Green is Good: Making More Sustainable Choices on Set For a Happier Planet

“When it comes to sustainability, we’re always thinking about what we can do and how we can be better,” says Pavla, adding, “we were one of the first service networks to join Green The Bid.” She also understands that production companies are incredibly busy and they’re not always optimised to adopt the sustainability concept without support. 

With that in mind, she is consulting with the US-based Good Planet Innovation and the South African Wrap Zero to see how similar organisations can be found or set up in Central and Eastern Europe where most of the Compass Rose’s offices are located.

“You can find inspiration everywhere, even outside our industry! I’m always amazed and inspired by any small, yet meaningful, action I may discover in one location and then go and introduce it across our entire network,” says Pavla. “A good example is our Spectrum Mexico office who works with a local catering company that turns all their food waste and left-overs from the shoot into a garden compost which they then bring back to us to re-use for office plants or people’s gardens. That’s genius and so easy to replicate elsewhere!”

Another partner Compass Rose joined forces with is a new organisation, BGreen, which has recently set up in the Czech Republic, that will help “connect the dots” on sustainability by providing production companies with ‘green marshals’ to assist during the production process. They’ll serve as the conduits to finding sustainable solutions, like recyclable cutlery, greener catering, and the best places to repurpose or recycle art materials left-over from shoots. 

“It has become increasingly clear that although producers are interested in this topic, the fact that they are short of time to immerse themselves in it more deeply, coupled with the complexity of sustainable filming that can be very specific to each project, was the main obstacle in this matter,” explains Eva Dvořáková Pérez, founder of BGreen, freelance producer & commercial department manager at APA Czech. “Our hope is that if we were to offer this fully sustainable service to every type of shoot, the sources to finance these measures were found especially on the client's side as they have to realise these expenses are minimal compared to the whole budget but the benefits in saving our planet and influencing mindset of such a wide range of people is huge.”

 

Recently named ‘Green Crew Hero’ by Green The Bid, Eva has a clear vision that she projected when building new platform Greenfilming.cz covered by APA Czech, “Our aim is to create a platform that provides everyone with free access to tools, resources and off-set programmes in a clear and organised way. Having all the information in one ‘green’ database, we’re hoping to connect individuals and companies with each other to ensure the sustainable practices can be applied more efficiently and lead to green filming becoming the new industry standard."

“The countries we operate in don’t always have the same infrastructure in terms of things like recycling or composting, for example, and we use the strength of our group to share sustainability ideas amongst each other. We are hoping that organisations like BGreen are going to start popping up in countries where they do not yet exist to help all the local industries accelerate the growth in sustainable productions,” says Pavla.

Realising that making more sustainable choices on and off the set and reducing the impact of the production shoots on our environment won’t come over night, Pavla is passionate about creating immediate as well as long-term changes across the Compass Rose’s family of production companies one step at a time. 

Guided by the principles that what can’t be reduced, has to be re-used or recycled, here are some of the changes she and her team aspire to make that are as good for the company as they are for the planet:

Actively participate in sustainability topic discussion in media, professional public and film schools

Green meetings with clients, crew and suppliers

Paperless production to eliminate printing of daily call sheets

Use recycled building materials for constructions

Use of LED lights

Replace diesel aggregate with an access to local electric points

Use environmentally friendly paints

Use of re-usable and compostable packaging, cups and cutlery 

Distribution of reusable water bottles for all crew members 

Offering seasonal and local produce

Include a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan meals

Offering compost facilities processing waste and left-overs

Work with carbon calculators

Off-set flight emissions

Use of electric cars and carpooling

Encourage local cast and crew to cycle

Offer used materials and props to art schools, galleries, theatres or museums

Borrow, rent, adjust and up-cycle props and wardrobe 

Donate wardrobe to second hand shops or charities

Use eco-friendly makeup and sustainable styling products