Good Planet Innovation Sustainable Shoot Case Study.
Case Studies are a great way to see how people get Green done. Here’s an example from Good Planet Innovation which aligns COVID safety and sustainability.
Earlier this year, Good Planet Innovation consultancy partnered with SOMESUCH on a commercial shoot with the brief of maintaining sustainability standards while still adhering to, and exceeding, the new COVID protocols.
Their shoot was on location in Gardenia, CA.
Good Planet Innovation Founder and Green the Bid Co-Founder Michael Kaliski walks us through how it was done.
WASTE:
As this was shot on-location, managing the waste was a key factor, so we ensured that we had ample systems in place. Resource Recovery Stations were strategically placed near craft services and catering, with custom signage for optimum crew engagement and education, and our team managed regular deep sorting of waste items as needed throughout the shoot. Both these tactics ensured that we were able to divert 81% of our waste from landfill.
One of the most effective ways of fulfilling on these kind of levels of sustainability is gentle coaching of the crews throughout the day. A reminder here and there to use the appropriate bins, means that hand sorting of waste items can be reduced to a minimum.
WATER:
Water is always a pain point on location so we made sure that there were hydration stations for sanitary water service, and additionally we provided refillable aluminum bottles which were individually labeled for the crew for grab and go.
With the use of approximately 12, 5-gallon water jugs at the main water stations we were able to avoid requiring 456 single use plastic water bottles.
CATERING:
Covid has made catering a far more complex issue and the requirement for single use, disposable portioning has meant production has been stuck with more plastic than ever.
To manage this responsibly, we worked with Humble Pie -- a favorite partner of Good Planet -- who supplied healthy food in compostable boxes. We also offered separate slim jim trash cans for catering prep near their truck for ease. The Craft Services team was a dream partner and even bought all compostable cups and serve ware.
E-WASTE:
We encouraged all the crew to keep in mind the proper disposal of batteries used in production, and also offered to recycle any additional electronics brought to set. As a result we collected, and safely disposed of 18 lbs of small electronics, (mostly batteries.)
ART DEPARTMENT:
We have a great waste removal partner here in LA and were able to divert and recycle the large set pieces from the shoot. We then donated props and smaller set pieces to a local shelter (mostly housewares).
CARBON OFFSET:
Outside of air travel, we estimated the footprint of this production to be approximately 10 tons. After reducing the carbon footprint on set through our program, we offset this production through our partner, Cool Wave.
Were there any unexpected challenges when it came to employing the sustainability guidelines?
The Covid Protocols of this shoot definitely required us to adapt our sustainability kit. We did this by creating a bespoke waste diversion and reduction program and working with vendors to follow the new AICP safety protocols.
What did you learn from the experience?
Safety and sustainability are mutually beneficial. With the right vendor partners, an influx in PPE waste can be almost completely avoided. Tactics for this include providing comfortable, long wear washable/ reusable masks and encouraging water bottle usage, which can save literally POUNDS of single waste PPE from landfill.
With a little coaching on bin usage at the start of the shoot, the entire crew ended up commenting on the cleanliness of the shoot in tandem with the covid compliance team.
What resources did you use that you’d like to recommend?
Individually Wrapped Utensil Kits from Leafware adhere to new COVID protocols while maintaining compostable standards. A life saver in this time.
Clear & Labeled Resource Bags help with easy sorting and encourage participation on set.
Sanitary Water Bottles by Vapur are perfect for set. Between the fill and drink opening being separate (very sanitary), the belt clip provides the perfect convenience for on the go hydration.
A biodegradable and effective hand sanitizer in a spray function, like Elyptol is great for fast paced sets, great smell and a crowd pleaser.
Reusable Masks— Henry makes comfortable recycled 3 ply polypropylene with comfortable straps and breathability that works well for long sets.
