Sustainable Blog Edition #34.
The entertainment industry and celebrities often come under scrutiny when it comes to excessive spending and waste, private jets, or general lack of social awareness. In an effort to make progress, the Academy (of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) has announced a partnership with Red Carpet Green Dress Global. The non-profit aims to fuel change and improve sustainable practices in the entertainment industry.
The focus of this partnership is to implement a “Sustainable Style Guide” aimed at providing guidance for sustainable red carpet fashion. This guide will be given to attendees and designers of Academy events and is encouraging adoption by recipients.
Main talking points of the guide include opting for sustainable fabrics, responsibly sourced materials, or even vintage options to reduce excess and waste during the awards season. Other changes encouraged are to consider social sustainability with cruelty-free or plant based alternatives or featuring designs from minority groups or independent craftspeople.
The Academy recently announced other addition sustainability efforts. They recently received LEED certification for implementing plastic-free environments at Academy events. Additionally the organization has stopped the shipping of physical screening DVDs and created a digital screen room for members. They are conducting annual carbon assessments as well as reviewing supplier practices to assess all aspects of their business.
These changes come as the entertainment industry receives increasing criticism for lifestyle and excess in an increasingly volatile and sustainably conscious world. It's good to see acknowledgement and accountability from large groups which cannot be perfect but can make steps in the right directions.