Sustainability

The Memo Arts Centre recognises the importance of embedding sustainability within its practices and is committed to promoting sustainability.

Waste Management 

The venue is equipped with recycling bins for the collection of paper, cardboard, glass, cans, plastics and food for recycling. Specialist recycling is carried out in respect of electrical or electronic equipment, including batteries, printer & toner cartridges, light bulbs and fluorescent tubes.

Energy 

We have installed energy efficient lighting wherever possible, reducing our carbon footprint significantly.

Procurement 

We source operational supplies locally wherever possible and aim to purchase from smaller local companies – reducing emissions from transportation.

Memo Arts Centre Environmental Policy Updated March 2024

The Memo Arts Centre is a dynamic place for; seeing live theatre, cinema and community events, as well as participating in the arts, and is widely used to host work related and private celebration events. We are dedicated to reducing our environmental impact, and strive to further our commitment to environmental sustainability, through energy conservation, waste reduction, and recycling.

Our Environmental Policy takes a prominent place in all of our operations; from general procurement to energy consumption. We are working towards lowering our environmental impact further and have identified the areas we’d like to improve on. We’ve already achieved a great deal, but acknowledge there’s work to be done.

Our Past Achievements
• A reduction in waste sent to landfill. This was achieved by introducing glass, plastic, cardboard and paper centre-wide recycling
• Energy saving achieved by; procurement, engaging staff in practices of switching off lights in empty rooms, cladding draughty windows in our stairwells and basement rooms, we also amended our visiting companies load-in procedures to limit the time that outside doors are left open during show get-ins and outs
• Building improvements included a new roof with improved heat retention, new double glazed ceiling windows along with new thermal lowered ceilings and new LED lighting, have all helped to
reduce the energy consumption in the Bedwas Hall, offices and catering kitchen.
• Improved pipework and reduced PIR urinal sensors on our water system have reduced water usage
• Recycled projector room generated hot air via the air handling unit is sent to heat the stairwell.
• Improvements to building lighting; including external LED lighting in the two access routes (moving from halogen lighting)
• Assigning responsibility for environmental performance to a Facilities role and collaborating with other venues to share best practice
• Environmentally sound office supplies procurement

Future Plans
• Ensuring new staff are aware of our environmental policy through induction processes.
• Monitoring of our carbon footprint with a view to continued energy reduction.
• A further reduction in waste sent to landfill, and an increase in our recycling.
• Installing 2 hand dryers into the toilet facilities and removing the hand towels
• Installing new PIR sensors and Led lighting into all our toilet facilities to reduced energy consumption
• Installing into our toilet facilities heated water tap mixer control to protect children from scolding and reduce energy consumption
• Small, but widespread changes to our plant and facilities to provide better energy efficiency savings. For example, foil behind radiators, more comprehensive pipe lagging, and incremental
swapping out of higher wattage light bulbs and florescent tubes for more efficient types.
• Continued identification of small gaps and cracks near window and door surrounds to remove drafts and heat loss.
• Continue to develop a network which can look at sharing knowledge and resources.
• Continue to programme work which raises awareness of our environment.

Embedding our Policy within the organisation:
As an organisation we must take responsibility for our consumption, waste and procurement.

The responsibility for managing each of these starts with our staff, is supported by our management and trustees, and is visible to our users. Above all, the very real benefits to us ‘going green’ should be to the environment, both globally and locally.

We should see ourselves as a beacon of good practice, of what can be done to limit pollution, save energy and practise recycling. All visitors and all staff should feel able to engage with our environmental programme, in the same way they do with our programmes, and with just as much integrity