Our Values
sustainability
We're committed to being
an eco-responsible production company, always striving to be better.
At Freelink, we strive to make a positive contribution to an industry we are proud to work in. First and foremost, our approach to GHG emissions reduction is all about finding ways to reduce our carbon footprint. We are aware of the challenges South African faces when meeting global climate commitments, and with this in mind, we approach sustainability with the care and attention it deserves.
We achieve all of this through:
We achieve all of this through:
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Crew health and wellbeing
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Approach to GHG Emissions Reduction
Transportation and travel
Waste
Energy use
how we do it
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The benefit of being a small team with big environmental goals is that we naturally have a lighter operational footprint than bigger production companies. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have an impact.
At Freelink, we prioritize getting our own house in order and have the policies and procedures in place to meet our social and environmental goals. We regularly engage with our suppliers and crew and prioritize working with those that share our eco-ethical values.
Our operations policy
Waste Management1/8
- Waste will be reduced by diverting.
Available items will be used before buying new (e.g. office supplies). - Non-asset items will be donated or re-used.
Items that can be reused will be considered before throwing away. - Easy to read signage will be provided to reinforce waste management best practice.
Composting2/8
We work with local food gardens and organizations to donate our food waste.
Landfill3/8
Items that do not go in the compost or recycling bins will go in the landfill waste bins.
Water & Plastics4/8
- Water stations are set up that eliminate single use plastic. Reusables are the best option.
- When reusables are not possible, single use aluminum will be used.
- Crew will be requested to BYOB, bring your own bottle, to fill from the water coolers on set.
- Everybody on set will be reminded to maintain sustainable water practices, which are not just about saving plastic bottles but also about saving water.
- We don’t waste water or use it in excess. We don’t throw drinkable water down the drain.
Paper5/8
- Whenever possible, emails and digital distribution will be used instead of paper.
- Hard copies will not be provided unless specifically requested.
- All documents generated from the production office will be electronic and e-mailed out to the crew.
- If printing is absolutely necessary, the document will be printed double sided. And printed on recycled paper.
- Waste paper will be used as scrap paper for making notes and pasting up petty cash receipts.
Travel & Transport6/8
- Clients will be asked to limit the number of flights to reduce carbon emissions.
- Carpooling, crew sharing vehicles. Whenever possible, rides will be shared.
- No idling of vehicles which pollute the air, damage engines, waste fuel and money.
Accommodation7/8
Support hotels that have ecological policies of their own.
Energy Reduction8/8
- Encouraging the use of natural light instead of creating artificial lighting.
- Turning off all power sources when they are not in use.
- Use of rechargeable batteries.
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We are always proactive in reducing our impact through waste and energy reduction, and investing in solutions to drive change.
We work closely with our suppliers and location teams to ensure we protect our precious South African biodiversity.
Our locations policy
We work closely with SANPARKS, Cape Nature, and The Film Office to meet their requirements to conserve and protect our beautiful locations.
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South Africa’s ongoing energy and water crises have made our crew aware of the benefits and cost saving of a reductive-use approach.
We are committed to continue our own learning on the local and global climate and ecological challenges we face, and will continue educating our teams as we journey together.
Our crew policy
We prioritize working with crew that share our vision and values, and encourage our teams to rent or re-use instead of buying new.
Investing in climate positive solutions
We believe that while offsetting has its benefits as the last step for removing unavoidable GHG emissions from the atmosphere, we are also aware that it’s paying someone else to get rid of our problem. Instead, we want to develop an insetting fund that puts real financial contributions (that would otherwise be paid out in offsetting) and invest in technological solutions locally to help our entire industry progress towards a net-zero world.
Our environmental policy was developed in collaboration with Vujá Dé Creative Solutions.