An ongoing concern for those in the museum sector has been how to reduce resource consumption and carbon footprints. Sustainability in museums ideally calls for a multi-faceted approach to tackle the issue at every level. Let’s explore seven key areas you can (and should) investigate to improve sustainability at your museum.
Don’t get discouraged — making small changes is a great start. Look for simple yet effective ideas on this list that can improve sustainability without wrecking your budget.
Energy Efficiency
If you haven’t already, make the switch to energy-efficient LED lighting. LED bulbs not only consume less power but also produce less heat, reducing the need for air conditioning.
Upgrading your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to more efficient models can significantly cut energy use. Yes, major HVAC changes are expensive, but depending on your existing setup, it may be time to consider a long-term strategy to make room in the budget? As they say, this kind of expense ends up paying for itself.
For a quicker fix, look into implementing a smart climate control system, which can help optimize energy consumption.
Tip: Audit your museum’s energy usage to see where you are using the most. Oftentimes, major energy usage can be attributed to equipment unnecessarily left on 24 hours a day, compromised ducts, or draughts, things that are typically easy to address.
Renewable Energy
Installing solar panels or other renewable energy sources (biomass boilers, solar thermal systems, geothermal heat pumps, to name a few) can help museums generate their own clean energy. And because so many parties are interested in conversion to renewables, you may be eligible for government incentives, rebates, or grants for your renewable energy installation.
Note: Be sure to account for geographical factors that might affect the availability and/or efficiency of renewable energy sources under consideration.
Exhibit Design
Prioritize using recyclable and reusable materials for exhibits. Consider modular exhibit designs, which allow the parts to be reused for future displays. Learn more about how to create sustainable museum exhibits here.
Take a close look at your exhibit’s transportation logistics. Reducing the frequency of and generally optimizing transporting can minimize emissions. And, of course, virtual exhibits often reduce the need for physical transportation.
Related read: Adapting Sustainable Practices to Art Transit
Waste Reduction
Plan for a robust recycling and/or composting program to minimize waste sent to landfills. This includes recycling exhibition materials and composting organic waste from cafes and gardens. Once your system is in place and staff are trained in best practices, it shouldn’t take extra time and effort (something the Smithsonian noted after implementing recycling and composting at its museums).
Another major waste component you should continually monitor: plastic. Make it a point to avoid using and promoting single use plastics whenever possible. And consider ditching plastic bags at the gift shop.
Go Paperless When Possible
Making the move from physical to digital catalogs and associated collateral reduces paper waste and the carbon footprint associated with high-volume printing and shipping. When you need to use paper, try to always print on recycled paper products.
Water Conservation
Install water-efficient fixtures in restrooms and kitchens to help reduce water usage. And it may be obvious, but be certain there are no leaks in the building that contribute to water waste.
Collecting rainwater for your landscape irrigation reduces the demand on municipal water supplies (and reduces your water bill!). Don’t forget to check for possible incentives in addition to local rules and restrictions, if any.
Sustainable Building Practices
Designing new buildings (or retrofitting older structures) to meet green building standards such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) ensures your museum is built with sustainability in mind. This can even include architectural climate control strategies in which the design of the space naturally helps regulate temperature and humidity.
The LEED green building certification program provides the framework for building and operating museums sustainably. Green buildings use on average 26% less energy, emit 33% less carbon dioxide, use 30% less indoor water, and send 50%‐75% less solid waste to landfills and incinerators. (Source: USGBC)
Consider the carbon footprint associated with transporting and manufacturing and try to use sustainable and locally sourced materials in any new construction or maintenance.
Another “quick fix” option that may be more realistic in the short term: Get a professional inspection to ensure you have the proper amount of insulation in your building. Good insulation helps maintain stable internal temperatures, reducing the need for heating and cooling.
Community Engagement and Education
In the broadest sense, offering educational programs and exhibits about sustainability and highlighting your current and ongoing sustainability efforts can both raise awareness and encourage visitors to adopt eco-friendly practices in their own lives. You’re doing the work — let people know!
And consider engaging the community in your sustainability efforts. These types of volunteer programs can play a big part in the implementation of your museum’s green initiatives and foster a culture of environmental responsibility in the process.
Did you know staff and visitor transport to your museum counts towards the overall carbon footprint of the organization? Museums Galleries Scotland has a great write-up with advice on ways to support sustainable transport to museums.
Operational Practices
Make it a best practice to obtain supplies and services from eco-friendly vendors. Mindfulness in this arena supports sustainability throughout the supply chain.
A simple idea with a big payoff: Switch to using alkaline ionized water to clean display glass. This will eliminate the need for chemical cleaners, which aren’t great for the environment and negatively impact air quality for visitors.
Note: Sustainable operational practices also include promoting fair trade in all commercial spaces.
For museums that serve food, sustainability in food service requires a little extra intentionality, mostly because we’ve become so entrenched in the old systems. But offering locally sourced, organic food significantly reduces the carbon footprint associated with food production and transportation.
What should you take away from ALL this? Most organizations don’t have the budget for a complete sustainability overhaul, but make changes where you can in pursuit of this worthy goal. Use ClimeCo’s sustainability solutions for businesses of any size. Take in detailed, actionable recommendations from the Climate Neutral Now initiative on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In How to Reduce Your Museum’s Carbon Footprint, Miriam Bibby highlights a pithy(ish) mantra you can use: Rethink – Refuse – Reduce – Reuse – Refurbish – Repair – Repurpose – Recycle. She also suggests adding Recognize and Reward for positive reinforcement purposes.
By adopting these strategies whenever and wherever possible, your museum can continue to preserve cultural heritage and protect the environment for future generations.
