Reducing print waste
Most print waste is decided long before anything reaches a printer. It comes from wrong sizes, spelling errors, dated artwork and over-ordering.
Where the waste really comes from.
| Source | How it happens | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Reprints | Typos, wrong size, poor file | Proof carefully, and measure the site |
| Over-ordering | Buying extra just in case | Order a real number, and reprint if you truly run out |
| Dated artwork | The year or event is printed on every piece | Put dates on a small, separate piece |
| Wrong material | Paper outdoors, or a heavy board for a day | Match the material to how long it is needed |
| Damage in storage | Creased or damp prints | Keep them dry, and flat or rolled |
| New hardware each time | A new stand for each event | Keep the frame and change the print |
Before you order.
Three questions do more than any eco label.
- Does this need printing at all? A screen may suit a message that changes weekly. For a display that runs for months, print may be the sensible choice.
- How many will actually be used? Count the sites and add a realistic spare or two. Do not let a price band talk you into boxes of posters that will never go up.
- What happens to it afterwards? Decide now. If the answer is "the skip", look at the design or the material again.
Design it to last longer.
Leave off the year where you can. Use a neutral core design with a small panel for what changes. For repeat events, a good banner with "Every Saturday" lasts longer than one with a single date. Modular panels can be rearranged instead of reprinted. Our guide to reusing display hardware goes further on this.
An honest word on materials.
This area is full of loose claims, so here is the careful version. Recycling depends on the material and on your local facilities.
- Paper is the easiest to recycle in many places, though laminated or heavily coated sheets may not be accepted.
- Mounted prints combine layers that are hard to separate, so they are often not recyclable through normal collections.
- PVC banners and Foamex are plastics. Collection is limited, so ask your waste contractor what they accept.
- Aluminium composite contains metal, but its bonded core makes it a specialist item.
- Fabric may suit reuse better than recycling.
Ask us about the choices available for your job, including our eco-textile media, and check any environmental claim you plan to make with the material supplier.
After the event.
Keep usable pieces, labelled and dry, for next time. Old PVC banners are sometimes wanted by schools, community groups or makers who turn them into bags and covers. It is worth asking locally, as long as nothing on them is confidential.
Getting the number right
Our volume prices are helpful, but they should follow your plan, not set it. See how volume print pricing works before you order.
Print worth keeping.
Your questions.
Is fabric always better than PVC?
Not always. It depends on the use, how long the piece lasts and what happens at the end. A long-lasting PVC banner used many times may be a better outcome than a fabric one used once.
Can I return old banners to you for recycling?
Ask us. Recycling options depend on the material and on local facilities, so we cannot promise this for every item.
Can you supply environmental data for my procurement?
Contact us with what you need, and we will see what information is available for the materials on your job.