How Green Was My Studio. No, that's not a remake set in tinsel town. The Motion Picture Association of America released a synopsis of the TV and film industry's environmentally friendly practices Monday to coincide with Earth Day and in an effort to show, well, just how green were its member studios.
According to MPAA, production and commissary donations totaled over 130,000 meals last year, while member companies say they achieved a 6% diversion rate--recycling studio sets and other "waste," including sending set materials to non-profits rather than putting them in landfills, and donating costumes.
Those numbers come from the Solid Waste Task Force, a co-production of MPAA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The task force comprises the major TV networks and TV and movie studios. It was formed in the early 1990s after the 1989 passage of California's Integrated Waste Management Act.
Other studio efforts, according to MPAA, include reducing carbon emissions at studios and on location--Warner Bros., for example, completed its second LEED certified sound stage as determined by the U.S. Green Building Council, while Disney expanded its use of renewable diesel fuel, which has life cycle carbon emissions 70% lower than regular diesel. NBCU has quadrupled its use of LED set lighting.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a green buildings certification program.
Fox has switched from plastic to paper straws and continues to rid its sets of single-use water bottles. CBS says its "1,2,3m Green" campaign has resulted in saving 350 metric tons of carbon by using rechargeable batteries, electronic signatures, and water filters instead of water bottles.
“Our studios champion pro-environmental policies each and every day, from conserving energy to reducing waste,” said MPAA Chairman Charles Rivkin. “This Earth Day, we join with others across the globe in not only doing our part, but in going above and beyond. I am proud of how our studios are leading by example on this critical issue – and using their platforms as global leaders in storytelling to bring awareness about green business practices to a worldwide audience.”
