Being sustainable in business is always a challenge but not impossible. Here we explore some of our experiences and green touches that have helped boost our escape room sustainability and lessen our impact on the environment.
Our background before we focused on escape room sustainability
Before starting to run an escape room Dan worked with Electric motorcycles. Here he gained an insight into some of the key issues that we are all having on the planet. He has first-hand experience of developing electric motorcycles for Lexmoto and distributing them with Super Soco. Dan was also fortunate to be involved in working as an industry contact with the National Transport Design Centre at Coventry University for a number of years as students sought to develop products that would broaden the appeal of electric mobility. Dan sought to highlight the impact of CO2 emissions in vehicles by producing a CO2 calculator to convey CO2 outputs in litres rather than the more flattering weights they are measured in. This was built on further as Super Soco had balloons created demonstrating how far travel via different transport methods to fill the balloon. Needless to say, we take sustainability pretty seriously at Prodigy.
Managing our site consumption
We are very fortunate that our landlords have invested in Solar panels. This has meant that on sunny days much of our operation is running off-grid. When we moved into the building we made the choice to invest in LED panels throughout the building to replace fluorescent tubes wherever possible. The metals from the lights were then recycled and the tubes were donated to another business to use. A series of smart devices are used throughout the business to ensure that devices turn off when not in use. Even our web hosting is from a local business that proudly uses exclusively green generated power.
In February 2024 we invested in an air conditioning system for the front area of the business. Installing this allowed us to provide a comfortable experience for our customers but also use our solar-generated electricity to assist with the heating and cooling of the site rather than the gas-based central heating system.
What about the build?
There are situations where you of course need to use new materials but wherever possible we seek to find green options. Much of our equipment is refurbished goods or from charity shops. We are often found at the circular hub at Ikea or at the offcut bins at B&Q to build up supplies. A few bizarre things you may not know about:
- The cell located in Mount Clifton Manor is a former prop that was used on the Dick & Dom Show
- The perspex used in the maze in Mount Clifton Manor started life as a COVID screen
- Our Skeletons have been in use since 2017 when we first did our haunted house.
- The final puzzle in The Lost Temple used to be cabinet side and floor mat but you would never tell!
- A stone altar in The Wizards of Wyvern was previously a bureau in Mission Impawsible!
You don’t always get it right the first time
It’s important to identify ways to be better and not become complacent that you’ve already done enough. One example that we didn’t get right the first time was the disguises in Mission Impawsible. Originally this started as cardboard glasses disguises which was fine but then we added in plastic headbands. Sadly one day we went outside and found these headbands left on a wall near the park and this prompted us to change to reusable options that could be returned at the end of the experience. If you spot anything that could be done to improve our escape room sustainability then please don’t hesitate to let us know. We’re only too happy to consider more ways to be green!
