Banner Box focuses attention on eco credentials

Banner Box has installed an attention-grabbing eco mesh banner reading ‘proudly sourcing sustainable material’ outside its own Chesterfield premises to support its ‘green-up’ campaign.

As well as offering eco materials - which is expects to expand within the next 12 months - Banner Box has reviewed its own waste policy and signed up to an initiative whereby its reusable materials go directly to recycling centres. It has also replaced all its lighting with low energy LED bulbs, and is currently reviewing its vehicle fleet to see how it can make environmental improvements. Director Ryan Shelton said of the moves: “Prior to Covid-19 sustainable materials were gaining traction. We were starting to get lots of enquiries and requests for them. Then Covid-19 came along and everyone wanted PVC and acrylics fast. Now it’s settling down again, we’ll be concentrating on far more sustainable fabrics from now and into the future as we continue to do our bit for the environment.” According to the company, prior to lockdown almost all of its larger customers - from retail through to events and local government organisations - were increasingly asking for clean alternatives as part of their sustainability targets. “For many customers however, it’s still about the price, and I know sustainable materials cost slightly more, but not that much more. The more the eco message gets out, we’ll see the change in behaviour," said Shelton. During lockdown, Banner Box was closed for just a single day, and was one of the first PSPs to produce PVC visors, which by the end of lockdown numbered over 100,000. The company also fabricated facemasks, hospital scrubs, and body bags as well as PVC and acrylic sneeze guards, barriers, and screens. “The amount of single-use plastic that’s been produced over the last three months has been huge. It’s definitely put us all on the back foot where the environment is concerned, but as we go forward, hopefully, we can start to think about health and wider eco issues, which is why the sourcing of sustainable materials is vital to our business model,” added Shelton. Banner Box buys its sustainable materials from CMYUK and has been testing eco mesh products. “They print very easily, with punchy colours that are reacting well. We also put eco-materials through their paces in field tests, trialling them outside to see how they react in adverse weather so we can really see what’s viable,” said Shelton. The latest eco material introduced by CMYUK to the UK and Ireland is the Kavalan range of PVC-free banner materials from Taya.