GOING GREEN FOR EARTH DAY: HOW TO BE A MORE SUSTAINABLE CREATOR

We all use electricity, whether we browse, create or share content. And there are billions of us doing it around the world.

For many content creators, the extent of their online habits has caused them to question if there’s anything they can do to reduce the environmental impact of their content.

What is the environmental impact of content creation?

The impact of social media is often talked about in terms of the energy that data centers use to store and process user data. This is around 3% of global electricity. However, the entire lifecycle of content creation harnesses far more.

Browsing for inspiration, filming, editing and uploading videos to social media all require electricity, which is still largely powered by fossil fuels.

Not to mention sourcing materials for a shoot and traveling to different locations, which also impacts the planet by consuming fossil fuels and other natural resources.

 

What impact can you have?

There are many ways content creators can make a positive impact, whether that’s through actively reducing the carbon footprint of their content production or using their platform to spread a message of greener living.

Here are some tips for becoming a more sustainable content creator from concept through to final edit.

Be a role model

A test by Unilever and global research company BIT revealed that influencers have a far greater impact on consumers’ green choices (78%) than TV documentaries (48%), news articles (37%) and government campaigns (20%).

This offers content creators the unique opportunity to become a role model and spread a message of climate responsibility where it's far more likely to take hold.

Spreading the word in your content can mean many things:

1. Ensuring you’re not promoting any environmentally damaging messages

This means watching out for things like your onscreen use of single-use plastics, food waste, use of non-recycleable items and other activities which don’t align with sustainability goals.

Better still, you could actively plan scenes which demonstrate environmentally conscious behaviours. This is especially important for content niches considered to have a high impact on the environment, such as fashion or travel. 

2. Plan content which actively contributes to the climate change discussion

If you or your lifestyle are the main focus of your social posts, you may want to speak openly about your stance on, or actions towards, a better climate future.

If you play a particular character or role in your content, think about how your dialogue or actions can promote a sustainability message.

Raising awareness can come from a creative concept outside of your own personal involvement, too. For example, you might produce travel content, which visualizes the impact of climate change in a particular location.

Climate on Screen is a great resource for finding ideas and tips on how to incorporate a climate change message into your narratives, whether you feature in them or not.

 

Edit efficiently

The climate impact of the editing process is a significant one for content creators. 

Editing software relies on servers, devices and processing power, which all add up to a greater carbon footprint. 

Trying to use your editing software and devices in an efficient way is a step in the right direction. 

Measures you can take include:

• Using energy efficient devices and powering them off when you are not using them.
• Opting for cloud storage or using green hosting (cloud computing that runs on renewable energy sources) to store your files.
• Compressing large files for more efficient storage.
• Collaborating over the editing process online, to avoid the carbon emissions of travelling around.

You can also use the Task Manager or Activity Monitor on your laptop to check the processing power you use as you work. Or use a plug-in power meter to track your overall energy usage. 

Taking this approach is great for tracking which tasks cause you to use more energy, such as color grading, for example. That way, you can try to make this production stage more efficient next time and prove to yourself (or your followers) the impact it’s having.

 

Consider consumables and waste

Creators can overlook how many resources and materials they use in a single shoot. 

Thoughtfully managing these resources is important in reducing your environmental footprint and it can also benefit your budget.

 

Props and set materials

If you’re creating a set or designing props for your content, consider if there are ways to rent, reuse or borrow old props from other creators or people you know. 

Anything that avoids the emissions or use of materials in creating new props - or prevents old ones from going into landfill - is a good thing. 

 

Reshoots

Depending on your content niche, do-overs can dramatically increase the resources you use and the waste you create.

This doesn’t just relate to props you need to recreate or perishable food you need to replace, but the energy you use to light and film your production too.

 

What are the challenges content creators face?

There’s always a chance the best-laid plans can come undone. There are certain triggers to look out for in content creation which can cause you to make less sustainable choices.

 

Remote locations

These can make sourcing and transporting equipment and people more costly to the environment. Access to programs and platforms that enable renting, recycling and safe disposal of waste can be more difficult, too. All of this can lead to greater fuel consumption and landfill waste. 

 

Feeling rushed

Time constraints are another big one. If you feel rushed to create your content, you’re more likely to cut corners and opt for quick (but more wasteful) solutions. 

In the fast-paced world of content production, it can seem like a big ask, but planning enough time and resources for greener production measures from the outset will prevent undoing your efforts later on.

 

Budget

Money will always play a part, too. It would be great to have access to solar-powered charging stations for equipment and devices, or studios running on renewable energy, but these all come at a price. 

Simply being efficient with your energy usage, and tracking how you can improve on your consumption will make a difference with every future production.

 

Grace your content with our Green Music

Create your greenest content yet by backing your next video with a selection or sample of music from our Create Green playlist. These tracks are all created using environmentally conscious practices to complement your production.