The film industry has dominated the American pop culture scene for over a century. Fit for its time, “the major national obsession” (Britannica) came at the turn of the 20th century. Now, nearly 600 new films are produced in the United States annually. The public’s hunger for the next-best apocalyptic film could make our film dreams a reality. The film industry remains one of the most crucial proponents of waste, and generates an alarming carbon footprint.
Film production may not come to mind as an obvious area to implement sustainability initiatives. However, “the global entertainment industry generates millions of metric tons of CO2”, with an average estimate of “15 million metric tons” each year (Time). On a smaller scale, an individual movie, with “an average budget of $70 million” will “[produce] a carbon footprint of 3,370 metric tons” (Arts Management & Technology Laboratory). In context, this would be the equivalent of “786 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year” or “8.5 million miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle” (Environmental Protection Agency).
Statistics as such caught the attention of the Producers Guild of America, who “issued an industry-wide call for a transition to clean energy” in 2021 (Time). The Producers Guild of America is among many organizations pioneering sustainability in the film industry. In fact, “the history of sustainable film production traces back to the early 1990s” (EcoBlvd). The current approach to sustainable initiatives in the film industry includes partnerships with independent agencies like Earth Angel and Green Production Guide. Agencies as such typically pair with “major studios such as Disney, Amazon, Viacom, and Netflix” (Arts Management & Technology Laboratory) to specifically combat the mark left by film companies with large budgets. The goal of the agencies is to reduce the long lasting carbon footprint of the film industry as a whole.
Headed by founder and CEO Emellie O’Brien, Earth Angel is one of the more successful agencies. When working with large production studios, O’Brien would ask all the right questions in order to push sustainable initiatives–“Can we use different materials? Can we recycle those materials better?”(Time). In her partnership with the producers of Amazing Spider-Man 2, O’Brien achieved notable sustainability advancements. These advancements included “a sustainability manager”, which helped them to “[redirect] 52% of materials, that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill, for reuse”. Preventing waste, along with “mandatory switch… to reusable water bottles” and “[donating] 5,862 meals… to prevent food waste” allowed the studio to save $400,000. (Arts Management & Technology Laboratory) Now, Amazing Spider-Man 2, is deemed “the most eco-friendly [large budget, high profile] movie [of its] time” (Time).
Organizations like Earth Angel must become more widespread in the film industry. Much like Earth Angel’s initiatives, sustainability goals can start small, and begin with mitigating waste where they can. For example, “the 1952 musical Singin’ in the Rain… ran countless gallons of water for a week” (University of Colorado Boulder) during production. Hiring a sustainability manager would quickly and easily prevent this wasteful act from happening. Furthermore, some organizational oversight could help producers limit their carbon footprint by making travel more efficient, or using more eco-friendly alternatives. This remains one of the most harmful parts of the film industry, as “51% of [the] vast CO2 emissions” caused by film production “[is] transport related” (Forbes).
Due to the various problem areas it contributes to, film could easily become an exemplar industry for sustainable alternatives. “Large film studios have the funds and labor to be more sustainable,” Calawerts, from Arts Management & Technology Laboratory writes, “and therefore [should] set a precedent for other studios to follow”. As a dominant industry in global media, particularly the United States, the film industry should be inclined to use its influence for good. It should recognize what powerful change it could foster regarding sustainability. With just a few more steps added to forefront planning, the film industry could become the leading agent for positive change, and direct the world towards sustainability acceptance, education, and initiatives.
References:
Calawerts, G. (2022) “The Impact of Emerging Sustainable Practices In The Film Industry” https://amt-lab.org/blog/2021/12/what-does-sustainability-look-like-in-the-film-industry
EcoBlvd, (2024) “Greening the Silver Screen: Sustainable Film Production Practices” https://www.ecoblvd.com/blogs/news/sustainable-film-production#:~:text=The%20Reel%20Revolution:%20The%20History,social%20equity%20and%20economic%20viability
Marshall, L. (2020) “What’s Hollywood’s dirtiest secret? Its environmental toll” https://www.colorado.edu/today/2020/01/27/whats-hollywoods-dirtiest-secret-its-environmental-toll#:~:text=In%201997%2C%20during%20the%20filming,barrier%20against%20monsoons%20and%20tsunami
Sax, S. (2024) “Film and TV’s Carbon Footprint Is Too Big to Ignore” https://time.com/6767943/sustainable-film-and-tv-production/
Sklar, R. (2025) “Post-World War I American cinema” https://www.britannica.com/art/history-of-film/Post-World-War-I-American-cinema
Whittington, R. (2022) “How Film Production Is Becoming More Sustainable and Profitable” https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2022/02/28/how-film-production-is-becoming-more-sustainable-and-profitable/