Are DVDs good for the planet?

Being ethical and green is all about lifestyle choices. As I sat in the cinema last week, looking over the hundreds of people swarming round the multiplex, I wondered how many of them had arrived by public transport. As I bolted out of the cinema (before the end of the film) to catch my train home, I spotted the car park. Obviously, most people would prefer to drive home rather than miss the end. Conclusion: cinemas can’t be green. With more and more DVD rental companies offering a mail order service, is it greener to stay home and watch a DVD? Some cinemas cost up to £8 per person so a DVD for the night is cheaper; you get to watch it (and pause it) in the comfort of your own home; you can eat and drink whatever you like without being charged extortionate cinema prices and if you have a high def TV and blu-ray player it is actually higher quality. So you’re better off with a DVD but is it better for the environment? Well, the jury is still out on that one. DVDs are produced from a variety of materials including metals, plastics and dyes which aren’t going to be good for the environment, but if you take into account the journeys of cinema goers and the impact of building the cinema you could argue that DVDs are better for the environment. Using that logic, some DVD rental companies could start a ‘be green and rent’ campaign like ‘Love Film? Love the environment?’ Some might think that is greenwashing but if it means more people stay at home and use their car less would it matter? People aren’t going to give up films; it’s a lifestyle choice so switching to a greener option is the only way forward (especially if other efforts were made such as recycled packaging). However, it would cripple the film industry, meaning that only the big budget Hollywood blockbusters would be made if everyone rented. Again, its choices: perhaps, I’ll only go to the cinema to see the independent films in future then.