Expand Vol. 4 No. 6

Real-World Green

Copy.com in Houston finds a sustainable banner product that’s reliable, economical, lightweight, recyclable, and provides excellent image quality.

Looking for alternatives to vinyl banners? Are customers asking for banners made of “green” materials? Look no further than LexJet TOUGHcoat 3R DuPont Tyvek® banner material. At least that’s what Houston-based Copy.com did to satisfy a range of critical criteria, including image quality, sustainability, and affordability.

"LexJet 3R Tyvek was an important find for our company, because it's less expensive than vinyl, it’s recyclable, and has far better image quality than vinyl," says Heath Flagtvedt of copy.com in Houston. "Even more importantly from a sustainability standpoint, it uses so much less material than vinyl to achieve a better look and a better overall product.”

“I have a friend who runs an environmental education organization, and reducing resource use at the point of production is a big concern for them, so they have all their special event banners printed on the material," he adds.

Flagtvedt’s friend – who is a principal at Houston Tomorrow, formerly known as the Gulf Coast Institute – says sustainability works on many levels, from manufacturing to shipping and disposal. While a banner material may be biodegradable in theory, that’s not enough to satisfy the requirements for true sustainability over the entire life cycle of the product.

“It uses a ton less material than vinyl so it weighs a lot less, which also lowers shipping costs and the resources needed to ship products. You have to explain to customers what that really means in the big picture, and that it’s actually better than just recycling. It’s ahead of the game,” says Flagtvedt. “You have to walk customers through the concept, so it’s a little tougher sell at first, but once they understand that part, they really like it.”

Copy.com has the material recycled after it’s used at the Abitibi Paper Retriever location in Houston, which approved LexJet TOUGHcoat 3R DuPont Tyvek® after Copy.com provided a sample. Abitibi has other locations in major metropolitan areas across the United States. Even if there isn’t an Abitibi Paper Retriever location nearby, the best bet is to work with local recyclers/waste management companies to set up a recycling program.

Copy.com prints LexJet TOUGHcoat 3R DuPont Tyvek® on its HP 5500 printer running LexJet UV Ink Replacement Cartridges, which are also recycled, effectively tying up the sustainability loop. Flagtvedt has also found the material to be extremely versatile in a number of different short-term display applications.

“It dry mounts to Gator Board with a vacuum press perfectly. I can also use it just like matte paper for standard signs, and I get better results. For an outdoor material to provide better image quality is insane. I really like the stock and have been pushing it to our bigger customers,” says Flagtvedt.

For those running solvent and UV-curable printers,  LexJet's Banner Recycling Program allows participants to bag used banners printed on LexJet 3R DuPont Tyvek® SUV (solvent and UV-curable compatible) and mail them to Trex Company to be recycled into decking, railing, and fencing products. The envelopes used to mail the banners are also recycled.

LexJet’s banner recycling program makes it easy for wide-format print shops to offer their customers a completely sustainable solution that is simple, practical, and economical. Nothing is wasted in the process since the LexJet Tyvek SUV banners are sent directly to Trex from the print shop and recycled.

For more information about LexJet’s range of Sustainable Solutions and how to implement them at your company, contact a LexJet account specialist at 800-453-9538.