Reduce Waste

How to Get Started

• Start discussing waste management early in prep. Speak with all departments about waste reduction strategies and recycling options. Ask your department heads to look into what environmentally responsible options are available, specifically for the waste that their department will produce.
• Studio Facilities Management and Construction can coordinate separate dumpsters to recycle construction waste during building.
• The Locations department hires waste haulers for the set, while the POC typically sets up the waste hauler for the offices. Ask the Locations department for detailed information on what services are available.
• Ask all waste haulers for diversion reports that show what percentage of waste is recycled and/or composted and what percentage is sent to the landfill.
• Communicate to the crew the recycling and waste disposal options that have been set up for this production so that everyone is on the same page.
• Be a sustainability leader. Communicate your successes to all financiers, studio execs, cast and crew, so they can encourage other productions to follow your lead.

General Waste

• Re-use when possible. Cardboard from packaging can be reused by other departments instead of purchasing new supplies. For example, locations often use cardboard sheets to protect sites, boxes can be reused by almost all departments.
• In addition to composting, recycling and trash, ask for department-specific bins; for example, fabric recycling and donation bins in the costume department or battery recycling for the sound and camera departments.
• Ask your production team to place visual reminders around the office and workspaces to remind staff and crew to reduce, recycle and reuse. Make it easy to comply in the office, on set and on location.
• Detail what’s available and send the information to all departments. Post the information if there is a central recycling area in your facility.

Costumes Department

• A choice to use reusable bags for purchasing and cleaning can save thousands of plastic and paper bags from the landfill.
• Rent costumes whenever possible.
• Organize a sale or donate costumes that are no longer required at the end of production to divert from landfills.

Construction Department

• Early in the construction process, ask your construction crew to identify what you would normally send to the landfill. Speak with your studio facilities management and/or location teams to research recycling waste streams for what you are actually going to get rid of.
• For example, most cities have haulers that will accept clean wood in a dedicated dumpster and chip it for further use, diverting it from landfills.

Paint/Set Dec

• Many cities have paint recycling services. Ask your departments to see what is available in your area. For example, PaintCare is a free service that takes leftover paint in the original cans.
• Partially full cans can also be donated to Habitat for Humanity or other building materials reuse centers.

Wrap

• Ask your departments to budget a sustainable wrap. Sending everything to the landfill can be time-efficient, but it will increase your waste costs.
• If you are able to allow time for a sustainable wrap, a majority of the materials can usually be sold, donated or recycled.

Who to Talk To

Learn how to talk with cast and crew about a plan for reducing waste from pre-production onward.

Communication Guide

Quick Math – Budgeting and Building the Business Case

Business Case: Costumes Department

Every costume change offers several opportunities for waste reduction. The costume might be ordered online, shipped using jet fuel, packaged in cardboard and plastic, dry cleaned with chemicals, and delivered back to set in plastic.

OR, you can choose the alternative:

Every costume change can be sourced locally or thrifted, brought to set using a reusable shopping bag, sent to a dry cleaner that uses organic soaps, and picked up in a reusable dry cleaning bag. Choosing reusable bags for purchasing and cleaning can save thousands of plastic and paper bags from the landfill.

Business Case: Locations and On-Set Waste Diversion

Many haulers charge by weight or number of bags, not the type of waste. So, 100 bags of landfill should cost the same as 20 bags of landfill, 60 bags of recycling and 20 bags of compost.

Business Case: Construction Materials

Ask your construction team to look outside film suppliers for recycling solutions. Wood, steel and even white styrofoam can be recycled in most jurisdictions.