Sustainability at ShowTex: responsible solutions for theatre & events
Designing solutions for theatre and events, with care for people, materials and tomorrow.
Alice Pallot
The event and entertainment industry is not an easy place to be sustainable. One-off productions, tight deadlines and custom solutions often come with a footprint. At ShowTex, we believe acknowledging that reality is the first step towards improving it.
Sustainability is not a finish line for us. It is an ongoing process of making better choices, step by step, across our products, services and daily operations. Always with respect for creativity, safety and performance.
Sustainability in a challenging industry
Balancing creativity, performance and responsibility
From large-scale events to permanent theatre installations, our industry thrives on impact and innovation. At the same time, it faces clear sustainability challenges, such as single-use materials and complex logistics.
Wherever possible, ShowTex looks for solutions that extend product life cycles, reduce waste and support reuse, without compromising on quality, flame retardancy or visual impact.
Our approach to sustainability
What sustainability means at ShowTex
For ShowTex, sustainability means meeting today’s creative and technical demands without limiting the options of future generations. This applies to our fabrics, hardware, motion systems and the way we work with people and partners worldwide.
To support a consistent and practical approach, sustainability efforts are coordinated by a dedicated CSR and Sustainability Manager. This role helps connect local initiatives across our offices worldwide, maps progress and challenges, and supports teams in translating ideas into concrete actions. A full-time focus allows us to move beyond isolated initiatives, while still respecting local realities and differences.
As a framework for this work, we use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. While we contribute to all 17 goals, we focus primarily on four where we can have the most tangible impact:
- Responsible production and consumption
- Decent work and economic growth
- Climate action
- Peace, justice and strong institutions
Responsible products & materials
Making sustainability visible and traceable
To help our clients make more informed choices, sustainable fabrics are grouped under the ECO by ShowTex label. These products meet at least one recognised sustainability criterion, such as recycled content or certified material safety.
At the same time, sustainability is not only about what materials are made of, but also how they are used. Extending the life cycle of products plays an equally important role.
Our approach values progress over perfection. Even small improvements can make a difference when applied at scale.
Loop by ShowTex
Loop fabrics contain at least 20% recycled fibres. Fully recycled flame-retardant textiles are still rare in our sector, which is why Loop represents a realistic and achievable step forward today, with room to grow tomorrow as recycling technologies evolve.
After use, we actively encourage clients to reuse these fabrics or recycle them at end of life, keeping valuable materials in circulation for longer.
Oeko-Tex & Cradle to Cradle
We work with certified textiles to ensure material safety, responsible chemistry and long-term reuse potential. Oeko-Tex certified fabrics focus on human health and safe production, while Cradle to Cradle products are designed with the full life cycle in mind.
These certifications are particularly relevant for projects and applications where durability, safety and repeat use are key.
Rental as a sustainable alternative
In addition to material choices, rental solutions play an increasingly important role in reducing waste across the theatre, events and live entertainment industry.
ShowTex’s rental range continues to grow worldwide. By offering high-quality products for repeated use, rental helps limit single-use production, especially for temporary events and one-off installations.
Wherever possible, rental provides a practical, flexible and more resource-efficient alternative, while maintaining the same technical performance and visual impact our clients expect.
Explore our sustainable solutions
Circular thinking in practice
Reuse, reduce, recycle — in real life
Circularity at ShowTex goes beyond materials. It also shapes how we design products, organise logistics and offer services.
Local action, global impact
Think global, act local
With more than ten ShowTex offices worldwide, sustainability efforts are shaped locally while guided by a shared vision. Local production, storage and installation reduce transport distances and emissions, while maintaining consistent quality standards.
This decentralised model allows us to adapt to local realities while learning from each other globally.
Partnerships & collaboration
We do not do this alone
Sustainability is a shared responsibility. That is why we actively collaborate with suppliers, logistics partners and recycling specialists who share our values.
We also welcome ideas, feedback and partnerships that help us improve, from material innovation to smarter logistics or circular design.
What's next?
Work in progress
Many initiatives are still evolving. Measuring impact, setting realistic targets and learning from experience remain key priorities for the years ahead.
We are committed to reviewing our sustainability actions regularly, staying transparent about challenges and continuing to improve, step by step.
Sustainability is a shared effort! We are always open to learning, exchanging knowledge and exploring partnerships that contribute to a more responsible way of working.
Anthony Ghnassia
We are always open to learning, exchanging knowledge and exploring partnerships that contribute to a more responsible way of working.