We’ve been hot on the trail of Hollywood productions and studios as they continue shifting over toward a greener way of doing business, and clearly, what may have begun as a trend now seems to have serious staying power. Here’s a very small sampling of the eco-friendly efforts that the entertainment industry has pursued in the last year:

• New Orleans’ Second Line Stages has become the first independent ‘green’ studio facility in the United States.
• The set of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Inception was powered with solar energy.
• The Garry Marshall ensemble-film Valentine’s Day was a thoroughly green affair.
• Behind the scenes of the upcoming blockbuster action flick Green Lantern, starring Ryan Reynolds, cast and crew have been composting leftover food and conserving where they can.

To up the ante, the Producer’s Guild of America has launched a database of products and services offered exclusively by green US vendors called GreenProductionGuide. This is a major triumph for Mother Nature in light of how the industry as a whole is notorious for producing untold amounts of waste. At the beginning of the year, Ben Stiller spoke up about this chronic issue after learning that NBC destroyed Conan O’Brien’s $50 million Tonight Show set, but the disposal of perfectly usable items is unfortunately a regular occurrence.

With GreenProductionGuide in place, producers will be able to easily determine how and where to donate materials at the conclusion of filming merely by tapping on their keyboard. Among other information, the website offers comprehensive tools including the most eco-friendly catering recommendations, a movie set carbon footprint calculator, and various other helpful resources ranging from camera/sound advice to hair and makeup sustainability. Hooray for Hollywood; you’re in the green leagues, now!

Via Mother Nature Network