Green Sets
AQTIS 514 IATSE is taking action to make the sets we work on greener. A committee has been created to recommend new practices.AQTIS 514 IATSE is rolling green!
CONCRETE IMPACT: AQTIS 514 IATSE, GOING GREEN SINCE 2013!
Since 2013, AQTIS 514 IATSE has been taking concrete action for the planet by eliminating the annual mailing of:
- 1.75 MILLION pages of member directories (5000 x 350 pages)!
- Over 5500 tax receipts!
- 6000+ insurance assessment letters (3000 x 2 mailings per year)!
- Approximately 3500 membership dues notices!
Not to mention activity reports and production lists, which are now digital!
Do you have a green streak and a desire to take action on set? Join the Green Sets committee by calling 514 844-2113.
News from the Committee
The Green Sets instructions have been designed to help you institute the best environmental practices in some or all departments, or at some or all stages of the production process (preparation, production, postproduction).
Great news! Québec Cinéma has adopted our proposal and added since 2022 the Rolling Green award to the Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma festival, recognizing a film whose production team made an outstanding effort to reduce carbon emissions. Our hope is that this recognition in the community will encourage producers to adopt sound environmental practices.
One of our goals is to shine a spotlight on technicians who make an outstanding contribution to environmental initiatives. You can help: Nominate inspiring individuals who you feel deserve to be recognized for a “green initiative of the month.” And don’t forget to share you and your colleagues’ green success stories on social media using the hashtag #greensets. If you’re a set photographer, take a minute to capture moments of environmental responsibility when you see them!
Reminder: Quebec’s council of environmentally responsible events, CQEER, maintains a directory of “green” suppliers on its website. It’s a handy resource for reducing environmental impacts during every phase of production.
https://evenementecoresponsable.com/repertoire
Please note that you may bonify the directory by adding your contacts. Send suggestions to info@cqeer.com or info@ontournevert.com.
The Rolling Green/On tourne vert website gathers helpful documents and tools. QFTC has also developed a green certification system for film shoots, which is more and more popular. Once again, the success of this important project is in our hands, colleagues. Every action helps!
Email: plateauxverts@aqtis514iatse.com
Facebook: AQTIS 514 IATSE
Instagram: aqtis514iatse, and try the #greensets hashtag!
Committee meeting minutes
Meeting minutes: April 29, 2021
Update for members, June 25, 2021
Meeting minutes: September 14, 2021
Meeting minutes: January 22, 2025
Meeting minutes: February 18, 2025
Cigarette butt recycling partnership
Cigarette butts: A unique challenge
Cigarette butts make up close to 30% of waste found on public property. They contain nicotine and hazardous materials which dissolve and pollute waterways and the entire ecosystem. And cigarette filters contain microplastics, a major problem in oceans and waterways.
To address these issues and better serve its members, AQTIS 514 IATSE is teaming up with SAESEM, the organization behind the Mégot-Zéro program. Their approach is very consistent with our desire to make our sets greener while lowering our industry’s carbon footprint.
Positive steps on our sets!
• Bring your own cutlery
• Bring your own coffee/tea cup (How many hot beverages do you drink per day? And how many days do you work in a year? Do the math...)
• Bring your own dishes for snacks
• Use your personal headset (again, consider that on a project involving 50 days of shooting, with an average of 50 technicians, we may discard 100 headsets!)
• Need batteries? Consider rechargeables!
Green thinking in action!
Here’s a great example of something all of us can do to cut back on waste in our on-set garbage bins.
In 2018, on the set of Season 3 of Lâcher Prise, the cast and crew brought not only their own water bottles but also coffee mugs, cutlery and snack dishes! And know what? It’s actually not that hard!
The key is creating a connection with the craft service manager at the start of the shoot. We were fortunate to work with Krystelle Coutu, who was thrilled to see us show up with our own personal dishes!
Everyone had 2 dishes, and we were all responsible for washing our own. Once they were identified, getting reusable dishes from the mobile kitchen to the set was a snap.
This is just one example of how big environmental improvements are within easy reach. Have specific questions about how it works? Reach out to Krystelle. She has great tips and smart advice on effective ways to roll out eco-friendly snacks.
We all have a part to play for the environment ;-)
Member of the Executive, Representative, Camera Department
Photo credits: Marlène Gélineau Payette
