54 www.signlink.co.uk Issue 252 - April / May 2024 environmental awareness continues to rise among consumers, businesses that fail to offer sustainable alternatives may find themselves losing market share to competitors who do. He also warned that failure to take action here could ultimately result in adverse regulatory consequences. Governments worldwide are now implementing stricter environmental regulations, including restrictions on the use of certain materials like PVC. While this is not currently the case, Dallow says it is worth preparing ahead of time, so you are not caught out if the regulations suddenly change. In addition, he says ignoring sustainability undermines corporate social responsibility efforts, potentially damaging a company’s reputation and brand image. “More and more, consumers, investors, and stakeholders are expecting businesses to prioritise environmental sustainability and ethical practices, Dallow explains, continuing: “Sign-makers who disregard these expectations risk alienating themselves, ultimately harming their longterm viability and success.” So, how can Innotech help? Dallow says Innotech is committed to providing sustainable alternatives to every PVCbased product in its range and that through “relentless innovation and dedication”, it is well on the way to achieving this goal. Recent innovations at Innotech include Envirotech BIO300 biodegradable print media, which Dallow says offers a “truly eco-friendly alternative” by breaking down naturally over time. It is suitable for use as short-term banners, wall coverings, or stretched canvas frames. Meanwhile, Dallow explains that materials such as Envirotech PP400 that look and feel like traditional banner materials but are made entirely from polypropylene, which is currently the least harmful material to dispose of, can be helpful for customers. In addition, he notes the recent UK distributorship of Seemee Loop materials including both front-lit and mesh banners which are made entirely from post-consumer waste materials. Sustainability Targets Next, Brett Martin is a global and UK supplier of plastic sheets, rooflights, and plumbing and drainage products, with the former being of most interest to those within the sign-making market. Brett Martin has a long-term commitment to the environment and providing sustainable solutions to the industry, with this reflecting in its growing range of solutions. “As brands across the globe continue to work towards sustainability targets, switching to more eco-friendly media for signage and POS displays is an easy, effective, and necessary way to decrease their carbon footprint,” Brett Martin says. “At Brett Martin, we’ve been working proactively for several years to meet this need by manufacturing a range of more sustainable substrates for use in the signage industry. One of the main opportunities for manufacturing more sustainable substrates lies in bio-attribution. Essentially, the process of substituting traditional fossilbased resins for bio-based resins derived from sustainable sources.” Last year, Brett Martin introduced its newest bio-attributed plastic sheet in the form of Foamalux Light Bio, a bright white PVC foam board. The stand-out feature of the new solution is that the sheet offers a 20% carbon reduction when compared to its 100% fossil-based predecessor, Foamalux Light. To reach this carbon reduction figure, 25% bio-attributed material produced from tall oil, a by-product of the wood pulping process from sustainable forestry, is used as a substitute for fossil-based resin. When coupled with 100% renewable energypowered manufacturing process at Brett Martin, the supplier says this results in a significant carbon footprint reduction. Similar to this is its polycarbonate flat sheet, Marlon BioPlus, which is manufactured using up to 89% bio-attributed resin produced from recycled cooking oil. ▲ Innotech offers Envirotech PP400, which looks and feels like a traditional banner material but is made entirely from polypropylene SUSTAINABLE SIGNAGE MATERIALS ▼ Kavalan is a range of PVC-free banner and textile materials
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