Film Industry Advances Sustainability with Women Leaders and Innovative Programs
The film and television industry is making significant strides in sustainability, driven by innovative programs and strong leadership from women. Every Day Action, based in Los Angeles, plays a crucial role by redistributing surplus food from sets to unhoused and food-insecure individuals. Protected by the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act (1996), the organization manages large-scale operations such as cooking 120 turkeys during Thanksgiving despite limited oven space, redistributing over 80,000 meals annually. They work with major studios including Warner Bros and Disney; for example, Disney's Snow White production emitted 3,153 tonnes of CO2e.
In Hollywood, EcoSet, founded in 2009 by Shannon Bart, introduced recycling and composting on sets, donating materials to artists, theatres, and schools. In the UK, BAFTA's Albert program actively seeks to reduce emissions by phasing out fuel generators on sets and discouraging private jet travel. Similarly, Green Rider, a collective establishing environmental production guidelines, promotes use of grid power, ride-sharing, and beef-free catering, achieving pollution cuts of up to 80% on productions such as Wolf Hall and Gangs of London.
London-based nonprofit PropUp focuses on rehoming and recycling props and sets. It has moved over 50,000 props, partnered with ITV ReLoved, and sells merchandise, including a Free Marlon Dingle poster, with profits supporting charitable causes. Tilly Ashton co-created Wales's first sustainability coordinator training program for aspiring creatives, further bolstering industry-wide efforts.
Women hold a majority of chief sustainability officer roles in this sector, accounting for 58% as of a 2023 report. Leading figures include Danielle Mulder at the BBC and Sara Peacock at S4C, exemplifying the influential role women have in advancing sustainability across film and television.
