Production:
Email rather than print
When budgeting, make sure to include a budget line item to assess and take responsibility for your environmental footprint
Use FTP for your file exchange
Use a USB key/Ipod instead of CD’s to carry your files
Use a scanner for sending and archiving your documents
Use webcam/videoconferencing (or skyping) instead of flying
Transportation:
If you have to buy/rent vehicles for productions, use hybrids or low fuel consuming
Use a car pooling or any other ecological transportation (bicycle, communal transport, etc) for production and office practices
Let the train take the strain!
Try to hire local people when you can for your productions instead of flying the whole team (a nice way to save money while encouraging local work)
Shooting:
Re-use materials, for example tapes for transfers and rushes screenings
Manage your waste on a film set (leave no trace: bring back with you what you can’t recycle on location, no disposable plates or cups when possible, etc.)
Recycle used batteries and office equipment at local neighborhood eco-centers or fire stations
Use rechargeable batteries
Instead of buying water bottles, buy reusable bottles for your team and filter your water in the office or buy local bio-degradable water bottles.
Pay your employees the local “living wage”
Distribution:
Make sure any licensing/distribution deal includes a clause which allows public screenings and free copies to be made available in the community/country where the film was shot
Use online distribution
Office:
Purchase post-consumer recycled paper, print on both sides of your paper or use a double-sided printer
Shut your computer every day, it doesn’t harm it at all, and the energy saved at a large scale will be of a great impact (no, a screen saver is not an energy saver)
Pull the plug on electronics and chargers; even though your electronics are not on, they still use energy when they are plugged
Use energy efficient lighting (compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) last four times longer but use 25 % of the energy)
Use biodegradable and non-toxic cleaning products for the office
Buy bio-degradable trash bags when available
Use only fair-trade organic coffee, tea and sugar and use a cloth coffee filter
Use cloth or recycled plastic shopping bags instead of disposable bags for groceries
