Start earlier, not later

A recurring theme was the importance of bringing sustainability into pre-production, rather than trying to retrofit solutions at the end.

Simple questions at the planning stage can have a big impact:

• Can this be reused or hired instead of built?
• What happens to this once filming wraps?
• Is there already something similar that could be adapted?

These decisions are much harder — and often impossible — to make once a build is underway.

Reuse needs to become the default

Across Art Department, Set Decoration and Props, there’s still a strong culture of building from scratch. But as discussed, reuse should be the starting point, not the fallback.

That might mean:

• Reworking existing assets
• Hiring instead of purchasing
• Using suppliers who specialise in recycled or reusable materials

Amelia pointed out that many sustainable options already exist — they just need to be considered early enough to be viable.

Think beyond the shoot

One of the biggest gaps is what happens after filming finishes.

Too often, materials are discarded simply because there’s no plan in place. Crew can help change this by thinking about end-of-life at the point of design.

• Who will:
• Store it?
• Transport it?
• Sell or redistribute it?

Without answers to these questions, even the best intentions can fall away at wrap.

Work with sustainability teams

Sustainability teams are increasingly present on productions, but can sometimes feel separate from day-to-day department decisions.

The discussion highlighted how important it is to bring them into conversations early — not just as advisors, but as collaborators.

Sharing practical constraints (space, time, budget) helps them suggest solutions that actually work on the ground.

Challenging the status quo

There was also recognition that some barriers sit beyond individual departments — particularly around IP restrictions, which can limit reuse and lead to unnecessary waste.

While these are industry-wide challenges, crew still have a role to play by:

• Asking questions
• Challenging assumptions
• Highlighting where change might be possible

Progress over perfection

Sustainability on set isn’t about getting everything right every time. It often involves compromise, and sometimes the most sustainable option isn’t feasible.

But as Amelia emphasised, incremental change matters. Small shifts in thinking — especially when repeated across multiple productions — add up quickly.