Switch to rechargeable batteries, Julie’s Bicycle urges theatres
Green arts organisation Julie’s Bicycle has launched a campaign to encourage theatres to switch from disposable to rechargeable batteries, saying this would deliver cash savings as well as environmental benefits.
The Better Batteries campaign also aims to increase the rate of recycling for both disposable and rechargeable batteries.
According to case studies collated by Julie’s Bicycle, which launched its campaign at the PLASA exhibition this week, using rechargeable batteries can deliver significant savings. The Broadway production of Wicked has used rechargeable batteries since October 2008 and since then has saved more than £2,600 a year. The switch has also seen the production’s battery consumption decrease from 15,808 disposables per year to just 76 rechargeable ones annually.
The West End production of Wicked started using a rechargeable battery system in June and expects to break even on the purchase by mid-September.
Sian Alexander, theatre associate director at Julie’s Bicycle, said: “Rechargeable batteries make financial and environmental sense they’re completely reliable. If they can work for a major West End show, there’s no reason we can’t use them across the theatre and music industries. I hope this campaign will help to encourage a shift in practice.”
Research conducted by Uniross in 2007 also showed that, across their life span, rechargeable batteries have 32 times less impact on the environment than disposable batteries. To run alongside the campaign, Julie’s Bicycle has produced a practical guide to “better batteries”, which says the idea that rechargeable batteries are unreliable and more expensive is a myth.
Julie’s Bicycle estimates that a rechargeable battery system will break even within 1.6 days per battery bought and deliver savings of around £42 per battery per year.
To sign up to the campaign and for more information and resources, go to www.betterbatteries.info
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