Donations can be brought into the bookstore 10AM-8PM weekdays and 12-6 on weekends, except when closed for special events.

They have limited resources and generally only pick up from publishing, music, and film industry donors.

If you are in the publishing, music, or film industries, and have a very large donation or something that you think may be truly special, please contact them by email at HYPERLINK “mailto:donations@housingworksbookstore.org” donations@housingworksbookstore.org. They will let you know if they can accommodate.

Film Biz Recycling (FBR) is a not-for-profit organization devoted to reducing, reusing and redirecting waste from the film and television industry in New York City. Since May 2008, over 72 tons of materials have been donated to local charities, art organizations, schools, churches and reuse programs that would have otherwise been landfilled. Film Biz Recycling retains about 10% of donations for sales and rentals back to the industry at affordable rates for all budgets and all productions.

With support from The Pollution Prevention Institute, Film Biz Recycling (FBR), will be hosting workshops this July 2009 to introduce “The Practical Guide to a Greener Production.” Written for entertainment industry professionals, the guide aims to offer practical tips for making film, television, and commercial productions more eco-friendly by purchasing greener materials, reusing materials, reducing waste, and introducing proper recycling methods to their sets and production offices. The workshops will include panel discussions on how productions can save money while being green, and all 100 attendees will receive a copy of the free guide.

The film industry is clamoring for such a program. People who work in film tend to be socially progressive. Although environmental challenges are understood by those who work in the industry, economic pressures have kept them from making significant changes in their environmental practices. However, once an industry-wide set of green practices are in place and an outlet exists to receive materials, the film production community will rise to the opportunity for systemic change.

Film Biz Recycling also would like to serve as an environmentally and socially responsible model for every industry, not just the film business. If New York City’s film community can alter its thinking and methods, even slightly, then so can the hotel industry, clothing and auto makers, chemical companies, grocery stores, conventional farmers, carting companies, toy companies, the U.S. government, banking, Renaissance festivals, construction companies, land developers, space programs, day-care centers, etc.

In a nutshell, we need to takle the cradle to grave model we adhere to now and turn it around to a cradle to cradle operation addressing the triple bottom line every step if the way.
Set dressing and wardrobe donations

Productions after wrap have a lot of materials and economic considerations often drive decision-making. More pften than not, budgets have been depleted and wrap expenses still have to be paid. Producers, production companies and studios feel they cannot afford the time and effort to make sure the mountains of lumber, half full paint cans, plaster, wall paper, tempered glass, linoleum, sub flooring, adhesives, tile, lighting, mantles, trim, curtains, appliances, art work, carpeting, cabinetry, sinks, tubs, toilets, sofas, pillows, throws, live plants, paneling, hardware, ceiling fans, Plexiglas and other material find an environmentally safe end. Besides, 30-yard dumpsters cost $950 dollars each and one or two may hold the contents of an entire commercial. Movies can squeeze the remaining items from a film into four to nine 30-yard dumpsters. Unfortunately, material consigned to dumpsters could very well, depending on the carting company, end up in landfills.

Film Biz Recycling provides an alternative to such practices in the form of advocacy, education and a location for receiving material. FBR has written a The Practical Guide to a Greener Production, an educational handbook with accompanying website that will be used to address waste issues at every point in a production process. In addition, FBR will provide responsible alternatives for New York City’s 5 billion dollar a year film industry by donating items that would normally end up as waste to charities on behalf of the business as a whole. Finally, FBR will cut down on purchased material and save the industry money by reusing discarded items through its prop rental business. Most importantly, at every stage of our process, FBR will divert material from landfills.

Green Consulting

There is a strong desire to “Go Green” in the film industry and FBR wants to offer affordable consultation services to those who desire it. Unfortunately, although many intelligent and creative people work in the industry, they are often too time driven to be able to educate themselves about green issues. Consequently, when Film Biz Recycling emerged there was an outpouring of support indicating that FBR offers a service the industry both needs and desires. In the past few months, I have met with executive producers of production companies, city employees, industry association presidents, union presidents and an ad agency. All of these organizations had previously attempted to establish “green guidelines”, but were misinformed or unaware about issues regarding the environmental impact of film production processes. For example, not one of the industry leaders mentioned above was aware that lauan (thin plywood used in building film sets) is a rain forest product, nor did any industry leader understand the proper way to dispose of paint.

Green Your Set! consulting will help film production companies and advertising agencies improve their environmental processes, lower their carbon footprint, improve their (double or triple) bottom lines and boost their public relations.

Green Storage Clean Outs

Many times a production will store things for months until “picture lock” – when the film is edited and no re-shoots are necesary. Then, all the sets and props are released. In the past, that meant hirong a small crew to fill up a dumpster and call it a day. Film Biz Recycling offers the service of cleaning out the storage unit, recycling all the materials and donating everything possible – we have also managed to figure this method is 33-54% less expensive than dumpsters.

The storage clean outs create freelance green jobs and as the trend grows, perhaps full-time green collar jobs.