Sustainability at Theater und Orchester Heidelberg
Theater und Orchester Heidelberg is constantly working to become more sustainable and to integrate more climate-friendly practices into all of its work processes. We do not view sustainability as a one-off measure, but rather as a continuous process that affects all areas of our organisation – from the foyers and stages to the administration, building services and workshops.
In the following sections, we show how we take responsibility, conserve resources and actively work to combine our cultural mission with an ecological approach.
Our costume collection has grown over many decades and currently comprises around 40,000 costume items of all kinds from all eras, stored on 1,200 metres of costume rails. Costumes from past productions are redesigned and incorporated into new concepts. As a result, around 80 to 95% of the costumes for new productions come from our collection. Any necessary alterations for the performers are carried out in our in-house tailoring department.
In our make-up department, masks and wigs are also constantly being redesigned and reused. Since this season, we have been using more synthetic hair for knotting new wigs. It is more resistant and durable than real hair and needs to be washed and styled less often. This saves us around 50% in water and energy. We also use washable make-up removal wipes, which replace up to 50 disposable wipes per performance.
At the Heidelberg Theatre, we have extensively greened the roofs of the Orchestersaal and the Marguerre-Saal with the stage tower. The roof of the warehouse in the Zwinger is also covered with plants. Green roofs act as natural climate regulators: they insulate the building, cool it in summer, bind fine dust and create a habitat for insects. With a total of 1,410 m² of green roofing, we contribute to a balanced climate in Heidelberg's old town.
Our heating and ventilation system consists of many sustainable components. Thanks to the renovation of our main theatre building at Theaterstraße 10 (completed in 2012), we now have access to state-of-the-art, energy-saving technology, supported by modern building management systems.
We heat mainly with regional district heating from Stadtwerke Heidelberg, which is 50% CO₂-free. In the cold season, we use the heat from our exhaust air to heat the fresh supply air. This means that up to two-thirds of the theatre's waste heat is reused. In summer, this works in a similar way. Adiabatic cooling – without heat exchange with the environment – serves as an additional source of cooling for our fresh supply air on hot days.
Our cooling and heating machine with a cooling and heat storage unit provides additional heat to support the heating systems, especially in winter. In addition, several geothermal probes support the heating and cooling requirements through geothermal energy.
We only ventilate our many backstage work areas when they are in use. In our workshops, the Marguerre-Saal, the Alter Saal and on the rehearsal stages, fresh air is provided exactly when you and we need it. Otherwise, the ventilation systems remain switched off and we save energy.
All public washbasins in the audience areas of our main theatre building and in the Zwinger are equipped with water-saving fittings. The same applies to the sanitary facilities in the dressing rooms of the artists and technical staff at Theaterstraße 10. This not only saves water, but also saves heat, as we only provide cold water in our public sanitary facilities.
Our facilities are 100% illuminated by energy-saving LED lighting. Corridors and stairwells are additionally equipped with motion detectors so that electricity and light are only used when needed. We have also reduced the number of light fixtures to the minimum necessary. This allows us to save around 40–50% of our previous energy consumption on a permanent basis.
Getting to the theatre can be a challenge for different groups of people. Not all neighbourhoods and locations in our catchment area are equally well connected to public transport, and not all theatregoers have a car or are mobile.
With our theatre bus, we also offer guests with limited mobility from less well-connected locations a convenient way to travel to our performances. For selected events, we cover a radius of around 16 kilometres with eight bus routes. In the 2024/25 season, we were able to make it easier for around 1,400 audience members to get to us.
Employee mobility:
Our approximately 350 employees travel an average of 12.5 km per day for their one-way commute. A full 50% walk or cycle to work, another 26% use public transport, and 6% use e-bikes. Only 19% travel by car or motorbike.
Visitor mobility:
In June 2025, we conducted a survey on the mobility of our audience. The responses clearly show that sustainability is also important to our visitors. The majority use our public transport combination ticket and our theatre buses. Accordingly, our visitors travel by public transport, on foot or by bicycle. Many thanks!
Our theatre works with the company Reciclage to produce sustainable merchandise that is both environmentally conscious and unique. Old banners and flags are turned into bags and other products that are given a second life and promote the responsible use of resources. Every Reciclage product is unique, made with dedication and creativity from recycled materials. We want to not only inspire our visitors, but also set an example for sustainability.
The bags from the Reciclage collection are available at our theatre box office – a practical and sustainable souvenir for anyone committed to the environment.
Since 2024, the Heidelberg Philharmonic Orchestra has been a member of the Orchester des Wandels e. V. (Orchestras of change). The Orchester des Wandels is an active network of musicians from German orchestras who see the protection of the climate, nature and species as an essential part of their cultural mission. The association collects donations for two projects dedicated to the protection of bow and instrument woods in Madagascar and Brazil.
Our orchestra also takes a creative approach to the issue of environmental protection. Last season, our concert programme »Amazonia« provided a platform for the Orchestra of Change. Orchestra members also raise funds by selling chocolate, with proceeds going to initiatives such as rainforest reforestation. The chocolate is available in the foyer at selected events.
Together with our in-house sustainability committee, our musicians also support the concept development for low-emission and sustainable action initiated by the Orchester des Wandels.
In our stage technology, we consistently focus on reusability and durable solutions. For our stage constructions, we mainly use standardised elements such as frames, roller sets, pneumatic lifting rollers for lifting and moving heavy stage elements, drives and platform construction modules. This basic equipment, purchased once, is versatile, can be combined as desired and is used again and again.
We also pursue this approach in the lighting department. Since 2011, we have been continuously replacing conventional light sources with energy-saving LED spotlights, thereby permanently reducing energy consumption during performances. Around 60% of the stage lighting has now been converted – and the trend is rising. Wherever possible, we exclusively use these 60% that have already been converted, meaning that around 90% of the lighting used on our stages is LED. As the technical possibilities of sustainable lighting continue to develop, we are continuously monitoring this process from the outset and adapting our equipment accordingly.
