Former set builders save film and TV props from landfill

Film and TV props built to last are being reused and repurposed in a bid to tackle industry waste.

While the vast majority of sets and props end up in landfill once filming wraps up, a Glasgow-based enterprise is working to change that and says demand is growing.

Started by set builders Simon Cook and Matt Doolan, ReSet Scenery provides a circular alternative for the creative industries by salvaging, renting and recycling production materials.

Among ReSet’s catalogue are the standing stones used for time travel scenes in the hit series Outlander, which have since appeared in several other productions.

The standing stones in Outlander Sony Pictures

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: fe1dff9047dda384679e9564be6a2036-1793968574.jpeg — The stones from Outlander have been used in several other productions since

Matt told STV News: “They’re just easily recognisable and easy to repurpose and reuse. It’s a quick piece for a designer to just instantly take the audience to a particular place.”

The pair met years ago building sets for theatre productions, where they quickly realised how wasteful the industry was and decided to make a change.

They founded ReSet in 2018 and now supply reclaimed materials and sets for productions by streaming services such as Amazon, Apple TV and Netflix, as well as independent short films, community groups and stage productions.

Film and TV props at the ReSet warehouse STV News

Simon said: “It was very grassroots when we first started. There were a lot of passionate people like ourselves who were starting to feel upset with the amount of waste that we were producing for the creative industries.

“It was a fundamental failing. We were desperately trying to not wreck our souls with building in what felt like building for the skip. We were building for short cycles. So a build for one week, two-week builds, go on stage. Then it would be straight into the bin at the end.”

Simon’s favourite props to work with are from period dramas.

“The production value can be quite high, as a lot of skills are used. It’s always nice to see beautiful plasterwork and excellent carpentry.”

Along with larger props and set pieces, ReSet’s catalogue also extends to everyday items a production might need, from doors, windows and chairs to postboxes, road signs and lampposts.

Props at the ReSet Scenery warehouse STV News

Anything too old to reuse gets stripped for materials and recycled.

Simon said: “Everything we bring in, we’ll try and put it out for reuse so you can hire it or you can buy it, put it back again.

“The goal is to get it reused as many times as possible before it’s eventually taken apart for materials. We try to engage the large-scale films and streamers to actually start a reuse cycle with them rather than being primary producers.”