GREEN Production

With help from industry bodies our strides toward sustainability are finally starting to gain traction. Globally we are currently working within the guidelines from Adgreen, Green The Bid, & Greenlit to set out ways in which we can improve our production processes, reducing negative environmental impacts as well as collating data to understand our emissions on each production.

We are looking at introducing a ‘Green Steward’ on every production. The green steward will manage and record our sustainable behaviour, including carbon emissions. (Implementation rates will likely differ per region due to local factors surrounding feasibility of uptake). With this in place we have set each office a goal to measure at least 50% of our global film production’s environmental impact by the end of 2024, and 100% by the end of 2025. Each of our offices unique locations & regional differences, mean that our goals evolve at different rates.

Following is a list of impacts that ALL of our global offices have implemented to some degree as standard practise on all productions

The Sweetshop 'Green Production Policy' is printed in all production booklets and reminders are sent to all crew.

Printing reduction - reduction of printing of pre production booklets, storyboards and call sheets.

All crew / agency/client are asked to bring their own reusable cup and water bottle to set, which is named and re-filled.

Catering companies are chosen based on their ability to fulfil our sustainable requirements - all crockery and cutlery must be reusable. Catering works to a head count on set to avoid food waste, leftovers can sometimes be donated to shelters and charities depending on government food regulations.

Snacks provided are unpackaged where possible.

Unit departments are set up with bins clearly marked with recycling options and composting.

Wardrobe and purchased props left over after the shoot donated to charity, set build materials donated to colleges/schools, disposing of paints and other hazardous materials using appropriate waste streams.

In addition to the above list, below is a list of Green production impacts specific to each of our global offices:

UNITED KINGDOM:

The UK office works closely with AdGreen, and the carbon footprint on all UK productions is measured using the AdGreen carbon calculator. The carbon emissions of every UK production is also offset.

From January 2022 to December 2023, we have contributed to environmental conservation by planting 1,875 trees for carbon offsetting. Additionally, supporting the development of regenerative energy projects in countries such as Indonesia, Brazil, and Sri Lanka through our partnership with Ecologi.

'Quantum Waste' is used for all production waste and recycling. 'Quantum Waste 'specialises in collecting and locally processing waste in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. This partnership enables the UK office to easily access offsetting reports for each production.

The use of LED lights has been promoted among Directors of Photography whenever feasible. This approach has proven successful on smaller productions. Notably, in a recent charity project, Astera and battery-powered lights were exclusively used, eliminating the need for diesel generators or lights powered by traditional energy sources.

NEW ZEALAND:

The NZ office has three team members on the Greenlit steering committee and one on the board of Ad Net Zero, to help develop best practices and resources for the local market. At the writing of this report, the Greenlit carbon calculator has started being tested on production.

AUSTRALIA:

The Commercial Producers Council’s (CPC) is developing a practical guide to sustainability on set (based on Adgreen’s policies). The Sweetshop Australia has adopted these practises. The checklist helps to consolidate a documented outcome of sustainable efforts on set. In 2024 the Australian team plan to start using the Adgreen carbon calculator on as many productions as possible.

USA:

As members of ‘Green the bid’, our US office actively partners with sustainability consultants, to implement sustainable practices on set, and encourages all partners in the production process from pre-to-post to adhere to these standards.

In 2024, they aim to reduce their data footprint further including data deletion plans for stored assets, particularly redundant/ safety copies stored on servers, drives and in the cloud after wrap.

ASIA:

The Bangkok office faces more of an uphill battle than most due to Thailand being late adopters of sustainable practices, and with no formal industry body advocating for change across industry sectors. Sustainable practises on set are not the norm, and often attempts can feel tokenistic. However this is a great opportunity to lead the charge for change, and we are proud of our inroads to date, as per the list at the top of this article.