Over the past few years we’ve been focusing on reducing our carbon footprint and finding new ways to operate more sustainably.

To mark Earth Day 2023, here are five ways we are investing in the planet.

POWERING 1,900 SEATS

Back in 2021, we worked with solar energy company Joju Solar to successfully install solar panels on our roof for the first time, reducing our carbon footprint.

There are 720 solar panels on six south-facing roof spaces which were installed over two days with a crane! The energy that these panels will collect will power our Donald Gordon Theatre shows for the next 25 years. Take a look at a timelapse of the project.

HWYL FAWR SINGLE USE PLASTIC

We’re well on our way to making our bars and cafes 100% single use plastic free. All our drinks at our theatre bars are served in reusable plastic cups that are also fully recyclable and we’ve scrapped single use plastic straws and cutlery in our cafes.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

We currently recycle 82% of our waste, working with Keep Wales Tidy on initiatives to manage waste effectively across our site. To reduce food waste in our cafes, we’ve partnered up with the surplus food app Too Good To Go. We’ve also moved to serving drinks from cans where possible as they use less energy to recycle than glass.

LIGHT THE LIGHTS

To make our theatre lighting as eco-friendly it can be, we are continuously replacing older lighting with more energy efficient equivalents such as LEDs. 66% of the lighting in our building is now LED. A bright future awaits!

LINKING UP WITH THE CARDIFF HEAT NETWORK

In 2023, we’ll become part of the first phase of the Cardiff Heat Network, an innovative new way of heating public buildings and eventually homes. Hot water generated from burning rubbish at an incinerator will be sent through underground pipes to public buildings across the city like ours, removing the need for carbon-emitting gas boilers. This will reduce our gas emissions by 80%! Find out more at One Planet Cardiff.