Sustainability

“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”

At HVSF, we believe in making a big contribution to our community, with a small environmental footprint.

We are grateful for the many gifts we’ve been given; a new home and the opportunity to use our mission, programming and operations in deep and meaningful ways to actively pursue climate leadership and climate justice. We aim to be the greenest theater in the country, and serve as a national model for environmental sustainability in the performing arts. We have committed to building a certified LEED Platinum theater, the first in the nation, and have set the ambitious target of being a completely carbon neutral campus by 2040.

Our sustainability planning effort examines our campus operation through five lenses: land, water, energy, materials, and community.

Nature is our stage, so we’re going to treat it right, and steward the landscape of the Hudson Highlands for future generations to enjoy.

Low Waste Station

Please join us in sorting your waste and double checking to make sure waste has been sorted in the right bin to avoid cross contamination.

In 2023, we created a low waste station which included campus-wide composting in partnership with local organization, Curbside Compost. We recovered 4,400 lbs of food scraps which is the equivalent of avoiding 2,684 lbs of Co2 which is the equivalent of 3,060 miles of driving.
In 2024, we will be doubling our capacity to expand composting campus wide. New to composting? No problem, one of our staff members will be there to guide you. Or click here for more information.

Reusable Containers for Picnics

We are excited to offer picnics for purchase with zero single use plastics.

In 2023 we began working to make our purchased picnics more sustainable, transitioning to reusable bags, cloth napkins and cutlery.
In 2024, we are offering the opportunity for audiences to help us reduce plastic waste by opting for a reusable container at no extra fee. Choose the reusable container option when pre-ordering your picnic and please make sure to return it to concessions when you are done. If you forget the night of, feel free to drop it back to the concessions stand any evening we have a show and a staff member will receive it. We appreciate your participation in helping us pilot this sustainable picnic program.

Sustainability Task Force

We have assembled a sustainability task force made up of Hudson Valley Shakespeare staff and board members, and members of the community with a breadth of knowledge and experience in sustainability. The Sustainability task force will work on both short-term and long-term planning for sustainability at the festival, ranging from researching clean energy options to rethinking food service to reduce food miles and packaging waste.

Sustainability Task Force Members

Sandra Goldmark
Davis McCallum
Kendra Ekelund
Lana Russell
Eleanor Hobson
Samir Patel
Fred Rich
Marie Fabian
Krystal Ford
Erik Brown
Kale Roberts
William Nesbitt
Toshi Yano
Marti Ajello
Adam Cardonell
Seth Knapp