Tips to Make Your Fringe Show More Sustainable

How you can make small changes to reduce the carbon footprint of your Fringe show and make it more environmentally friendly and sustainable

The Edinburgh Fringe isn’t just exhausting for performers – it takes its toll on the city and environment as well. Every year, thousands and thousands of people go to Edinburgh for the festival. The build-up of travel, paper tickets, and rubbish in the form of discarded flyers adds up, so it’s important for you to be aware of your show’s carbon footprint at the Fringe – and do what you can to reduce it.

We spoke to Matt Lord and Alan Gordon of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society about what they’re doing to ensure sustainability at the Fringe, and asked what those bringing a show to the Fringe can do to help. 

What can you do to improve your show’s sustainability?

When it comes to making your show sustainable, Alan Gordon says, “Rather than it being one big thing you have to do, it's probably lots of little decisions that you make throughout your journey to bring a show that will help in the long run.” 

How you improve your show’s sustainability will always come down to what kind of event you’re putting on and what kind of show you’re hosting. However, here are some methods which should apply to most shows:

  • Vanshare
    If you’ve found and met other performers in your local area who are also planning to bring their shows to the Fringe, can you share a van hire? Not only will it save you money due to splitting the cost, but it also means less vehicles on the road to Edinburgh. 

  • Greener travel
    Rather than flying to the city, could you take the train or car share?

  • Consider using QR codes in your promotional materials
    Traditionally, the Edinburgh Fringe is very much a flyering festival. However, some performers have started bringing one big flyer with a QR code on, instead of lots of little flyers. Even if this isn’t something you plan to do, keep in mind that you always need fewer flyers than you think you do. If you’d like to flyer, ask your printer if they have recycled paper you can use.

  • Create a reusable and sustainable set
    When building and sourcing materials for your set, think about what will happen after the show. Can the sets be reused? Will your furniture be able to have a life in another production? By making sure things are made from recyclable materials, you will prevent unnecessary waste.

  • Keep local residents in mind
    When we talk about sustainability, it’s easy just to think of it in terms of the environment. However, it also applies to the city of Edinburgh itself, and the people who live there. Think about how your show will sit within the city and keep this and the local residents in mind when approaching things like flyering.
     
  • Avoid using cars
    Edinburgh is a beautiful city, so if you can, take a stroll, hop on a tram, bike or make use of the cheap and extensive bus network as you move between your accommodation and venue.

  • Nominate a ‘green champion’
    Have someone be your ‘green champion’, responsible for researching and spearheading ways to make your show more sustainable. They can keep the whole cast interested in sustainability and make sure you don’t deviate from your mission. 

  • Think about food waste
    You’ll be consuming food every day while at the     Fringe, so small things like not choosing food that has unnecessary packaging and using a reusable cup for coffee or water will all help to reduce waste. 

You can also take a look at the Fringe Society’s guide for lots more tips to help you create a greener, more environmentally friendly show.

What is being done to make the Fringe more sustainable?

The Edinburgh Fringe Society is actively looking at ways to make the festival more environmentally friendly. They have resources, guidance and people that can advise those hoping to bring a show to the Fringe. 

Here are some of the schemes they’re currently running to improve sustainability:

E-ticketing

E-ticketing is now very prominent at the Fringe. This was brought in as a response to Covid-19 and has been successful enough to stick around post-pandemic. This is a great win for environmental sustainability for the Fringe as a whole.

Monitoring the Fringe’s carbon footprint

The Edinburgh Fringe Society is running a pilot scheme with Julie’s Bicycle, who assist cultural organisations with measuring and improving their carbon footprint. This is an essential step that Matt Lord is interested in seeing the development of. He says, “It’s hard to impact your carbon footprint if you don’t know what it is.”

Likewise, if you don’t see all the different aspects of putting on a show and the environmental impact that results from it, you won’t realise how important making your show sustainable is.

Thanks to Matt Lord and Alan Gordon for their insight into improving sustainability at the Edinburgh Fringe.

More Edinburgh Festival Fringe advice:

The main image is of 'Whiteout' performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Photo credit: David Montieth-Hodge