Global Recycling Day arrives every year on 18 March. The Global Recycling Day initiative asks us to “think resource, not waste.” They say, “every contribution, no matter how small, has helped and will continue to do so.” The three ‘Rs’ are a perfect way to think about our relationship to materials and consumption. Reduce, reuse, recycle.

We are a small organisation, but our Environmental Commitment is important. Below are some of the considerations we have made. 

We are members of SAIL (Sustainable Arts in Leeds). SAIL supports the creative and cultural industries in achieving environmental sustainability.

Kirkstall Art Trail runs on a small budget. Because we have to stick to a very tight budget, we have to consider what we spend our funds on. Waste is not an option if we want to keep costs down. 

We reuse as much as possible. Not only to save money, but if we can save resources and reuse them, it means we send less to landfill. Thinking smart about how we create and then use materials is important. E.g. we create advertising banners that are not date-specific so that we can reuse them.

We manage our website’s carbon footprint. Websites use a lot of energy. We use a UK-based green cloud storage and web hosting company. We check that our pages are fast-loading. Not only will this help improve the user experience, but it also means we are using less energy. 

We have made and will make use of circular networks. We have sourced items that have come to their useful end with one organisation to give them a new life with us. E.g. Leeds Playhouse had theatre flats they no longer needed, and we took them off their hands. They made a huge difference to the fashion show in 2024 (and we’ll talk more about that in a second). If we have anything that has come to its end, we will find a new home before sending it to landfill.

We make a big noise about projects that have sustainability at their heart. The Fashion Show in 2024 was a first for Kirkstall Art Trail. The designers created all the outfits using pre-loved clothes. With the offcuts from outfits turned into a quilt. Visit the Fashion Show page to see more. 

We will think about the environmental impact when printing posters and flyers. Where we can, we will prioritise local delivery for printed materials. We will check their sustainability commitment. We will use recycled paper. We will limit the number we need to print. We will reuse for other creative projects if we can. 

We ask artists to think about their impact on the environment. Consider sustainable practices and actions. Think about the materials that they use. Limit any excess waste where they can. Think about the types of bags and packaging they use for sales. Consider becoming members of SAIL (which is free to join).

We ask visitors to the Kirkstall Art Trail to consider the following.

• Use active forms of travel and public transport.
• There are many public waste bins located around the Kirkstall area. If they are overflowing, please do not drop your waste nearby, as it can end up lost in the environment.
• Venues may not have the facilities to remove visitors’ waste.
• We ask that visitors take their litter home with them.
• Bring a reusable bag if you are preparing to buy any art from our makers.
• Please respect all our host venues and the wider Kirkstall area.