THE PRODUCTION OFFICE

The central activity of the film business will take place in the office, and so how you go about setting up your office will dictate the eco-friendliness of the film as a whole. You should consider your choices in all of these areas: paper, office supplies, energy consumption, recycling, coffee, takeout, and bathroom and cleaning supplies.

PAPER
All paper in your office should be made from recycled material, and should be recycled. You are going to use a box (5000 sheets) of white 8.5" x 11" paper by the time you finish your film. You should buy this box now. Make sure the paper you use has .a high percent- age of post-consumer fibers—10% or more. You will be helping to make paper recycling a viable economic force. The bleaching process in all paper production produces dioxin pollution. Dioxin, a chlorinated compound, is on of the most toxic substances known to man. Consider buying non-bleached papers.

COLORED PAPER is often used in film production to indicate revisions in scripts, schedules and forms. If you think your production will utilize a color-coding system, you will want to get reams of recycled colored paper (blue, pink, green would be sufficient 10 account for three revisions). Get a selection of 1000 sheets (two reams of paper) in each color. To buy in this small quantity, you may need to locate a local recycled paper outlet.
• Colored paper is bleached, deinked and dyed. It is more costly to process than white paper and fewer recycling plants are willing to accept it.
• As an alternative to color-coding, consider dating tops of pages instead, and distribute changes only to concerned parties.

REUSE PAPER: Buy a clipboard or 3-ring binder and use it .as your notebook. Fill it with paper that is printed on one side only, e.g. old versions of the script. You will save money on legal pads and notebooks. Reuse paper also for fax cover sheets, memos, test printing, and for rough drafts of scripts and letters.

STATIONERY AND BUSINESS CARDS: Print company stationery and business cards on recycled paper. Every conceivable color and look is available in recycled stock: smooth, textured, colored, necked, and clean. You can also find-cotton content in recycled papers (We have heard of one company that makes paper out of old T-shirts!'). You can contact paper suppliers directly and have samples sent to you, or just choose a stock through your printer (Texture or speckle on papers, will be read as printed material by a fax machine, and will take longer transmit, It may also be read by a photocopy machine).

PRINTING: Choose an offset printer, or commercial printer that is sympathetic to environmental concerns. They will know about recycled papers and can advise you. Ask your paper with a high post-consumer content.

SOY-BASED INK: Your printer may be using soy-based inks already. Ask about it. Most inks on the market today are petroleum based and contain heavy metals and mercury, causing pollutants in disposal and mild hazards in the printer's workplace. Vegetable based inks, in which a percentage of the petroleum is substituted with vegetable oil, usually soy oil, are becoming increasingly popular. They are low impact, and in many cases prove to he liner and more accurate in precision reproduction. While vegetable based inks do not solve the problem of the heavy metals, which are components of the drying agents and certain pigments, these inks are still more benign.

OTHER PAPER PRODUCTS: Everything from files, hanging folders, envelopes, and mailing packages to Filo-fax pages, adding machine rolls, legal pads, loose-leaf pages, tapes, and labels are all available recycled. Find an office supply shop near your office, that carries these products, or mail order them from the available catalogues.

BUY IN BULK OR REUSE: If you assess how much of these products you will need throughout your production, you can buy in bulk in advance, at the lowest possible cost. Perhaps you could go in on a bulk purchase with another small company. In fact, you could run your production on what larger companies throw away. Consider now the idea of the Piggyback Film.

ENVELOPES: Manila envelopes can be reused, saving you money.
• If you have a company mailing label, you can cover old addresses on second hand envelopes.
• If you buy a box of new envelopes, buy recycled ones.

MAILING LABELS pose a problem to the recycler because the glues used for self-adhesive, peel-off labels are riot broken down along with the paper in the recycling process. Envelopes with these labels cannot be recycled as a result. (Though, they can be reused) Only the moisture-adhesive glue, such as that on stamps, envelopes, and packing tape, is okay to recycle.
• You can still print your own company labels on self-adhesive labels made from recycled paper.
• Buy an envelope carrier for your computer printer; print addresses right on the envelope for certain bulk mailings, and save on label costs.

FAX PAPER (technically called thermal paper) cannot be recycled. It is coated with a heat-sensitive film that does not break down in the recycling process. However, you can buy fax paper made from recycled material. Also, consider these tips:
• Don't use fax cover sheets unless you have to; Try self-adhesive fax memos which attach right to the sheet you're sending (or print your own small memos and attach with tape).
• If you use a fax coyer sheet, leave plenty of room for a written: message, so you won't need a second page. Print cover sheets on both sides of the paper, or print on paper already used on one side.
• Large patches of black such as heavy-logos on your stationery take a long time to be transmitted, increasing phone bills.

POST-ITS: You can buy recycled post-its, but because of the- self-adhesive glue, these products cannot themselves be recycled. Try to do without.
• Use a bulletin board to communicate inter-office messages.

MAGAZINES AND MAILING LISTS: Share magazines like Premiere and Variety. If you are getting The Independent or Filmmaker, make sure they are only sending you one.
• Cancel catalogue mailings if you aren't buying the products they offer.
• When ordering products by phone, ask that your name and address be kept off of mailing lists.

GENERAL JUNK MAIL can be averted by sending your name, company name, and any additional name under which you receive mail, to Mail Preferences Service in New York.

OFFICE SUPPLIES
File cabinets, desks, and chairs can all be bought secondhand. You will find great bargains and unusual buys in the used office supply shops. Support these businesses. Believe it or not, file cabinets, desks, and chairs, are more often discarded by businesses and thrown in landfills than they are sold to second hand dealers.

EXPENDABLES: Also available used are things like Rolodexes, hanging folders, tape dispensers, staplers, hole punchers—even boxes of paperclips and rubber bands--everything for your office can be found at a used office supply dealer.

RECYCLED SUPPLIES: If you aren't buying second hand, there are office supplies, such as pens, paperclips-and rubber bands made from recycled, material. There are even pencils made from old newspapers! (Boyd Marketing)
• Americans discard 1,6 billion plastic pens every year. You can buy a box of ballpoint pens made from recycled plastic. (Signature Marketing)
• Encourage individuals to buy refillable pens instead of disposable ones. The ink pen is a great pleasure to write with.

OFFICE MACHINES
Machines generate heat and as a rule should be left off when not in use. Some machines, such as copiers and fax machines, can be shared between a couple of small companies. If you are both thinking the same way arid sharing costs, you can spend, the extra money on the added features that make the machines environmentally friendly (e.g., plain paper fax machines and double-sided copiers).

PLAIN PAPER FAX MACHINES: Because fax paper can't be recycled, and so often faxes are photocopied to avoid the curling and fading of faxes, there is a lot of paper waste connected to current fax technology. Canon, Sharp, and Quill all make plain paper fax machines. While these machines are more expensive, you will save money on fax paper, and you will not have to photocopy every fax that comes in.
• There are also fax hookups that feed directly to a computer. While this will save paper and streamline your communications system, consider that certain forms, graphics and documents riot generated by the computer will not be easily transmitted unless you have a computer scanner as well.

THE COMPUTER: The computer promised to create the paperless office, and even to save trees. Of course the opposite has proven true, as more and more printouts are generated by this exciting technology. All technologies have their impact on our way of life. The invention of the printing press in the sixteenth century for example, allowed for information previously reserved for scientists and scholars to be distributed to the common man. This in turn served and nurtured the concepts of democracy arid the informed citizenry on which the United States was founded. The computer promises to bring about no less of a revolution in the way we live and interact. As the computer will play an increasingly integrated role in all aspects of film production, it is valuable to step back occasionally and observe its effects on the work produced. On a practical level:
• Apple Computer has established a battery recycling service. Laptop, notebook sized, and portable computers have rechargeable batteries that die in about two years. Instead of throwing them away, you can return them to an authorized Apple dealer and they will be recycled.
• Back up your material. You will save time and frustration. Computers crash eventually; be prepared.

COMPUTER PRINTERS: Many printers have a default setting which produces a "test page" or "startup page": each time the printer, is turned on. To avoid the paper waste, turn this setting to "off" in the primer utilities.
• Ink jet printers may bleed on highly porous papers. The recycled papers with the highest post-consumer content may fall into this category/Check a few sheets before buying paper in bulk.
• Laser printers: There are services that will refill your laser printer ink cartridge. While most new cartridges cost over $100, a cartridge refill will cost around S50, and the blacks will be richer. Throwing, away a once-used cartridge 'is a waste of money and resources, and adds 6 pounds of plastic to your local landfill.
• The Ecosys a-si Printer offered by Kyocera is cartridgeless, compact, and is compatible with most computer systems.

COPIERS: If you are buying or leasing a copy machine, ask about ones that will automatically handle two-sided printing.
• Different copiers use different technologies to prim an image onto the page. Some systems "spray" the toner onto the paper; others roll it on. The spray technologies waste toner, and emit toxins into the workplace. Ask about these features when buying or leasing a copier.

THE "RECYCLED" SYMBOL

RECYCLED RECYCLED RECYCLABLE • The-familiar three arrows we associate with earth-friendly products, remind us once again that environmentalism in the 90s often amounts to little more than a marketing ploy. • Designed by the paper board industry on the occasion of the first Earth Day in 1970, the symbol has since fallen into the public domain and so can be used by anyone without legal infringement. As there are no government standards attached to the symbol, it is important to read the specific claims of any product bearing this symbol to evaluate the legitimacy of its "low impact" status. • Furthermore, the symbols for "recycled" and "recyclable" are nearly indistinguishable, and so can be confusing. As most things are "recyclable" In some way, you will find this label applied liberally to products that are of no environmental benefit whatsoever.

AIR CONDITIONING (AC): Ironically, the coolant used in air conditioning and refrigeration systems, CFCs,* is one of the major contributors to ozone depletion and global warming.
• Use fans to cool off in hot months whenever possible; they are more energy efficient than AC. Some equipment rooms will need air conditioning, so be aware of these tips:
• Insulate windows around your AC.
• Clean the filters, condensers and coils regularly.
• The less an AC unit is moved, the fewer CFCs (or HCFCs) will escape. This is why vehicle ACs release the most CFCs, because they are getting bumped around. Central AC is the most stable, letting loose the fewest CFCs, and portable window units are second best.
• No AC should have to cool a room more than 20° lower than the outside temperature.
• A continuous airflow is more energy-efficient than cycling on and off.

PAYING THE BILLS
There are companies that are Making it possible for you to make a statement and even a contribution to environmental organizations while doing business as usual.

• Message!Check is a company that prints the slogans of certain environmental organizations on checks and prints in soy-based inks.
• Working Assets is a company that offers services in which a percentage of your bill is donated to environmental, peace, and human rights groups (you can vote for the groups you wish to support). They have a Visa credit card and a long distance phone service, both with competitive pricing.
• You can also call Visa or MasterCard directly. Ask about their "affinity card" programs. They will send you a list of organizations benefiting from their programs companies know that their efforts will give them business.

ENERGY
Energy conservation is one area where ecological vigilance has immediate financial rewards. Turn off the lights in your office when you don't need them. Keep the heat down, don't run equipment unless it's in use. You will see a decrease in your' electric bill, and avoid energy waste. Support energy efficient technologies, like rechargeable batteries and solar calculators.

BUY COMPACT FLUORESCENT BULBS FOR THE OFFICE: Though they are more expensive than standard incandescent bulbs, one compact fluorescent light bulb lasts up to nine times as long as standard incandescent light bulbs—for as long as 10,000 hours. That's about six years of office time. The compact fluorescent bulbs give off the same amount of light at 15 watts as an incandescent bulb at 60 watts. That means lower electric bills and a fraction of the CO2 emitting from your power plant. The bulb gives off a warm, steady light that cannot compare to the tubes that gave fluorescents a bad name. These bulbs are initially more expensive, but within a year they will begin saving you money, and eventually you will save up to $70 in the lifetime of the bulb.
• If you buy the ballast separate from the bulb, you will save even more. The ballast will last for up to 50,000 hours.

NOTE: Compact fluorescents can not be used on dimmer switches or in flatbed lamps.

BATTERIES AND CHARGER: Batteries contain mercury, a heavy metal which is highly toxic to the central nervous system and kidneys. Tossed batteries are incinerated or left to leach into groundwater in leaking landfills. Mercury-free disposable batteries, or alkaline batteries, now available from Kodak and Panasonic, are an improvement, but they. contain zinc, which is a toxin. For flashlights; walkie-talkies,' radios, etc., use rechargeable batteries.
• Rechargeables: Priced at about twice disposable cousins, rechargeable batteries will recharge in as little as two hours (or overnight) hundreds of times, saving you money in the long run.
• Battery Chargers: AC chargers are available, or try a solar powered charger. Just set it in a patch of sun, and over the course of a day, AA and D batteries will be recharged with no energy expended at all.
• Solar charged waterproof flashlights and other energy saving technology are available from Real Goods Trading Corp.

THE KITCHEN AND BATHROOM
You can have a low impact kitchen and bathroom. Everything from the cleaners and paper products you use to -the recycling efforts and food choices you make will have an environmental impact.

COFFEE: Buy organic coffees in bulk: save money and support sustainable agriculture. Brand-name coffees are grown in South America with pesticides that are banned in the U.S. by farmers forced to grow cash crops instead of food. Support the businesses that are selling fresh coffee beans and grinding them up for you.

COFFEE FILTERS: The bleaching process, in paper manufacturing creates carcinogenic dioxins, and in products like coffee filters, the dioxins residues are passed on to you. You have options, however:
• There are nonbleached coffee filters available for filter-type coffee machines.
• Washable, cloth filters will last for several years.
• Fine mesh filters will last forever.
• Many large machines don't require filters at all.

MUGS: Everyone should have their own mugs. If you are just stepping out for coffee-to-go from the corner deli, bring your own mug and have them fill it up.

BAGS: Going out to get lunch? Bring a bag with you. Americans use 7 trillion bags a year. Paper bags and plastic bags both end up in landfills and take resources to produce. Carry your own tote bags.

PAPER TOWELS: Don't use paper towels. Sponges and rags are stronger and reusable. Keep a cloth towel in your kitchen and bathroom to dry hands on. If you need a supply of paper towels on hand, buy recycled ones.

TOILET PAPER AND FACIAL TISSUE: Available recycled and unbleached. These products should not be made from virgin timber!

CLEANING PRODUCTS
Many brand-name soaps and cleaners are highly toxic when they go down the drain. There are biodegradable natural alternatives available for all your cleaning jobs, from dishwashing to tub and tile. Because these products are often concentrated, they can save you money, too. And you can buy in bulk.

RECYCLING
Establish recycling bins for cans, glass, tin, and plastic in your office kitchen area. Tin and plastic takeout containers should be recycled. Same with kitchen refuse like tin foil and glass jars. Get beyond the 5¢-return school of recycling.*

FIND A RECYCLING CENTER that will take tin and plastic. Few curbside programs are well enough funded to include these materials. Get acquainted with your local recycling center.

"WE CAN" is a New York City group that installs bins for aluminum cans in your office. When the bins are full, they are picked up and taken to be recycled. The operation employs the homeless and unemployed and gives a sense of self-worth to those involved. Their motto is “Helping the homeless... help themselves."

WHY SUPPORT RECYCLING?

Americans use 50 million tons of paper each year, equivalent to 850 million trees. On average, 1 ton of 100% recycled paper:
•saves 17 trees and 85 pounds of air pollutants.
• uses 60% less energy to produce than paper from virgin timber.
• saves 3 cubic yards of space in a landfill (Discarded paper products make up 40% of U.S. landfills).
WHY THEN DON'T WE RECYCLE IN THE US?
• The U.S. government subsidizes the virgin timber industry and gives few tax incentives to encourage paper mills to recycle.
• Some of the most available paper for recycling the paper collected from offices and homes, is hardest to recycle because the deinking process has been complicated by laser and copied technologies: These technologies fuse plastic polymers to the paper with heat, and these plastics clog many current deinking systems.
• While improved systems exist, paper mill operators are wary of investing in the new technology, unsure if recycling is just a fad.

COMPACT FLUORESCENT BULBS AND THE FUTURE OF LIGHTING

A century after Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, we are using his design essentially unchanged: In lighting the bulb, an electrical current runs through the tungsten filament inside the globe, heating it until it glows white hot. 90% of the electrical energy in this process is expended to heat the filament, while only 10% generates visible light. We are illuminating our homes with little electric heaters whose by-product is light!

Fluorescent bulbs generate light when two electrodes cause the electrons in the lamp to excite the white powder called phosphors inside the lamp. The excited phosphors create the light we see.

All fluorescent bulbs are run on a ballast. The ballast regulates the voltage and current delivered to the lamp. There are two types of ballast: core-coil and electric.
• The old fluorescent lights used electromagnetic core-coil ballasts to regulate the current, and some of the new globe style compact fluorescents do still. These lamps take a moment to flicker on.
• The newest compact fluorescents use solid state electronic technology. These new bulbs turn on instantly, run silently (without a hum), and are flicker-free.
Fluorescent lighting has a bad reputation; it is notorious for its pale light white light, the flicker and hum, and even for emitting unhealthy rays! All these characteristics have been solved with the new compact fluorescent:
• The new fluorescents use an advanced blend of phosphors to produce a tight with a wider spectral balance than early fluorescents. The new light is as warm and pleasant as incandescents.
• Core-coil ballasts operated at a frequency of 60 cycles per second, which is said to be detectable as a flicker by some people. Core-coil ballast compact fluorescents {usually the globe type) still operate at 60 Hz and take a moment to blink on. The core-coil technology employs a trace amount of Promethium to help start the bulb, which emits 330 nanoCuries of radioactivity, as much as a fire detector. These are the notorious unhealthy rays.
• The new electronic ballasts operate at 25,000 to 30,000 cycles per second vs. the 60 cycles in the core-coil. As a result, there is no flicker, and the electronic ballasts have no trace elements.

The future of lighting lies with the E-Lamp, a technology announced in June of 1992. Instead of electricity, these bulbs use radio waves to activate the gas inside the globe, eliminating the need for ballasts. The E-lamps will last 14 years, and use a quarter the energy of incandescents. Watch for them.

NONTOXIC CLEANING TIPS

The consumer demand for highly specialized brand-name cleaners is the result of decades of intensive advertising. The fact is that one biodegradable cleaner can do floors, dishes, tubs, tiles, and the laundry! By buying a single cleaner for all your jobs you can save money, and save on excessive packaging too! Try these low impact alternatives as well.
• You don't ever need to buy Windex or Glass Plus again. Plain white vinegar will clean any window spotless. Use a newspaper and clear vinegar in a spray pump bottle. If the windows are really dirty, clean with soapy water first.
• For abrasive cleaning like tiles and sinks, use baking soda instead of Ajax.
• For disinfecting, try Borax. It adds to the power of other cleaners and is mild on the environment.
• For the toilet, there are nontoxic "toilet cleaners," or try baking soda, clear vinegar and elbow grease.
• For heavy-duty jobs, use washing soda (sodium carbonate) or ammonia. These products are mildly toxic, so use sparingly.