THE FUTURE IS GREEN

Hollywood can do its part to combat climate change; here’s how

By Matthew Nerber

CLIMATE CHANGE IS A

hot-button issue these days, and for good reason. The world’s scientists agree that society’s negative effect on the environment must be dealt with now, or future generations will suffer the consequences. And while Hollywood has often been painted as an industry of excess, some of its major players have stepped up their efforts to combat the impending climate catastrophe. Many are calling for the industry as a whole to do better by the environment, asking a question that’s on many of our minds: How can I do my part?

Green practices are becoming increasingly common on film sets big and small; they present an actionable way to help mitigate or reverse environmental damage by reducing waste and limiting the carbon footprint of productions. From recycling costumes to using eco-friendly lighting rigs, here are some green practices being implemented in the entertainment industry today.

Banning plastic bottles

Kate Winslet wasn’t just focused on delivering her Emmy-winning performance on the set of HBO’s “Mare of Easttown.” The executive producer–star made a simple request for the production, one that she says could make significant inroads toward sustainability.

“I said to the other producers, ‘You know, we can’t have plastic bottles on this set,’ ” Winslet told Variety. “We gave every crew member and every actor their own bottle at the beginning of the show. And we calculated, across our six-and-a-half-month shoot, that we saved over 77,000 plastic bottles.”

Donating hardware

Building and lighting sets contributes to huge amounts of waste during film productions. But measures can be taken to reduce the overall footprint of these endeavors, starting with one of the basic principles of sustainability: recycling.

As Variety reported in 2020, FX’s “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” donated “$60,000 worth of furniture, building materials, and appliances to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles” once the shoot was complete.

Using LED lights

Studios like NBCUniversal have committed to using eco-friendly lighting equipment to help conserve the energy being used by big-budget productions. LED lights, along with solar panels installed on trailers and soundstages, are enabling studios to drastically reduce their energy usage and carbon footprint.

Using hybrid vehicles

Burning fossil fuels has long been known to contribute to the climate crisis. With the advent of electric and hybrid vehicles, manufacturers have given consumers an easy and affordable way to introduce sustainable practices into their lives.

Film producers have done the same, and research shows that replacing gasolinepowered vehicles with hybrid transportation on film sets can help studios move toward sustainability. As reported by Green Production Guide, 20th Century Studios was able to avoid 1.24 metric tons of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) on the set of “The Woman in the Window” by switching to hybrid vehicles.

Donating food

The United States Department of Agriculture has estimated that the U.S. alone wastes up to 40% of its food. The fact that all of that ends up in landfills is one of the most pressing problems in the fight to mitigate climate change.

Some producers now donate leftover catering as a way to cut down on waste while contributing to the community in which they’re working. Green Production Guide reports that “The X-Files” donated 2,500 meals to Vancouver-area shelters during its Season 11 shoot. Other productions in that city have been inspired to do the same, proving the effectiveness of leading by example.