How Movie Theaters Manage Waste

Movie theaters generate a lot of waste—both front of house and behind the scenes.

For movie theaters, recycling isn’t just about customers putting their water bottles in the right bin as they leave the theater, according to a Boxoffice Pro report. And although many back-of-house items can be recycled, the problem for many theaters is compliance and getting staff educated and onboard.

Boxoffice Pro has more:

Small theaters and large, dine-in theaters or traditional concessions—movie theaters generate a ton of waste. We’re talking popcorn buckets, soda cups, plastic straws, and candy boxes —front-of-house items, or those used by consumers—but also back-of-house detritus, like cardboard boxes and shipping material. The waste adds up. Shrinking the mountain of trash generated by the exhibition industry is a two-pronged affair: using recyclable products, and then getting people to actually recycle them.

It’s a simple-sounding process that can actually be quite complicated—and requires the collaboration of exhibitors, vendors, and customers themselves.

Read the full story here.