Boston University student Emma Roth won the BGA’s 2020 College Green Captain Award due to her dedication to improving sustainability throughout BU’s theater department both in practice and through education. She worked alongside other students and faculty members to create the GRiT initiative (Green Responsibility in Theatre) to significantly reduce waste, provide general sustainability education, transition to an entirely paperless program, and encourage zero waste productions. She recognizes that for this change to be successful, it must operate on three levels of the school and theatre: Administration, Production, and Classroom. Roth was also part of the youth panel for our Climate Positive virtual learning session in June 2020.
On the administrative level, Roth worked with faculty and staff to phase out paper programs and implemented sustainable options like posters and QR codes to limit excess waste, helped to implement paper recycling bins and helpful signage, and invested in snack and candy wrapper recycling box from TerraCycle to help curb waste during tech weeks and rehearsals. She also received a Grant from BU to set up compost bins in the Booth Theater Complex through Bootstrap Compost.
On the classroom level, Roth worked with faculty to cut back on unnecessary curricula materials, encouraged professors to incorporate more climate-centric learning modules, created “Did You Know?” posters to increase general sustainability knowledge across campus, and spoke with other students at departmental meetings to increase reach of sustainability initiatives.
On the production level, Roth worked to procure electrical waste, battery recycling bins, and use rechargeable mic packs; encouraged fabric recycling in the costume shop and influenced the creation of reusable bags made from unusable costumes; and worked to change the loading dock situation to ensure construction waste can be recycled.