Banner Recycling options. Large format banners are a superb advertising medium, but have you considered their impact on the environment? Our new range of Eco Banner Printing products are completely PVC free and 100% recyclable. Our standard banners are produced on either various grades of PCV Banner Material Scrim or on a range of Polyester Fabrics. PVC Scrim and Fabric banners have different benefits and advantages when it comes to recycling or re-use.

With Banners being a popular and cheap way to advertise, PVC is classed as a throwaway item. We recycle less than 1% of all PVC produced. Estimates lead us to believe that the world manufactures upwards of 1.2 million PVC Banners annually. Banners account for a whopping 550 tonnes of PVC being thrown into landfill or been burned to release harmful toxins into the air!

PVC Banner Recycling

PVC scrim is the most common material used for advertising banners in the UK. Made from PVC plastics combined with a polyester scrim, this material prints superbly and is cheap, strong and long-lasting. Variants include front-lit, backlit and mesh.

Unfortunately, PVC Banners are not particularly recyclable and most end up in landfill, continuing to release dangerous toxins for decades to come. Incinerating them produces harmful fumes into the air.

With banner PVC being made up of a combination of complex polymers, current plastic recycling methods are not compatible. An additional problem arises with metal eyelets, which have to be removed before any recycling efforts can be made.

Fabric Banner Recycling

Polyester fabrics can be recycled and reused quite easily. Many clothing manufacturers use recycled fabrics in their range, offering this as a selling benefit to their clients.

Banner Re-Use

There are several innovative ways of re-using banners. Anything that prevents them from going to the landfill is a bonus.

Covers

PVC Banners, being completely waterproof, can be used as outdoor covers quite easily.

Bags

PVC and Fabric Banners can be made into ideal carrier bags for shopping or custom-sized bags for equipment. Larger Stage Backdrops are being made into fashion bags in the USA

Groundsheets

Larger PVC banners make excellent groundsheets and footprints for tents.

Cushions

Stuffed with newspaper or straw, PVC banners make ideal outdoor cushions.

Table Covers

Use face-down on outdoor tables for a convenient, hygienic wipe-down surface.

Playmats

Ideal as arts and crafts playmats, especially where paint is involved.

Dumbells

PVC banners can be shredded down and used to make dumbells and other gym equipment.

Stable Flooring

Recycled PVC is ideal as a flooring material for horse stables. It reduces dust, is very hardwearing and easy to clean.

Be mindful when designing PVC Banners

Why not design your banner to be reusable? With banners having a lifespan of 6 months – 10 years, why not take advantage of this and create a banner which is more generic for various applications? Banner Recycling saves you money and is less harmful to the environment. Intelligent design means banners can be used across different campaigns and events. To do this efficiently avoid using time restrictions such as dates and years. Use branding promotion ( your logo and slogan) rather than having event-specific content. This way, banners can be used again and again and delay the need to dispose of them. 

Donate them

PVC is useful material. You may not have the time to upcycle your banner or have another use for it, but this doesn’t mean it needs to be thrown away. Why not ask local clubs, schools or nurseries if they can make use of them. They would be great for arts and craft activities and prevents the banner from ending up in a landfill. 

Create a bag

For banner recycling, Arizona State University creates Banner bags as an eco-friendly replacement to single-use carrier bags. The university first started to upcycle its banners into bags in 2010. This trend has been happening globally with a group in Pakistan “Miracles Trust” launching a campaign to recycle election banners. Jamaica has been making schoolbags and pencil cases for children. A group called LUPITA working with a team from university Del Valle De Mexico on Campus Texcoco, have made this a fashionable product and have sold over 5,000 items made out of PVC banner. PVC is a super durable material. It is an ideal material for manufacturing bags. PVC is waterproof and sturdy, meaning it will last a long-time and won’t break when carrying bulky goods. 

Photo by LUPITA WORKING WITH THE TEAM FROM UNIVERSIDAD DEL VALLE DE MÉXICO CAMPUS TEXCOCO

ECO BANNER PRINTING

Get Creative with recycled PVC Banners

You can turn your PVC banner into a contemporary light just like Chan Wan Ki did to create Living Pixels in Hong Kong. They started their project with used PVC banners and wanted to create something unique and stylish. This creative use of recycling PVC banners is a perfect way to prevent plastic from ending up in landfill as well as adding style to any eco-conscious home. Begin by cutting the banner into pieces and placing similar colours into groups. You can create any shape of lampshade you like by sewing these pieces together. Here they put the non-printed side of the banner away from the bulb so that the lamp appears plain white when switched off. The light fills the room with an array of colour when switched on creating an exciting and interesting luminous pattern. Leave gaps of various sizes to allow different amounts of light through. Finally, enjoy your new lampshade with an eco-friendly bulb. 

BANNER RECYCLING TIPS

PVC outdoor seating

Waterproof cushions can be made from PVC. Creating them from PVC material the cushions can be left out in the rain without getting damaged as they are ideal for long term outdoor use. Not only will this add a pop of colour to your garden, but it will also prevent PVC ending up in the landfill. A great method of banner recycling.

Recycled banner printing

You Could Use Eco-Friendly Recyclable Banners!

Banner World also offers PVC-free Eco-Friendly Banners. These banners are made from different types of plastic which are 100% recyclable and therefore much easier for banner recycling processes.

 

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