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Sustainability

Red Rocks Amphitheatre is the only naturally-occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheater in the world, and as such, Denver Arts & Venues understands the responsibility to not only maintain its natural beauty, but to operate as a sustainable venue. As part of the City of Denver’s Environmental Management System, Red Rocks Amphitheatre has been certified to ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 14001 since 2009. As part of this certification, our operations team set annual goals for which we are responsible for meeting. Aligning our goals to support the City and County of Denver’s 2020 Sustainability Goals, Denver Arts & Venues developed the SMARTER Sustainable Arts & Venues campaign and has taken/is taking the following actions to reduce our impact and operate more sustainably.

Waste Diversion

With over 1 million visitors annually, we understand the potential impact of our waste on the environment. At Red Rocks, we strive to first reduce the materials produced and then divert a significant percentage of those materials away from the landfill. Three-bin waste collection systems are located throughout the venue, while behind the scenes, our waste sorting team works to capture and maximize the amount headed to compost and recycling. Our partner, GFL Environmental Inc composts these products to be turned into soil for the Earth.

HOW CAN YOU BE INVOLVED?

  • Red Rocks guests are encouraged to sort their recycling and deposit it in the appropriate bin. Housekeeping staff will continue to sort and dispose of recyclable and compostable materials found on the ground in both the venue and parking lots.
  • Pack out your trash and recyclables. Concertgoers, hikers and runners who use the parking lots and trails at Red Rocks for tailgating, snacking or picnicking are asked to store personal waste in their vehicles, pockets or bags and dispose of it properly at home. Curbing litter in the park keeps Red Rocks clean and safe and preserves the natural beauty of one of Colorado’s greatest sources of pride.

Energy and Water Conservation

Our team identifies opportunities to conserve water and energy consumption at Red Rocks. As technologies improve, we convert lighting, equipment and bathroom fixtures to ensure the most efficient and effective models possible. Switching our toilets and urinals to low-flow models reduced water consumption by 20% in the first year alone. We are also proud to partner with the Bonnneville Environmental Foundation to balance our water footprint and offset the electricity produced by our venue.

HOW CAN YOU BE INVOLVED?

  • Help us offset – Please help us offset our water usage by texting “REDROCKS” to 474747. Through our partnership with BEF, each text keeps 1,000 gallons of water flowing in Colorado Rivers.

Air Quality and Transportation

Colorado is known for blue skies and clean mountain air. At Red Rocks, we aim to preserve air quality by promoting alternative transportation options to our patrons, as well as reminding trucks and buses to avoid idling.

HOW CAN YOU BE INVOLVED?

  • Carpool – Help Red Rocks and the urban corridor stay green by limiting the number of vehicles traveling to the park and amphitheater. Patrons who take turns carpooling to concerts with friends can save money on gas and help take care of the surrounding environment – not to mention cutting down on pre- and post-show traffic jams!

Sustainable Procurement

Red Rocks is committed to responsible purchasing. Approximately 90% of the cleaning products used at Red Rocks are Green Seal or equivalent. We also installed an Orbio Cleaning system which turns tap water and salt into a high effective cleaning solution to reduce our use of chemical cleaning supplies. Use of these products protects our workers, patrons and the water quality. Additionally, we partner with Eco-Products to provide compostable or recyclable serviceware to support our waste diversion goals.

Sustainability Videos

Red Rocks is committed to operating as a global leader in sustainability. Watch these videos to see what we’re up to:

Thank You To our Sustainability Partners:

 

GFL Environmental Inc is Red Rocks Amphitheatre’s Official Recycling Partner

 

Eco-Products, Inc. is Red Rocks Amphitheatre’s Official Sustainable Food and Beverage Container Provider