Signage at events is often created for one-off purposes, or re-used across festival tours. Signs are required for directions, stage times and event branding. Additionally banner roll and scrim for stages and fences is used (branded and unbranded).
The production of signs, banner roll and scrim has potential sustainability issues which need to be considered and the best choices made. Issues include;
- What materials are used?
- Can they be recycled?
- Are signs and scrim reused?
- Is printing on signs low or VOC free inks?
- Does the signage company have sustainability initiatives in place?
- Does the signage company have a sustainability policy?
- Is the signage company independently certified?
- Where is the signage company located and what are the transport impacts?
Consider this:
- Use signage companies which have sustainability practices in place.
- Use only signage companies with ISO 14001 certification.
- Signs are worded so they can be used across multiple events.
- Corrugated plastic signs use ‘Encore’ is used instead of ‘Corflute’. Encore is manufactured from post-use Corflute rather than virgin materials.
- Include the ‘5’ plastic recycling symbol on all sign artwork so that if they end up at waste facilities, they will be selected for recycling.
- Signs are produced on materials which can and will be recycled.
- Inks to preferentially be vegetable/soy based (VOC free).
- The use of vinyl (PVC) banners is avoided where possible.
- Send signs for reuse/repurposing by organisations such as Reverse Garbage.
- Those signs which can’t be reused are packed up and arranged to be sent back to Corex for recycling.
- Branded banner roll is stored and re-used. It is only discarded if it is discarded or contaminated.
- Fence scrim is stored and re-used. It is only discarded if it is discarded or contaminated.