Going Green in the Entertainment Industry

The subject of sustainability is an important one to consider in relation to the entertainment industry and its impact on the environment. Commercial, theater, television, and film sets generate enormous amounts of waste from the materials used for the construction of sets as well as discarded food and beverage packaging with more than half of the trash being recyclable, reclaimable or reusable.

Excess food, clothing, furniture, props, office supplies, building supplies, and other construction materials are often disposed of when they can actually be donated or recycled. At times, productions can also forget to add trash disposal to their budget, and the result is garbage being spread out in dumpsters throughout local communities.

Fortunately, there are many options for creating a greener work environment that will also save money in the long run, even in the entertainment industry. In 2014, the PGA Green (a nonprofit formed by the Producers Guild of America) estimated that the average cost of bottled water for a 60-day shoot was $11,175, a cost that could be cut in half if productions used reusable bottles or water coolers instead.

In addition, using biodegradable dishware products was proven to not only be cheaper to purchase than plastic and non-biodegradable options but also help save total waste hauling expenses.

Productions can also recoup some of their production costs by reselling excess materials. For example, the 2014 biblical drama Noah recouped approximately $45,000 simply by selling scrap steel.

If you are interested in learning more about how to implement sustainable, environmentally friendly production practices in the areas of waste reduction and diversion, carbon emissions, energy usage, and more, check out the Green Production Guide website.

You can also review the report released by PGA Green in 2014 regarding the cost-benefit analysis of going green and find real life examples of large film productions that saved thousands of dollars by executing small green practices here.

If you are looking for recycling services, check out our online Nevada Production Directory to find recycling centers in Nevada. You can also drop by our office and pick up a free printed directory!

If you offer recycling or other eco-friendly services and are not yet listed in our Nevada Production Directory, you can learn more about how to sign up for the NPD here.

Sources:
http://www.greenproductionguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/FINAL_PGA3142014.pdf
https://www.treehugger.com/culture/the-film-and-entertainment-recycling-initiative-helping-movies-and-tv-productions-cut-back-on-trash.html
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/metro/film-biz-recycling-new-yorks-best-kept-secret-is-shutting-down_b_7214206.html
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-onlocation-20140731-story.html

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