What To Do With A Broadway Playbill If You Don’t Save It

When it comes to Broadway plays, playbills are considered a crucial component of the production. It provides valuable information on the play-by-play of how Broadway shows are set up. It gives information on the creative team, which is a must-have.

Over the past couple of months, Broadway has been in the news headlines. Most recently, due to the dispute between Broadway actors and the union. This dispute almost led to its first strike since 1968; however, a recent new contract by the Broadway League and Actors’ Equity Association no longer requires putting stuffers inside playbills.

These playbills include the names of understudies and other cash changes. Instead, they will create a webpage that can be accessed through a QR code to display the information.

Despite being a staple on Broadway, it’s not an industry-wide accessory. In places like London, the West End’s programs are not free, whereas other theaters are digital-only. There was once a point where the union wanted to make fully digital pay bills, but the idea never took off.

Following these recent events, many people are left with questions and concerns about how to manage their pay bills, and Molly Braverman, Director of Broadway Green Alliance, provided more context. One question was about whether it’s best to leave one bill to play in the theater and if they’re recyclable. If not, how do they take care of them?

“Playbills are one of the most visible forms of waste in theater, so we get asked about them a lot. They’re not necessarily the biggest for environmental harm that the theater does, but every patient gets them and has to think about what to do with them, so it’s a great question, but it’s a tricky question because there is no one answer. All of our recycling systems are different,” she said.

Braverman then stated that she checked with the Natural Resources Defense Council, which organizes her organization, and confirmed that pay bills are recyclable. Even though they are recyclable, they’re not reusable.

“Do they get reused universally? Of course not. Some ushers have told us that the operators’ use can be complex and challenging because of how patrons use playbills, bending pages, putting gum inside them, and overall sanitary challenges. But I can’t speak to the practice of each theater, and there are plenty of examples of off-Broadway in regional houses that do make a concerted effort to reuse.” Braverman stated. 

The largest operator of Broadway theaters, the Schubert Organization, stated that playbills in perfect condition are recycled. The Nederlander organization recycles to reduce excess printing.

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