice a year – free and open to all – in Times Square. Check our website for the next one.

  • We operate a free binder exchange (in our office at Broadway Cares and at Actors’ Equity) where anyone can drop-off or pick-up binders, many of which are used in readings and rehearsals. This keeps binders out of the waste stream and encourages re-use.

  • Touring productions reported recycling programs and green product use at over 80% of theatres. The Touring Green program has offset over 10,000 tons of carbon through Native Energy.