Running a Sustainable Business in Hollywood

By Xylia Menzie /July 30, 2021

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Tag: Architecture & Planning

Recent years have shown that it’s not wise to ignore the calls towards sustainability. A key finding in a global report commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund shows a 71% increase in online searches for sustainable products over the past five years, which is occurring across high-income countries and developing economies alike. Consumers clearly want to live in a more eco-friendly, sustainable world, and there is a high expectation that brands will work towards positive changes as well.

The Hollywood Entertainment District is situated in one of the most progressives regions in the US, so sustainability has become a focal point in the area. The film production industry, in particular, is taking pains to reduce environmental waste and pollution. These companies are composting food waste on set, replacing single-use plastic water bottles, tracking waste management, and defaulting to digital over paper. Here are some of the ways the Hollywood Entertainment District is going green:

Make sustainability your core principle

A business that focuses on sustainability shouldn’t think of it as a fad or a passing trend; they should genuinely believe that climate change, pollution, and unethical resource consumption are things that they should be concerned about — and respond accordingly. Making sustainability central to how you operate means integrating this consciousness into your business model.

The Making Fashion Sustainable: Waste and Collective Responsibility study on NCBI notes 73% of clothing ends up in landfills every year, thanks to fast fashion. In contrast to this, vintage clothing promotes sustainability by encouraging more people to buy pre-loved, pre-owned pieces. Iguana Vintage Clothing opened around 30 years ago, and it’s one of the largest vintage stores in California, selling pretty much every article of clothing from the 1920s to the 1990s you can think of. Their #shopsustainable and #shopvintage campaign on social media showcases the ethos behind their business.

Iguana Vintage Clothing is located near the intersection of Hollywood & Vine. (Courtesy photo)

Have the right people on board

It’s incredibly important to hire people who share your company’s values and vision for a more sustainable future. According to Atlassian Corporation’s findings, 60% of millennials would leave their job if they found it clashes with their values. Good management is necessary for the success of any Hollywood business. This is why you need the most capable and skilled leaders onboard your management team. The good news is that finding such candidates is easier than ever as more universities make their business courses available online. This has meant that a much wider pool of graduates can study business at the top institutes in the country and learn the latest business fundamentals, such as sustainable practices. Maryville University’s online business administration degree puts an emphasis on teaching a wide-ranging program that covers economics, finance, management, marketing, and operations all within one year. And it is this wide-ranging knowledge offered by online courses that makes a prospective hire with a non-traditional degree just as valid as those who have done a 3-year course. With more people able to learn these new business fundamentals, hiring the right person has become much easier. Additionally, Hollywood boasts numerous post-secondary schools to provide education and training for the next generation. The Los Angeles Film School, Musicians Institute, and AMDA are all located within the Hollywood Entertainment District.

Los Angeles Film School is just one of the post-secondary schools in Hollywood. (Courtesy photo)

Groundwork Coffee Co. Exemplifies how hiring the right people who see eye-to-eye with company values is necessary to building a sustainable culture. Groundwork sources organic blends through fair-trade farm relationships, uses solar panels in their brewing process, and creates packaging from sustainably sourced materials. Naturally, even their hiring page emphasizes the need for team members who can help them practice green operations and strengthen community ties.

Groundwork Coffee Co. is a Hollywood business that is committed to sustainability. (Courtesy photo)

Do your homework

Businesses that only have a superficial interest in sustainability are likely to follow trendy, mainstream, eco-friendly strategies in a bid to gain more brand equity and consumers. However, this attempt at sustainability doesn’t go very deep; most sustainable endeavors are complex and require more thought. Often, a truly sustainable process would create human and environmental impact across supply chains and communities. Thus, it’s necessary to do research on each element of your operation model through a sustainable lens.

Dear Bella Creamery creates delicious, plant-based deserts that are friendly towards the planet. (Courtesy photo)

From there, you would need to apply your findings to innovate the business and develop products within an environmentally conscious framework. Dear Bella Creamery and the other plant-based eateries in Hollywood Entertainment District have their fingers on the pulse of this concept. Meat — specifically beef — contributes heavily to the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions and devours plenty of natural resources, so it’s not surprising that plant-based foods have become popular. Dear Bella Creamery creates fully vegan ice cream selections, waffle cones, and ice cream cakes from cane sugar, vanilla, and coconut or oat milk, and reimagines traditional ice cream with unique flavors like Taiwanese Pineapple Cake, Lychee Raspberry Daiquiri, and Sunflower Buttercup.

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