New from Leach is a fabric graphic product made from textiles composed of 100% recycled yarn. The Eco-Screen can be used for back-lit displays and when the graphic needs updating the fabric can be returned to Leach for onward recycling. This ‘return to base’ model means the solution is completely circular, with two recycled plastic bottles required to produce 1m² of Eco-Screen. 2.29 tons of CO2 are also saved for every ton of plastic bottles salvaged.
The carbon footprint of the Eco-Screen is further improved when it is used on the new Leach Box - an ultra-bright illuminated display that uses a flexible lightsheet as the LED backboard. Consequently, the lightbox can be rolled up and transported in a recycled tube, in the back of a car rather than larger vehicles. Leach said power consumption is reduced by up to 30% through the use of sensors and all constituent materials are 100% recyclable.
The patented solution is fire-rated and CE certified.
Commenting on Leach’s mounting environmental focus, head of innovation Mike Wilshaw said: “Topics like carbon footprint, material reuse, closed loop business models and single-use plastics were once of interest only to the minority, but now they’re mainstream issues that organisations and the general public alike are trying hard to address. While we hope the UK’s resource agenda will become stronger and stronger as the years pass, we cannot be reliant on government policy alone. Those of us in industry need to do something too!”
Wilshaw added: “With innovation comes opportunity but often ‘being green’ comes at a cost. That’s why we’ve worked hard to create a display solution that satisfies organisations’ environmental conscious without being any more expensive. Throughout the 12-month R&D journey we’ve also worked hard to ensure this product is no less robust than our lightboxes with a dibond backboard, easier to install, and with absolutely no reduction in illumination quality - in fact it is up to 40% brighter!”
Leach, which began life as a one-man photographic studio in 1891, was acquired by French-owned global manufacturing and services group Chargeurs in April 2018 to help fuel the firm’s global expansion. The 127-year-old UK business has long had a ‘green’ conscience, with products like Stik Wallpaper winning the Queen’s Award for Innovation for its reusability and ease of transport.
At the company’s innovation summit 12 months ago, a consultation with leaders from the worlds of retail, events, signage and more, unveiled a sense of urgency for wider-spread environmental focus. Leach’s R&D team has therefore ploughed 12 months and £100,000 of investment into graphic display solutions with even greater green-performance.
