Based at Pinewood Studios,
her company collects set
waste and then reuses them
in a number of ways, such
as donating goods to charity
or supplying parts of sets to
events.
Another useful resource
for sustainable set design
is a website called Set-
Exchange, a message board
much like Freecycle that
re-homes unwanted sets and
costumes from film, TV and
theatre. Its founder, Peter
Harrison, believes there’s a
long way to go for complete
sustainability, but it’s clear
to him there is a growing
awareness. “TV and film
seem to be further ahead
than theatre with companies
promoting and pushing harder
for sustainability and recycling. Perhaps
this is because film and TV have more
money.” But with swindling production
budgets one could wonder if this is still a
valid argument.
One major form of waste from set builds
that has always been problematic is
hazardous waste, with resins, expandable
foam, paint, aerosols and gels frequently
left over during construction. Thankfully,
there are now waste management
companies like Hazgreen that can
solve this problem by safely disposing
hazardous waste from a production,
and turning everything into recyclable
materials rather than being sent to landfill.
A one-stop-shop with current projects
including several Hollywood blockbusters,
the team at Hazgreen liaise with
production before filming in order to
fully understand the set build. During
production they help set up hazardous
waste stations in strategic areas to ensure
segregation and containment complies
with regulation. “I’ve seen lots of changes
when it comes to recycling production
waste – a few years ago everything went
in just one skip and then landfill. Today
you’ll often see segregated skips for things
like wood and plasterboard. The industry
is moving in the right direction,” says
Hazgreen’s director Marc Todd.
One alternative greener method of set
design is using VFX to create a set or
backdrop. This has many environmental
advantages as opposed to creating
physical structures, says Jim Mann of
specialist design visualisation company
Lightwell. “Once the virtual space has
been installed, a set can be updated and
changed without further need for painting
or materials to be used. Significant
quantities of raw materials, paints, fuel for
delivery vehicles and chemical processes
for cleaning are used in the construction
of a physical set, but none of these are
required for a virtual set design.”
When it comes to the studios themselves,
some believe the responsibility for eco-
friendly set design and disposal lie with
the production companies. However, there
are studios that are openly committed to
being sustainable, such as Bristol’s The
Bottle Yard Studios and Roath Lock, heart
of BBC Cymru Wales drama studios.
One positive action that studios appear to
have adopted is the instalment of eco-
friendly LED lighting. One person who has
noticed a significant shift towards LED
lighting is set designer Josh Grace. “With
practical lighting and screens built in to
sets this has almost entirely shifted over to
LED technology, and we tend to hire the kit
off the shelf which means there’s nothing
to dispose of afterwards.”
With an increasing awareness, a ton of
resources and more companies out there
offering an answer to sustainable set
design, what does the future hold? One
thing that’s for sure is that there is still a
long way to go, says Aaron Matthews,
industry sustainability manager at
BAFTA. “We are some way off from sets
being exclusively made out of recyclable
materials, built in a way which makes the
recovery of materials possible, but that is
the end goal.”
“It would be great to see productions
insist on a green approach to set disposal
when a production finishes. Budget and
time constraints often mean that we select
materials to suit, but many of these are
recyclable and reusable after use, we
just need to make sure it happens,” says
Grace.
McFarlane agrees that there are plenty
of obstacles and a lot more needs to be
done, but she believes the future is bright.
“One of the difficulties with film is that the
head base is often in America and liaising
with those who are in another country
can be tricky. There are major changes
taking place, and production companies
are engaging and need to lead the way.
Construction teams need to engage and
reuse more too.”
So it’s clear that the industry is making
a concerted effort to ensure set design
becomes more eco-friendly and there is
more awareness than there’s ever been.
So let’s hope that next time a TV
programme or film gets greenlit, everyone
involved has sustainability on their mind
when it comes to designing, constructing
and dismantling a set. And with carbon
calculators, green certificates, sustainable
managers galore, and a raft of recycling
options available, it would be hard not to.
“I’ve long lamented the fate of all the beautifully
crafted film sets i see: no sooner is a scene finished
Then they head for the landfill - or at best eternal
storage.” - Colin firth
From There to Here was given Albert+ approval
6
