Going Green

Environmental Sustainability Policy Statement

The Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum is committed to promoting and demonstrating the value and importance of a comprehensive and coordinated sustainable development plan.

We are implementing the requirements of all relevant legislation and regulations and, where possible, are aiming to exceed minimum requirements and lead by example.

Our core objectives are: 

1) To Create a Sustainable Building 

We are aiming to make our building as low-impact as possible. Sustainability and energy efficiency is taken into account during building maintenance and development works as well as the procurement. We are committed to lower the volume of waste that we send to landfill and to use low-impact cleaning products and office supplies.

2) To Promote Green Travel

We are committed to promote sustainable travel options and provide facilities such as cycle stands for both our staff and visitors. We encourage both general visitors and booked groups to travel sustainably by providing green travel information. We encourage our staff to take part in green travel initiatives and urge them to use arrange video conferences instead of travelling. We are committed to use part-load couriering when sending our collections out on loan. 

3) To Encourage Biodiversity

We will continue to plant a mixture of plants in our garden to create habitats and foraging for insects, birds and mammals. We aim to reduce the amount of water needed by using rainwater to irrigate plants whenever possible. We aim to use our garden for educational purposes as well as in conjunction with Visitor Giving initiatives. We aim to raise awareness about local wildlife and nature by promoting and working together with local partners.   

4) To Be Mindful When Buying and Selling 

We advocate a culture of ‘Reduce, Recycle and Re-use’ and are committed to buying and selling mainly locally produced and/or Fair Trade products and reducing single-use plastics both front-of-house and behind the scenes. We outsource recycling of materials which are not currently recycled by our local council, and aim to reuse or crowd-source items bought for exhibitions or events. We encourage those who use or hire our venue from us to do the same. 

5) To Include Sustainability in All of Our Interactions

We recognise that sustainability not only applies to the environment, but also social relationships and equality. We aim to tackle barriers that may prevent people from visiting our museum, or from volunteering or working with us. We are mindful of our staff and volunteers’ wellbeing and encourage them to make sustainable choices and to improve their wellbeing and welfare.

See also our Responsible Visitor Charter to find out how you can help our venue and town flourish. 

Our Tourism Declares Climate Emergency pledge.