Environment ｜ ESG ｜ TBS Sustainability

The effective use of limited resources

Reducing, reusing, and recycling sets

　Daily TV program production requires many sets and props. The TBS Group reduces sets by maintaining and repairing props and sets that have been used in successive programs and continues to use them with great care over time in many different programs, such as dramas, infotainment shows and variety shows.
　We also promote the reuse of sets by modularizing sets that appear frequently in dramas, such as operating rooms and courthouses, using materials such as flooring and wall coverings to make them look like different spaces.
　When we ultimately dispose program sets, we secure the cooperation of private industrial waste disposal companies and transport them to Midoriyama Studio City for disposal. Byseparating the sets into their component materials such as wood and styrene, we have achieved high recycling rates of approximately 90%.

◼Example of reusing a set
The school desk used in the 1979 school drama “Mr. Kimpachi in Class 3B” was used again in “Dragon Sakura S2,” which was broadcast in 2021. It has thus been in active use for over 40 years.
◼Main reuse items
Props: Mailboxes, signs, lighting equipment, chairs, tables, plates, etc.
Sets: Flooring, pillars, etc.

Increasingly going paperless at production sites

　TBS Television is increasingly going paperless at its program production sites.
After introducing electronic tablets to its news program “News Studio” (Mon.-Fri. 15:49-19:00, Sun. 17:30-18:00) in May 2022, TBS News followed up by switching from paper printouts such as broadcast scripts and progress charts to electronic tablets for “news23” (Mon.-Thu. 23:00-0:01, Fri. 23:58-0:53) in October 2022. As a result, “news23” was able to reduce the amount of paper used by each broadcast by around 52.1%.
　The Infotainment Division’s information program, “Hiruobi” (Mon.-Fri. 10:25-13:55), also began using electronic tablets in January 2023. They previously used large volumes of copier paper for creating design drafts for boards and panels introduced in the show, reference material for technical staff and casts, meeting documents, and other items. By introducing electronic tablets, however, they were able to reduce the amount of paper used per broadcast by approximately 64%. The tablets also make it possible to share information like design draft corrections with all staff in real time, greatly increasing work efficiency.