Final Documentation of Management Practice Project
From CalArtsWiki
California Institute of the Arts School of Theater Sustainable Theater 4/25/2008
- Samantha Beckhart
- Mauricio Lomelin
- Jordan Woods-Wahl
Contents |
Summary
As a group of students from management and technical direction programs, we have come to learn the lack of education in the Management Office regarding Sustainable Practices. As part of our project for Sustainable Theater class we plan to start a change in the culture of Management / Technical programs of the students in the school, and, hopefully, that will translate to the rest of the students of the school in the near future.
Problematic
The most important challenges that we are currently facing at the management office are:
- Waste of resources
- Production Meetings
- Callboards
- Productivity
- Excessive use of paper
We are looking to find green solutions in our practices considering our limitations in time and money. Our proposal consists of two parts: changes in sustainable practices that we can implement with current resources, and those changes that require the support of the Theater School and the Institute.
Research
- According to the Environmental Defense website [www.papercalculator.org], we found some interesting data about the damage that we are causing with the excessive use of paper:
- According to Paper University Website, we consume 700 pounds of paper products per person per year.
- 700 pounds x 60 students (M.O.) = 42,000 pounds:
- Wood Use: 73 Tons (equivalent to 504 trees)
- Total Energy: 806 million BTU’s (Thermal Heat Energy, equivalent to energy used in 9 houses)
- Greenhouse gases: 119,494 lbs CO2 (equivalent to CO2 produces by 11 cars).
- Waster water: 400,570 gallons (Olympic pool holds 600,000 gallons)
- Solid Waste: 47,845 pounds (equivalent to 2 garbage trucks)
Proposed change
It’s important to consider that, the key to recycling is convenience. So, we have thought about ways to improve management practices in the School of Theater in a form that generates a “green culture” starting at the beginning of the year.
Management Office
- Introduction for new student about office recycling practices.
- Paper Use. Having paper classified and ready to use near the printer and copy machine, having always recycled paper in copying machine and only using new paper when it’s extremely necessary.
- Scripts. Avoid the excessive use of printing new scripts when a change is made. Instead, just print those pages with the change.
- Call Boards. Start using electronic forms.
- Recycling Paper
- Plastic
- Power use: turning off lights when you leave the office if there’s no one else there. Only using two of the three fluorescent strips.
- No trash disposal in office, the only refuse container will be in the hallway.
Push for Innovation
Recycled paper:
- Our bulk copies are outsourced to the mailroom: Is there a way we can go toward a greener paper option?
- MO1 copy machine: use one drawer for new paper and one drawer for recycled paper
- What do we as the end user of a product need to do before it can be recycled?
- Modifications to the recycling bins in our offices (prototype to be made for what we already have)
Changes that we can start to implement NOW
- Signage/ information
- Organize paper in office
- More efficient use of electricity
- Organize the resources that we already have
Changes are met more often than not with opposition, it’s our job to make the transition as fluid as possible:
- Group effort is required for further change.
- A strong plan is only as strong its follow through.
- The three of us help maintain what we’ve established in this semester during the next semester.
Production Meetings
We need the involvement of production managers, designers, stage managers and producers in our task to become more sustainable, in order to make information sharing (budgets, agendas, bio forms, reports) more sustainable, reducing the use of paper. For example budgets should only be printed for the people that only need them, the rest of the groups will still be able to see the budget projected on a screen / board.
Changes where we need the support of the school
Some initial small requirements to make things work are:
- Timers for lights
- Projector for D309
- Recycling bins for Management offices
- Signs and communication in the space inviting to recycle
It’s important to remember that, in order to make these changes happen, the commitment and involvement of all the students is necessary, however, we need to start with our example in making those changes happen. We are fully committed to the project and to start to make a change in the way we work.
