Making The 3D Movie Experience More Eco-Responsible

Around sixty years ago, attending a 3D movie was a very unique and highly anticipated sensory experience in which robot monsters and creatures from the black lagoon leapt out from the screen to terrorize a gullible yet willing audience of believers. The magic accessory that made it all happen was a flimsy pair of cardboard-framed glasses with blue and red cellophane lenses...and naturally, at the end of the experience, the audience disposed of them in the closest waste container. Technologies have changed dramatically since then - virtually gone are the days of nausea and headaches during viewing since theatres no longer use two separate film projectors to deliver right and left eye images. Modern single digital projectors instead switch back and forth between the right and left eye 144 times each second, rending the majority of movie watchers fully liberated from discomfort.

Even the glasses are different. In our plastic-lovin' society, today's Real D 3D specs of choice are constructed entirely out of rigid plastic (made in China) and tucked into a #4 pouch that cautions that they should be worn only in the theatre rather than outdoors in direct sunlight. Of course, back in the 50s, the notion of recycling anything for environmental reasons was virtually unheard of - whereas today, it's on the tip of everyone's tongue - so, while there are surprisingly no instructions on the Real D 3D glasses themselves (or pouch) mentioning where to recycle them, each theater screening a 3D movie around the world has a cardboard collection bin positioned at the exit which requests that people drop them in to help the environment. After watching James Cameron's Avatar a few weeks ago, it seemed as though 1 out of every 5 people hung onto their pair as a souvenir...or dust collector...and believe it or not, some are trying to sell theirs on eBay. Still, anyone racked with eco-guilt can actually mail their pair back to RealD for proper recycling at this address: RealD 100 North Crescent Drive, Suite 120 Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (*I have to wonder if the carbon footprint accumulated during the shipping process would render good intentions somewhat pointless, however.*)

The $3.00 surcharge that movie goers must pony up for each pair of glasses is significantly inflated considering that the majority of internet resources claim that one pair of RealD 3D glasses actually costs approximately 50 cents to manufacture. Still, if you were guaranteed that by paying that extra price your glasses would be responsibly recycled, would it be worth it to you? As it turns out, RealD claims that all reclaimed glasses are sanitized, tucked into new plastic pouches and reused in theatres across the world - and any glasses that are worse for the wear are melted down and converted into new consumer plastic items. Some people may think that's a little dicey and question the health aspects of wearing purportedly cleaned, repackaged glasses, but can you think of a better eco-alternative? As increasingly more film studios rush to capitalize on the popularity of RealD 3D movies, the amount of potential 3D glasses being circulated could reflect the number of eager movie goers around the world - an astoundingly high number. Rather than those 1 time use glasses going in the landfill, current ramped-up recycling efforts seem admirable...but I'd like to suggest an even more eco-responsible plan.

RealD, are you listening? Why not stay away from the plastic altogether? Seek out sustainable materials for your glasses because you know that despite your best intentions, not everyone ends up recycling at the end of the day. By creating all of your glasses out of materials that have no or minimal negative environmental impact, you will be sending a powerful message to the world regarding where your motivations really are. For starters, try to make the manufacturing headquarters for your 3D glasses as local as possible. Why not consider contacting Terracycle to find out how the conversion of consumer-waste-to-valuable-new-products is really done. Equally as appealing, give enterprising newbies like Gavin McIntyre and Eben Bayer with Ecovative Designs and Greensulate a chance to shine -- imagine, for example, offering the public a new generation of entirely eco-friendly RealD 3D glasses made out of their lightweight, totally biodegradable mushroom-based material. Funky, yes...but in a very cool, forward-thinking way. If you intend to continue embracing a future filled with 3-dimensional movies, then the vehicle through which you make it all happen should be just as cutting edge with a decidedly greener dimension.