Easy Ways to go Green on Set
Everyone is going green, and you should too. It doesn’t have to be hard--any step taken towards reducing your environmental impact helps. Check out these green production ideas from the AICP and start implementing sustainable practices today.
1. Water: Plastic water bottles should be the first things to leave the set. Encourage your crew members to bring a reusable water bottle and set up water stations. Not only will you be helping the environment, but you’ll also save money and have a cleaner set.
2. Paper: Nothing like holding a freshly-printed packet of production materials. But, imagine how many trees and hours spent looking for loose papers you could save by going digital. Try to keep pre-production books digital as much as possible. If reducing print is non-negotiable, print double-sided and opt for post-consumer recycled binders and folders.
3. Recycling: Replace all Styrofoam with recyclable or reusable materials, or plant-based alternatives. Additionally, try to set up recycling bins next to all trash containers with direction on where an item should be tossed. And—don’t forget to recycle printed materials, should you choose to forego digital alternatives.
4. E-Waste: You’ve decided to go digital…now what? There are different protocols for recycling hazardous and/or e-waste. Dispose of batteries, light bulbs, and other electronic waste properly. Try to outline a plan for where they can be collected on set and disposed of after production. Identify local spots that accept hazardous and electronic waste.
5. Vendors: Work with and encourage your vendors to try to implement green practices. For example, request that your caterer compost food waste or tell them the plastic silverware will not be necessary and choose non-disposable instead. However, if that is not an option, try to use plant-based biodegradable products. Or, try searching for green vendors near you.
It’s that simple! If these tips inspire you to take further action, check out additional resources below for more information:
Green Vendor Search
Download the Carbon Calculator
Production Environmental Actions Checklist
Green and Gold Seal for Production
Environmental Media Association’s Green Guidelines
Earth 911—Recycling Search
