Major Hollywood productions are now heeding these considerations

Recycle movie decorations ... Efforts and ideas for environmentally friendly cinema

Reusing the decoration is a step taken by the producers to reduce the environmental footprint of the film industry.

Archives

The total weight of the components of a movie theater, from wood and others, may reach about 15 tons, all of which are thrown into waste bins as soon as filming ends, which aroused the enthusiasm of a number of French interior designers to launch a project to recycle them.

At the headquarters of the "La Roussauri du Cinemas" project, launched in the Paris suburb of Bagnolet, Jean Roche Bonanne carries a two-meter plank in a cart that he pulls.

This tablet was supposed to be destroyed after being used in the filming of one of the works, but Jean Roche grabbed it to deliver it to the crew of another short film.

"Our aim is to reuse as many decor items as possible, instead of throwing them in the trash," he explains.

This initiative may seem insignificant, but the reuse of decoration is one of the steps that producers can take to reduce the environmental footprint of the film industry, the size of which is beginning to be aware of.

Filming a feature film can produce about 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide, one-fifth of it from the decorative elements, according to the French professional organization Eco-Broad.

"It's easier to get rid of décor than to recycle them," Bonnan notes, for studios where filming is frequent.

He knows exactly what things are, for over the past 25 years, he has prepared hundreds of panels, beams, false windows and others for use in movie decorations, all of which were thrown into containers after filming was completed.

The team «La Rossiere du Cinema» was recently able to obtain dozens of items that were used in one of the works as decoration, which is a studio copy of an ancient monastery.

Bonan points out that all parts of this decor were made "of new materials," adding, "Had we not intervened, the entire waste counter would have a decor of about 500 square meters."

"We have recovered the equivalent of 10 full truck loads, and all of this can be used again for commercials, music videos and feature films."

Other items such as carpet, polystyrene and windows can also be placed at the disposal of craftsmen outside the cinema.

In fact, La Rossiere du Cinemas is a revival of an old practice. Until the 1980s, most interior designers reused their decor items and painted papers, says Philippe Bollnoir, the retired interior designer who supports the team.

However, with the decrease in the prices of materials and the high prices of storage, this method of work is no longer popular, and therefore it is necessary today to return to the method of placing a layer of burlap between the wallpaper and the wall itself in order to be able to remove it without damaging it.

"A lot of interior designers contacted us, expressing their desire to collaborate with us," said Jean-Roche-Bonan.

Some preempt the addition of environmental provisions in the terms of aid for cinema.

Interest in this aspect is not limited to France, but is a global phenomenon, as major Hollywood productions are also keen today to take environmental considerations into account.

"Too many bathrooms"

Décor elements are now piled up in the various warehouses of "La Rossiere du Cinema" near the French capital.

In this warehouse building that will be demolished before the Olympic Games to be hosted in Paris in 2024, Matteo Jinan, 47, is an expert in choosing the appropriate decorative pieces from among those stored for use in new work.

Amidst a mixture of fake rust boards, cardboard and lamps, he recalls filming a recent film in Angoulême (southwestern France), "after which the decor of a soccer field was destroyed full of decorative papers without anyone turning an eyelid."

Jinan, through his company "Arlokan Materials", intends to specialize in accessories, from chairs to street lamps, through to factory doors.

In this area, some of the items that are often rented by specialized companies are reused.

However, there are other decorative elements that are destined for waste bins, which Matteo Jinan aspires to recover and use again.

He refers, for example, to "a complete decoration of a hospital at the beginning of the twentieth century," which includes tiles and sinks "sufficient to make a lot of bathrooms and toilets," he says.

The goal of the project is to reuse as many decor items as possible, instead of throwing them in the trash.

Follow our latest local and sports news, and the latest political and economic developments via Google news