Environmental Policy | Set Surfaces

Set Surfaces | Set Surfaces Digital: Environmental Policy

Autumn 2026 Review

Sustainability sits at the core of Set Surfaces and Set Surfaces Digital. Our hired-solution model removes one-time set-build waste; SSD's virtual production consultancy removes the physical build altogether. All collections are now collection-only, direct from us. We no longer offer delivery.

We assess our impact against our own 5Cs framework, benchmarked where relevant against the UK's statutory climate targets: net zero by 2050, at least 68% emissions reduction by 2030, and 78% by 2035 (Sixth Carbon Budget), all against a 1990 baseline.

Cost

  • Hire over buy removes the cost, and waste, of one-time builds.
  • SSD's CS1 case study recorded a 40% cost reduction moving BAU to virtual production.

Creative

  • Reusable SETSkins and SETPanels replace painted flats without limiting creative output.
  • SSD offers a lower-impact creative route for e-commerce and stills clients via virtual production and AI-assisted workflows.

Carbon

  • Collection-only cuts our transport footprint to zero for outbound delivery.
  • CS1 recorded a 66% carbon footprint reduction versus BAU.
  • We track our own reduction against the UK's 2030 and 2035 national milestones on the path to 2050 net zero.

Culture

  • Sustainability is a condition of every supplier and client relationship, not an add-on.
  • We say no to one-off skin sales, which prevents single-campaign disposal.

Compliance

  • Zero-to-landfill across all operations; materials repurposed or donated.
  • Helen Labourt holds PISEP accreditation (Practitioner Member, Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals), completed August 2025.
  • Print materials and process reviewed for recyclability with our print partners.

Aims

  • Protection of the environment is a prime concern and a core business value at Set Surfaces.
  • Committed to helping deliver an environmentally sustainable media production industry, physical and virtual.
  • Seek to understand and manage our impact, implementing initiatives to act on our opportunity to make a difference.
  • Working towards a Circular Economy, reducing material use and maximising reuse across the supply chain.

Our Ongoing Journey

  • Print process: partners selected for recycling capability.
  • Print material: recycled-plastic, bleach-free textile, dye-sublimation process.
  • Shoot partners: clients retain panels on site and collect skins directly, removing delivery from the process entirely.
  • Digital transition: SSD extends the same principles into virtual production and AI-assisted stills.

Mission

To remove production waste from the creative industries, through reusable physical systems and lower-impact virtual alternatives.

Aim

  • To reduce our consolidated carbon footprint in line with the UK's path to net zero by 2050.
  • To influence an industry-wide step change that reduces operational stills shoot emissions.

Next review: September 2027

Signed by Helen Labourt | Director, Set Surfaces / Set Surfaces Digital | September 2026

 

 

 

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Our lightweight panels feature handpicked textiles, ranging from luxurious metallic prints to realistic textures like plaster, wood, and bricks. They serve as versatile backgrounds for fashion and product shoots or as practical solutions for set issues on location. Unlike traditional wooden flats, our panels are portable, super lightweight, and ready-made, offering a simple, cost-effective solution without compromising quality. We provide same-day dispatch directly to your set, making it effortless to enhance your shoot with our panels.

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