Environment and Sustainability
Our Vision
For Open Source Arts to be net zero carbon, respecting the natural world, protecting the wellbeing of people globally and helping people understand a sustainable, socially just world is necessary, possible and desirable.
Our Recognitions
We are in a climate, social and ecological crisis
As a society we must drastically reduce our carbon emissions, limit our impact on the natural environment and promote global social justice
We must all make changes to our lives – however big or small – and push for greater systems change
We must utilise our unique position at the interface between arts, society, culture and environmental engagement to show people a sustainable, socially just world essential, possible and desirable
Guiding Principles
LEADing – Letting Every Action Demonstrate
We need diversity of connection and skill
Considering environmental, social, economic and cultural sustainability in everything we do
Environment, society and arts are intrinsically connected
Leeds is not an island, and every action has global implications
Net Zero Carbon by 2030
Open Source Arts has committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and we understand that we must deliver on this commitment.
You can find out more about why we have decided to commit to net zero, what our carbon footprint is like now, what work we have to do and the beginnings of an ambitious yet realistic pathway to reaching our targets in our Net Zero Carbon Roadmap Report.
You can also check out the Summary Report.
Environment & Sustainability Policy
We are in a climate and ecological crisis and that we are faced with a huge challenge globally to reduce our carbon emissions to limit warming to 1.5°C, act on the IPCC’s ‘code red’ warning, reduce our impact on the natural environment and promote social justice globally.
To illustrate that we are truly LEADing our recognition that we will utilise our unique position to show change towards a low carbon, sustainable, resilient, socially just world is necessary, possible and desirable we have developed an Environment and Sustainability Policy.
This policy highlights in more details our guiding principles and outlines our short and long term goals.
Our Facilities
Terracycle
We want be able to support the community to reduce their impact on the environment and support the recycling of materials and packaging that cannot be recycled at the kerbside here in Leeds.
That’s why we are working with Terracycle UK and being a collection point for several of their schemes. At Open Source Arts you can drop off your:
- Pringles tubes
- Chocolate wrappers: individual bars, large blocks and multipack wrappers
- Sweet wrappers: individual bags and mutipacks
- Biscuit wrappers
- Cracker wrappers
- Cake bar wrappers (think mini rolls)
- Plastic cheese pouches
- Film lids (think lids from sliced cheese packets)
- Plastic nets (the ones your oranges come in)
You can come to drop these off at Open Source Arts Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm or anytime you come to visit us for an event, workshop or anything else. Just speak to a member of staff and they’ll either take them off your hands or point you in the direction of where they go!
Find out more about Terracycle UK and the work they do here.
Bike Storage and Repair
Open Source Arts wants to encourage as many people as possible to travel sustainably and help tackle air pollution in the city. That’s why we’ve installed secure bike storage and provide a bike repair station.
If you’re coming to the venue we can provide you with secure, covered storage for your bike. If you’ve come to the venue or are passing by and experience a mechanical mishap, a puncture or anything else we’ve got you covered. Come on in and use our repair station stocked with degreaser, inner tubes, brake pads, lubricant and more!
Read more about our bike repair station on our blog.
Our Actions
Meat Free Venue
Open Source Arts is a meat free venue for cultural, religious and environmental reasons. By reducing our meat consumption we are able to reduce our environmental impact and help tackle climate change.
By being a meat free venue we hope we can be a welcoming space for all and help people think about how their everyday choices impact the environment we all live in.
Recycling, Waste Disposal and Composting
We have been working to reduce our general waste and how much we send to landfill. This has involved introducing a new glass recycling and food composting system, which means none of our food waste goes to landfill.
We’ve also worked on our communications to help all our team and visitors understand what can be recycled and where at Open Source Arts.
Yarden Space
We’ve been working to develop our yarden into a small oasis within the surrounding industrial landscape too with planters adorned with herbs, perennials and thriving wildflower green roofs.
We hope our yarden can provide an invaluable source of food for animals to thrive and help them travel from green space to green space in an otherwise concrete city.
Our Policies
Supplier and Procurement Policy
We have introduced a policy laying out how Open Source Arts can act to ensure that our procurement practices are responsible and progressive and supplier choices are consistent with our aims and values. This includes ensuring they improve the wellbeing of people worldwide, are environmentally sustainable, climate friendly, promote equality and diversity, support the local economy, and provide social value.
You can read our policy here.
Digital Impact Policy
We’ve also developed and begun to implement a digital impact policy which highlights how Open Source Arts and its team can act to ensure that our digital and online practices are responsible and do not cause excessive damage to the environment. This includes ensuring they are environmentally sustainable and climate friendly, whilst also ensuring that any offsetting measures promote equality and diversity, protect the wellbeing of people worldwide and provide social value.
You can read our policy here.
Travel Policy
At Open Source Arts we want to ensure everyone is able to travel safely and sustainably. As a result, we have developed and began to implement a Travel Policy which highlights our targets as an organisation and lays out steps for achieving these.
You can read our policy here.
