Mumbai: Major film studios of Hollywood have developed and adopted a Best Practices Guide for Green Production, a handbook that outlines procedures and strategies for reducing waste and carbon emissions, and encouraging recycling and energy conservation in all areas of film and television production.
 
The goal of the guide is to reinforce the studios’ commitment to environmentally responsible production practices and ensure that every production crew has the tools they need to uphold that commitment.
 
"A new norm is emerging in which eco-friendly practices are best business practices, and Hollywood continues to evolve as an industry that takes environmental responsibility, individually and collectively, on the big and small screen, and behind the scenes, and every major studio is getting in on the act," said Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) chairman and CEO Dan Glickman.
 
In 2007, the members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and MPAA Solid Waste Task Force (SWTF) which includes: 20th Century Fox, NBC Universal, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., and the West Coast broadcast and production centers of ABC and CBS, collectively diverted 57%, or 20,862 tons, of studio sets and other solid waste from landfills to reuse and recycling. As a result, the studios prevented the emission of 65,497 metric tons of greenhouse gasses – the annual equivalent of removing 14,176 cars from the road.
 
For more than a decade the major film studios have voluntarily assisted local government in attaining waste reduction mandates, as well as providing a positive example of sustainable and responsible business practices.
 
"Hollywood’s film studios have come a long way since they started recycling in the 1970s," said California Integrated Waste Management Board environmental member Gary Petersen. "Studios’ waste reduction and recycling efforts are having a real impact on reducing greenhouse gasses and they have implemented many other responsible practices that showcase how the private business sector can contribute to sustainability."
 
While working hard to do their part in improving the environment, the film studios realize more can be done, and the creation of the Best Practices Guide is another important part of that effort. Efforts outlined in the guide include tips for production offices, set design and construction, transportation, set-lighting, grip and electric, special effects, wardrobe, hair and make-up, craft services, post-production, distribution and events. Every major studio is expanding upon their efforts to reduce the impact of the industry on the environment and using their creativity and considerable ability to reach audiences with green messages.