What if the foam, wood, and metal used to build film and TV sets could be replaced with a material that's stronger than it sounds, faster to build with, and goes straight into the blue bin when the shoot wraps?

Karmen Hansen, Owner of Nordwerk Design Inc., joins Zena and Mark to break down how engineered paperboard is replacing virgin, high-emission materials in film, TV, and event production — and why the total cost argument for conventional materials doesn't hold up the way most productions assume.

From building the Echo Probe for the opening scene of Alien: Romulus to engineering the CBC Edmonton news desk — which holds a 211lb tabletop and is still standing after a 4-week stress test — Karmen unpacks how this material works, what it takes to get major clients to trust it, and why the circular economy case for cardboard on set is stronger than anyone expects.

Topics: sustainable set design, circular economy, film production materials, engineered cardboard, Re-board, zero-waste production, sustainable events, trade show design, set builds, sustainable architecture, film industry sustainability, replacing Luon, cardboard furniture, sustainable construction.

🎙️ Connect with Karmen and Nordwerk:

Karmen Hansen, Owner — Nordwerk Design Inc.

🌐 nordwerk.co

📸 Instagram: @nordwerkdesign

🎵 TikTok: @nordwerkdesign

💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/nordwerk-design/

🎙️ Connect with your hosts:

Zena Harris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zenaharris/

Mark Rabin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rabinmark/