Print Monthly

There are some obstacles surrounding this, particularly with PVC. However, Soyang Europe and waste management specialists Blue Castle, have come together to develop an option that would allow PVC to be a more environmentally sustainable substrate.

Entitled the PVC Recycling Membership Scheme, Soyang Europe’s managing director Mark Mashiter, says: “The PVC Recycling Scheme is the first step towards a very real recycling solution to the use of PVC banner material, which is widely used within the printing industry, but not currently recyclable.

We have extensively tested the PVC banner material, establishing critical elements such as its flash point and chemical properties”

“The demand for print providers and their customers to consider the environmental impact of the print they produce is a hot topic and we’ve been in discussions with our customers about the need for this for some years, which until now has seemed unattainable. Now we’re delighted to be able to reveal that, thanks to the dedication and specialist knowledge brought to the table by Blue Castle Group, we can now offer PVC waste recycling to our customers through a one-of-a-kind scheme.”

Blue Castle’s PVC recycling plant is in Lincolnshire, where the PVC waste is put through a shredding machine to break it down into a re-processable size. Marie Harley, chief executive officer of the company, says: “Our team has worked tirelessly to not only cultivate a workable solution for PVC waste recycling, but also to strengthen relationships with partner companies capable of using this material once it has been processed and broken down. Reaching the point of viability with the project is an incredibly exciting time for the team at Blue Castle and for our partners at Soyang Europe. We’re here to disrupt the printing industry.”

The PVC is shredded into a more re-processable size

Harley continues: “We have extensively tested the PVC banner material, establishing critical elements such as its flash point and chemical properties. We’ve explored many options of using shredded PVC and thanks to strong partner relationships in other sectors, we have developed lines of supply to ensure the processed banner material has viable future uses in a range of industries.”

Having the scheme in place means that print providers and sign-makers can market their green credentials, appealing to customers who demand more care when it comes to the environment. It is also easy to access the scheme, with Soyang’s Mashiter concluding: “We would encourage anyone currently offering a PVC banner printing provision to get in touch with the team at Soyang Europe to discuss how the PVC Recycling Membership Scheme can benefit their business.”