Film Queenstown Lakes has launched a directory to help film, television, and commercial productions minimise and manage their waste in the district.

The directory, And, cut…! offers a quick reference to a variety of local businesses and waste-related organisations that provide sustainable waste solutions and services.

The directory is designed specifically for the film industry, which often has unique waste and recycling requirements, such as paint, cars, and old clothes.

It was made by Council’s in-house film office, Film Queenstown Lakes, with Council’s waste minimisation team, and representatives from the local film industry.

Film Office Coordinator Kahli Scott said she hoped the directory would be a valuable resource for the film industry.

“Our district has outstanding natural scenery and a beautiful environment that we’re proud to share on screen, but we also want to protect it. Overall, the film industry is moving to more sustainable ways of working and productions are increasingly more conscious about how they handle their waste. We’re hoping this directory will help them do that, here in Queenstown Lakes.”

“We also hope this will get the conversation started on a local level about next steps towards becoming a more sustainable film industry. Waste is just one part of the bigger picture. We’re open to ideas about how we as a regional film office can help support and champion other initiatives around environmental sustainability in the film industry and encourage anyone with an interest in this area to get in touch.”

She also noted that utilising local film crew and suppliers can be a great way of reducing waste by keeping items and equipment in circulation locally, and that all visiting productions are encouraged to do this.

Council’s Waste Minimisation Project Officer, Kath Buttar, said the directory encourages film productions to consider the waste hierarchy, where disposing of waste is the last resort, and reusing or repurposing items is considered.

“To achieve our goal of becoming a zero waste and sustainable district, we all need to significantly reduce our levels of consumption and transition from the linear thinking of ‘take - make - waste’ to a circular economy model where materials are kept in effective and efficient use for as long as possible and do not harm the environment.”

“We are very fortunate to have lots of great local organisations, such as Wastebusters and the Wānaka Community Workshop, which may be able to repurpose items from film sets.”

Ms Scott said the directory would continue to be updated with new waste-related information, and she was hopeful it may be replicated elsewhere in New Zealand.

“We’ve heard a few industry voices around the country say they are keen to learn more about this project, and we’d be happy to hear from anyone who wants to know more.”

The directory is available online here: www.qldc.govt.nz/community/economic-development/film-queenstown-lakes#and-cut

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