Sustainability
We are dedicated to delivering services that are environmentally responsible, conserving energy and natural resources while maintaining economic viability. This commitment extends to our suppliers, customers, and all aspects of our business operations.
Environmental sustainability is a core principle of our ethos, guiding us to minimise waste and emissions throughout the broadcast production chain for both our clients and ourselves.
We continuously research and implement strategies to reduce carbon emissions, ensuring these efforts do not compromise the quality of service we provide. From everyday practices like reducing, reusing, and recycling waste to larger-scale initiatives such as energy-efficient building upgrades, better insulation, and sustainable water and waste management, we prioritise sustainable solutions across every facet of our business.
Our Core Principles
The conservation of energy is at the heart of sustainable operations. The reduction of wasted energy ensures that all resources used in the energy production are not themselves wasted resulting in unnecessary expenditure, CO2 emission, and resource wastage. Our commitment to reducing energy consumption not only encompasses our business practices and operating procedures, but even the types of equipment we offer for clients including newer equipment with lower energy requirements whilst retaining expected power output and functions.
Our Green Pledge
Following alongside industrywide guidance from Bectu, we're proud to have integrated their Green Pledge: https://www.gtc.org.uk/media/fm/Environment/BECTUOur Green Pledge v4_4update.pdf into our everyday workflows and operating procedures. You can find the full pledge information at the link above and specific detail about our actions below.
Communicating our Environmental Policies
This section of the website is designed to showcase and highlight our ongoing commitment to environmental efficiency, highlighting both our achievements and areas where we are actively working to improve. We are dedicated to actively promoting and communicating our environmental strategy to all stakeholders, including our staff, suppliers, clients, and, where possible, the broader television industry with participation on wider practices such as Bectu's Camera Department on sustainability: https://camerabranch.org.uk/sustainability/ and participation and active membership in BAFTAs We Are Albert Sustainability https://wearealbert.org/search-suppliers/
We believe in creating a culture of sustainability within our team and encourage staff involvement through various incentives. These include encouraging reductions in water usage, promoting recycling efforts, supporting sustainable commuting options, and encouraging cycling to work.
By empowering our employees to take part in these initiatives, we foster a collective responsibility for minimizing our environmental impact whilst also making sustainability an integral part of our workplace culture.
Keeping Up To Date
Climate change is an ongoing issue and we remain mindful of our impact on the planet on an ongoing basis. We plan to revisit this page and our policies on a yearly basis as a minimum and be open on what we’re doing and where we can improve. We’re currently looking into our carbon emissions, how we can further reduce them. We also need to investigate carbon offsetting and whether this is the right thing for us and the environment.
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
At Mad Dogs Television, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. As a long standing broadcast hire company in the UK, we are committed to reducing our environmental impact by prioritising the reduction, reuse, and recycling of the equipment and materials we use.
By continually assessing and improving our practices, we ensure that we make the most of our resources, minimising waste and extending the life cycle of our products. From reconditioning and repurposing broadcast gear to recycling components responsibly, we strive to promote a more sustainable industry while meeting the needs of our clients.
Reduce Waste
We are committed to reducing waste and promoting sustainability in our operations. By minimising single-use items, optimizing packaging, and offering recycling alternatives, we aim to lessen our environmental impact. We continuously seek new ways to improve waste management and support a circular economy, contributing to a more sustainable future.
Reuse or Repurpose
We prioritize the reuse and repurposing of materials and equipment as a key strategy to reduce waste and conserve valuable resources. By refurbishing and extending the life of our products, we minimise the need for new raw materials and help keep functional items out of landfills. This approach not only reduces our environmental footprint but also supports a more sustainable way of operating. Our commitment to reusing and repurposing allows us to make the most of existing resources while continuing to provide high-quality products and services to our customers.
Repair and Recycle
We are committed to recycling and reusing equipment. This may be by reselling and finding new homes for older items or repurposing them for reuse within the business. By giving equipment a second life, we reduce waste and ensure that it continues to be valuable rather than discarded. Or by repairing and refurbishing equipment to maintain its working life.
This approach helps us minimise environmental impact while promoting sustainability in our operations. We regularly sell off older but functional equipment via eBay which you can find here: https://www.ebay.com/usr/maddogstv any equipment that cannot be sold or recycle is disposed of in accordance with WEEE regulations via a local disposal company.
Equipment hire sustainability
We've implemented several key equipment purchasing policies to minimise our environmental impact. Starting over 5 years ago with a commitment to never using single-use batteries in any of our equipment. Instead, we prioritize rechargeable solutions to reduce waste and promote energy efficiency. Additionally, we have transitioned to using only LED lighting across all our operations, ensuring lower energy consumption and longer-lasting performance. These initiatives are just the beginning of our ongoing effort to provide environmentally responsible equipment hire services while supporting a greener future.
No Single Use Batteries
We are committed to reducing environmental impact by eliminating the use of single-use batteries across all our equipment. All of our equipment, for example radio mic kits, that traditionally required single use AA batteries come with high capacity rechargeable batteries and a charger as standard. This not only reduces waste but also promotes energy efficiency over the long term. Additionally, our cameras are powered by a combination of high-power lithium batteries for optimal performance, along with flight-safe batteries for safe, compliant use worldwide.
When batteries do reach the end of their life, we take further steps to ensure their responsible disposal. Expired batteries are returned to the manufacturer for recycling or reconditioning, or safely disposed of in accordance with WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) compliance procedures. This ensures that all batteries are managed in an environmentally responsible manner, minimising their impact on the planet.
Only LED Lighting
Our hire stock fully uses LED based luminaries which have now advanced so much as to be able to rival traditional lamps in light output whilst being exceptionally efficient not only in power use but heat output. The effect of using LED based lights for television productions are threefold; the power requirements for these lights increasingly efficient typically use less than a quarter of a traditional light of the same output. Heat output from these lights is vastly reduced resulting in less energy wastage and an improved and cooler working environment whilst in their vicinity, less prone to failure. The lifespan of a typical LED bulb is 50,000 hours vs. that of 10,000 hours for a CFL (compact fluorescent) or just 1,500 hours for an incandescent bulb. This efficiency results in a lower rate of failure and lower wastage in the form of broken bulbs.
Not just on set, but at our premises all of work lighting is of an LED type which not only saves on electricity costs but also increases their lifespan over a traditional halogen bulb. Unused equipment is turned off as per company policy to avoid wasted energy and our battery chargers are all of modern efficient design. Our newly built building is also compliant with the latest building code with reference to thermal efficacy and conservation of heat energy too.
End Single Use Plastic
We no longer generate and single-use plastics within our business and have replaced them with biodegradable or sustainable reusable alternatives. We no longer heat shrink our glass filters. We aim to choose more environmental packaging and delivery on purchasing and new equipment etc. We also aim to minimise and delivers into bulk collections rather than piecemeal one at a time ordering.
Sustainable Production
We aim to continue to raise awareness of our environmental strategy within the broader industry and production community. We hope this can create ripple effects and contribute to collective action.
We wish to work alongside manufacturers and suppliers in the bid to tackle needless wasteful packaging and highlight report and feed any issues we find back to the source for reification.
IT Infrastructure
At the heart of our commitment to sustainability, we ensure that every aspect of our business operations is powered by renewable energy. From our energy supplier to our website hosting, phone systems, and beyond, we prioritize environmentally responsible practices. By partnering with organizations that share our values of reducing carbon footprints and promoting green energy, we actively contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future.
Our goal is to not only minimise our environmental impact but to inspire others in our industry to do the same. The heart of the company is its digital back bone and each of the providers and services we use has been chosen not only for its level or service, but its costs and commitments to sustainability.
Renewable Energy Supplier
Our main office: The Dog House, located in the heart of the New Forest in Hampshire, is fully powered by 100% renewable energy, thanks to our long-standing partnership with Octopus Energy.
We've been working with Octopus for over five years and remain committed to sourcing energy exclusively from sustainable suppliers. All our operations from battery charging, lighting and camera tests and our central office infrastructure are powered by renewable energy, supporting our commitment to sustainability across every aspect of our business.
Considder swaping your business, per personal supply to octopus and earn an additional £50 credit on your account with our referal link: https://share.octopus.energy/noble-wolf-184
Green Surfing
The internet is one of the most carbon-polluting industries on the planet, consuming an estimated 416.2TWh of energy per year - more than the entire United Kingdom! (Source: Website Carbon) So we're increibilty proud to say that this very website is hosted in the by UK based web provider Krystal who in 2017 became one of the first website hosts to be powered by 100% renewable electricity from the sun, wind and sea.
Sustainable Telecommunications
Our phone infrastructure is fully powered by renewable energy, ensuring 24/7 technical support, enhanced service options, and faster access to the help you need. With the global reach of our IP backbone provided by Dial 9 Communications, a UK-based VoIP provider, we can offer seamless phone services from anywhere in the world.
Cloud Based Efficiency
Google Workspace is the backbone of our email and daily operations. We've been using Google Workpspace for over a decade and in that time have been able to reduce costs, ensure zero downtime, and enable seamless remote access to all our core IT functions. Google is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2030 and is already leading the charge in reducing and offsetting its carbon footprint. By leveraging their services and a cloud-based infrastructure, we can utilize low-power desktops in our offices, contributing to significant local energy savings.
Secure & Sustainable
Cloudflare is the final piece in our digital puzzle, fortifying our websites and infrastructure with enhanced security and resilience against cyber threats, all powered by 100% renewable energy. In addition to protecting our assets, Cloudflare actively advocates for a safer, more secure internet for everyone, working to strengthen the online ecosystem as a whole.
