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Turning waste into viable products
The quantity of point of sale and outdoor advertising material deposited in UK landfill sites runs into tens of thousands of tons each year. Most illuminated billboards and banners will find their way to landfill.
A typical large poster site will use a quarter of a ton of PVC material per annum if changed every fortnight. With thousands of sites at roadsides, shopping malls, airports and stations this waste is the unattractive side of advertising. Point of sale is often PVC based and shares a similar fate, making the outdoor advertising and point of sale sectors the dirty face of advertising.
The first myth to be corrected is that bio degradable PVC is a solution: it is not. Firstly, bio degradable material requires a land fill site which government rightly wants to restrict and eventually to stop. Secondly, it is not possible, in most instances, to recycle or reuse bio degradable material. This defeats the object of using finite resources sensibly.
To help resolve this problem former DSPA director Michael Turner and recycling veteran Steve Weston have formed, with others, Ald Industry to tackle the immediate problem of using landfill or incineration.
The team believes it can divert over 50,000 tons of materials per annum away from landfill sites to recycling or secondary usage. Ald Industry has a methodology where the printed matter becomes a useful source of raw material. The company is collaborating to create new UK jobs which will turn waste into viable products.
Michael Turner said: "Advertising and associated industries are slowly realising that unless they put their houses in order with regard to the environment both clients and government will take action against them. "We hope that we can give the industry a wake up call and help resolve the environmental issues of billion pound plus sectors of the advertising industry."
