How to be greener on film sets.

So as we all know the climate emergency is a real problem for us and future generations ahead. In London just alone the total carbon footprint for all our shoots is approximately 125,000 tonnes a year 1. Which is roughly equivalent to the 24,000 homes.

However, at the same time, people are consuming video content more and more with demand also increasing. It’s our job to do the best we can protect our future and still produce tv dramas, music videos, you name it.

source: london.gov

Labeling your project a ‘green set’. This is a great way to get the ball rolling and getting people behind you, having the crew behind you. You’ve put a stamp on the production which will encourage people and make people think about there actions. Try to create a case study around your production showcasing what you’re doing and what you’ve put in place, this will help people understand.

Go Paperless. Going paperless is a lot easier than you think. With everyone now having smartphones, tablets, laptops there really isn’t much of an excuse for this one. Not just from onset but from a pre-production and post-shoot side but we can now digitally process invoices, sign contracts, and release forms digitally. These are things that will add up, in the long run, cutting down paper per shoot.

Baning plastic or reducing the usage of plastic water bottles. This one is also pretty easy. I usually keep this in email going out to crew asking people to bring re-usable water bottles on the day. Things like Keep cups are great.

Having a tabletop water cooler is great as it keeps the water cool -  the bottles are collected and reused by the provider - meaning that plastic waste is minimized massively.  We can’t always rely on the crew & clients on bringing waterbottles a long, so a few other solutions are using glass cups, plastic bottles with people’s names on, so it’s definitely re-used, along with recycled and compostable cups. 

The same goes for using caterers (or asking) to use metal cutlery and plates/ crockery cutting down on plastic plates.

Recycling waste along and using food waste bins or donating food to local food shelters is great. On average 80% of the things we throw away can be recycled. However, onset people can be busy and thinking about the next job they might have to do - so it’s about making it easier for the crew. A good way of doing this is Using dual or triple bins with clear labeling. This is a great way to separate your waste from what can be recycled. 

Having a food waste bin is also essential - which can be either be used as compost or biogas production. So it’s good to check what waste collection service you use - a company such as thefirstmile can handle food waste to general waste-collecting the rubbish in carbon-neutral vehicles again helping to contribute less to carbon emissions. Much like most companies, it’s also great to stick and build a relationship with these companies and supporting them.

Corex and polystyrene. These items are often not re-used very often meaning it ends up in landfills which is not good. Some good quick alternatives are by using cardboard floor protection which is recyclable along with floor mats which are reusable.  

Ultra bounce floppy, biodegradable poly, Or a gasoline reflector so it’s about chatting and finding solutions. Communication is key.

So to conclude, This really is just brushing the surface on what can be done. Communication is key chatting to your HOD’s on what can be done is key. Take a step back and try to identify what areas might be adding to your carbon footprint.

You might be able to use a local catering company or closer service provider which will help cut down on emissions. Or encouraging the lighting team to use more LED lighting — every small difference is going to really help.