5 Ways to reduce your environmental impact on-set

Recently certified as a Climate Active carbon neutral organisation. CATO is leading the entertainment industry as the first Traffic Control company to be Climate Active certified. What does this mean exactly? It means that we have measured, reduced, and finally offset all carbon emissions. 

Before becoming a carbon neutral Traffic Control company, we  implemented a number of changes throughout the business to reduce our carbon emissions. If you’re a business owner in the film industry who is thinking of going carbon neutral, or are simply looking to reduce the carbon footprint of your next project, these are our top 5 ways to reduce environmental impact on-set.  

1. Use biodegradable coffee cups

Coffee is a must-have on-set! However, the amount of waste created by disposable coffee cups is something that many of us feel guilty about. To minimise our impact CATO uses compostable coffee cups from BioPak, which is a B Corp certified organisation. Made with paper sourced from managed plantations and coated with Ingeo™, a plant-based bioplastic, these single-wall hot cups are certified compostable.

When you’re finished with our BioPak coffee cups you can throw them into the compost bin, or repurpose them as a seedling planter in the garden! 

2. Have effective waste disposal systems in place

On all unit jobs, as well as at our HQ office, CATO has implemented a four-bin waste disposal system. Landfill, recycling, compostable coffee cups and organics are all split out to be responsibly disposed of. 

We recommend using a simple, colour-coded bin system on-set which is intuitive for cast and crew to follow. This will minimise the amount of waste going into landfill at the end of each day on-set, and will decrease the overall carbon footprint of your production! 

3. Prioritise reusable coffee cups and water bottles

CATO have paired up with the brands KeepCup (another B Corp certified organisation) and Rolla Bottle to minimise the amount of single-use-plastics being used in the day-to-day operations of the business, as well as out on location. Not only do our CATO branded Rolla Bottles and KeepCups take the place of countless disposable water bottles and coffee cups on-set, they are designed with the environment in mind, giving back to the earth via initiatives such as 1% For The Planet and Jellyfish 10. 

4. Use 100% biodegradable water bottles

The CATO unit team only provides disposable water bottles to productions on request, encouraging cast and crew to bring their own reusable options. However, if water bottles are required, we provide the option with the least impact. Fully recyclable and made from 100% recycled materials, our new water bottles form part of an ongoing cycle of waste reduction.

We are proud to say that these bottles are also 100% landfill biodegradable. This includes everything from the cap to the label, shrink wrap and pallet wrapping. As opposed to regular PET bottles, ours will completely biodegrade within a number of years, leaving no harmful microplastics or toxic residues behind. In fact, as the bottle breaks down and is digested by microbes in the soil it becomes a natural plant fertiliser!

5. Engage businesses from the Sustainable Screens Eco Supplier Database (like us!)

Connecting environmentally conscious suppliers and clients, the Sustainable Screens Australia Supplier Directory is a great first point of call for any job. We recommend checking out the directory before deciding on a service provider or supplier for your next project. By prioritising the engagement of eco and sustainable businesses wherever possible, you can do your part to minimise emissions throughout the supply chain and encourage environmental reform from within the industry. 

CATO is an approved Eco Supplier with Sustainable Screens. This means that when you work with us, or any other supplier listed on the directory, you know that you are working towards the greater good of the environment.