Signage for events is getting more and more accessible. From large month-long events to a smaller one-day celebration, signs can fill many roles. They can be used to showcase your sponsors, offer wayfinding tips, display prices and offerings or provide general branding and exposure. But what do you do once your event is over? You may be able to re-use them in the future, but that option doesn’t apply to all cases.

The social discussion around single-use plastic has brought sustainability at the forefront of our daily lives. What type of signage material is the most sustainable?

Let’s look at the most popular options:

Acrylic

Acrylic offers luminance and optical depth. More versatile than glass it offers similar durability and colour quality. Since it is both expensive and restrictive it is more suited for long term fixed signage. Additionally, acrylic isn’t easily recyclable. It is part of of#7 plastic, with nylon, and most treatment facilities aren’t equipped to recycle that material.

Nylon flag

Very popular for its low cost and its ease of transport, those signs are made of nylon. Like acrylic, nylon is not easily recyclable. The teardrop flag is the most common application of this material. Perfect for branding and simpler wayfinding, it lacks the details and space for more informational content or sponsors showcase type sign. They also lack versatility.

Vinyl Banner

Nearly all outdoor grade banner material is made of vinyl and contains PVC. These two types of materials are simply not recyclable. The only option to remain sustainable while choosing this substrate is to re-use the same signs year after year which is very hard if key information, such as sponsors or name of the event, changes from one year to another.

Corrugated Plastic

Corrugated plastic stands out for its unique versatility and eases to recycle. Considered a #5 plastic, it is the same material used in a yoghurt cup and baby bottles. Its unique properties allow it to be used in a wide variety of application. For example, the very popular selfie frame and the bollard cover popular with large retail locations are two unique product that can be created using corrugated plastic.

Interested in using corrugated plastic for your next event? Talk to one of our representatives this October during Printing United 2019, the largest printing show, to learn more about the possibilities of Flutecorr®.