Zero waste initiatives for and by our bePartners print
At bematrix, we have developed a sustainable stand construction system in which the aluminium frame can be reused. We always work according to the principle: “keep the body, change the skin”, whereby you adapt the contents of the frame to suit the trade fair or event. This can be panels, textiles or any other creative solution.
After the trade fair or event, the stand must of course be dismantled. The frames are neatly stored away and are ready for the next event. But what to do with fabrics or panels that you can no longer use? We asked our verified bePartners print which recycling initiatives they have set up or support.
Traditional recycling
When we think of prints at trade fairs, we naturally think of the end product, i.e. the finished canvas that is incorporated into the stand. We see this as the only source of waste, but in the production of textiles, pieces are also lost due to different sizes, the end of the roll or printing errors. We can divide the waste into four waste stream groups:
- Failed prints
- Waste generated when starting up a printing machine
- Waste due to the discrepancy between the width of the roll and the size of the print
- Fabrics returned from trade fairs
Recycling programmes
bePartner Priority Graphics in England recycles its textiles internally and strives to reduce the amount of waste in the industry by accepting textile returns from its customers free of charge.
bePartner Van Straaten in the Netherlands also applies this principle. When placing an order, the customer pays recycling costs and receives a personalised CO2 calculation based on the order placed. They receive big bags with their delivery in which they can separate the residues after use so that they can be returned to the appropriate supplier for recycling.
Textile processing
Another idea is to process textiles into, for example, cushion filling. So you may be sleeping on a pillow filled with recycled textiles. bePartner MT Couleurs in France has a partnership with a company in the Netherlands that collects their textile waste and recycles it into filling for cushions, insulation blocks and even punching bags.
Protection and packaging
For bePartner Drukpoznan in Poland, waste forms the basis for a new product. It is used to sew protective covers for beMatrix covers. These covers protect the covers from damage and scratches during transport and storage, replace disposable packaging and bring textiles back into circulation instead of sending them to landfill!
At Drukpoznan, they are smarter than waste and think about any surplus that might arise right at the start of the printing process: ‘If we see during the cutting process that there is textile waste that we can use to make covers, we cut it out at the same time, together with the printed customer images.’
BePartner ABS in Italy also processes textile scraps. They use them to make packaging for new prints, replacing traditional plastic packaging. Each bag is given a unique LEAF logo that refers to ‘Love for Environment and Fabrics,’ a quote that sums up their sustainability manifesto.
Upcycling
bePartner MT Couleurs in France touches on the social pillar with its partnership with local associations such as Créa Vedas. Here, the fabrics are upcycled into shopping bags, pencil cases, cushions and computer covers during creative classes in community centres.
They also have a partnership with the municipality of Saint-Jean-de-Védas, which uses the fabrics to personalise barriers with fun prints and colours to brighten up the streetscape.
BePartner Ateliers Cassandre also collects fabric scraps. They donate some of it to Green Décoration, a company that gives the fabrics a second life in the form of gadgets for schools or associations. The rest goes to REPRISE, an association that brings together refugees, asylum seekers, designers and volunteers to develop sewing skills.
These initiatives help to integrate the products into a local circular economy and give them a second life.
The cradle-to-cradle principle
Of course, it is one thing to recycle and reuse materials. This still produces residual waste, but less than if you simply threw it away. Cradle-to-cradle gives you a new perspective on production. It literally means “from cradle to cradle” and sees waste as “nutrient” for new products.
bePartner print Publi-FDM from Belgium are already well advanced in this process and have launched FDM green textiles and Forex-Re, two products created using the cradle-to-cradle production principle. ‘The FDM green textile recycling service creates a closed chain that enables prints from Publi-FDM and Reclameonline to be recycled after use and reprocessed into new raw materials. Mainly cord cloth, flags, beach chairs, banners... It is therefore a completely circular process that we offer our customers.’
To make an even greater impact, you can collaborate with other companies to jointly contribute to a sustainable industry and, consequently, a circular future. Publi-FDM, 3A Composites and thyssenkrupp Plastics Belgium have joined forces to launch Forex-RE, sustainable Forex sheets made from 30% recycled material.
Everyone contributes
Our partners have already set up numerous initiatives to reduce waste before and during the production process, as well as during processing, recycling and upcycling after a textile has been used. The sector itself is also doing its bit by organising discussions to share ideas, processing methods and even costs. What we can conclude is that we are all on board the sustainability train and doing our bit, however small that may be.
Do you have a sustainable initiative that you would like to showcase? Don't hesitate to share it with us at marketing@bematrix.com.