Is your billboard campaign as green as it can be? Compare your options... apples to apples.

Each year, the outdoor advertising industry uses approximately 250 million square feet of polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl) or "vinyl" billboard flex, a material that is difficult to recycle after its primary use. Meanwhile, many leading companies have committed to reducing or eliminating their use of PVC materials when viable alternatives exist.

Eco-Flexx™

Eco-Flexx™ is a 100% recyclable polyethylene (PE) substrate for billboards. Durable and non-toxic, Eco-Flexx™ creates deep, saturated color for the most demanding advertisers in an environmentally responsible manner – and at a comparable price to PVC flex billboards.

Not only can the entire mass of Eco-Flexx™ be melted down and recycled with the resulting plastic material available for use in a wide range of products, but billboard companies can arrange to have Eco-Flexx™ collected for recycling after its use anywhere in North America.

An environmentally responsible option for billboard printing

PVC billboard flex is typically made of a polyester fiber core and PVC surface. The PVC (resin and plasticizer) contributes about 80% of the weight of the product.

Many leading corporations and organizations have publicly committed to reduce their use of PVC materials when practical alternatives exist.

Businesses that are adopting non-PVC alternatives are a cross-section of global enterprise including influential brands such as: Adidas, Nike, Victoria's Secret, Aveda, Crabtree & Evelyn, Catholic Healthcare West, Kaiser Permanente, BMW, Daimler-Benz, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo, Apple, Dell, HP, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Ikea, Lego, Wal-Mart, and many others.

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Below are the public statements made by some of these companies:

Apple

"Some companies have made promises to phase out other toxic chemicals like PVC, a type of plastic primarily used in the construction industry but also found in computer parts and cables, and brominated flame retardants, or BFRs, which reduce the risk of fire. Apple began phasing out PVC twelve years ago and began restricting BFRs in 2001. For the past several years, we have been developing alternative materials that can replace these chemicals without compromising the safety or quality of our products."

Microsoft

"We will completely eliminate PVC from our packaging by Dec. 31, 2005. As Microsoft began evaluating the issue, we decided in 2003 that removing PVC was the right thing to do, especially since at that time there were viable alternatives."

Wal-Mart

"We believe that Wal-Mart can significantly reduce the amount of waste going to landfills in our communities, and reduce costs through increased recycling of the remaining material. We are committed to replacing PVC packaging for our private brands with alternatives that are more sustainable and recyclable..."

Nike

"PVC, a material linked to a host of environmental concerns, is everywhere in our industry and in many others. While PVC is not widely banned by legislation, Nike voluntarily chose to eliminate the material from its products."

Sony

"PVC, a widely used plastic, may pose a risk to the environment if disposed of improperly... [and may] contain various other... plasticizers and stabilizers, which are believed to pose risks to the environment and human body. Sony is [therefore] working to eliminate PVC from its products wherever a technologically and economically viable alternative is available."

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Eco-Flexx™ billboards – an environmentally sound choice for print production

• The carbon footprint of an Eco-Flexx™ billboard is 60% less than a standard PVC flex billboard. See additional charts and information. (PDF)¹
• Eco-Flexx™ is a Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) product. There is no chlorine in Eco-Flexx™ and no chlorine is used in making Eco-Flexx™. In contrast, the production of PVC is the largest single use of chlorine, and PVC is almost 57% chlorine (by weight).
• Eco-Flexx™ is made from 100% recyclable polyethylene (PE) plastic and is easily recycled. PVC flex, more often that not, ends up in landfills. See additional documentation and information.²
• Many environmental organizations recommend PE plastic as an excellent alternative to PVC.
• Eco-Flexx™ is extremely strong but very light. A typical Eco-Flexx™ billboard weighs 20-pounds compared to 75-pounds for a typical PVC-flex billboard.³
• Eco-Flexx™ billboards look spectacular and are produced with a seamless print surface up to 15-feet wide. Eco-Flexx™ billboards are available at the same cost as PVC flex billboards so there is no cost of change.
• Eco-Flexx™ is in use by the leading outdoor advertising companies and is one of a new class of billboard materials endorsed by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA).
• An industry-supported recycling program developed by the OAAA in conjunction with Global Polymers, LLC, a private recycling company headquartered in Kentucky, is expected to be in place in early 2008 to provide an audited and verifiable recycling solution for Eco-Flexx™ and similar billboards. This program will be available for billboard companies anywhere in North America.

Recycling program established for Eco-Flexx™

Polyethylene is the most commonly used plastic in world. It is non-toxic, commonly recycled and used in everyday items such as grocery bags, soda/water/milk bottles, squeeze bottles for condiments, food wraps, and even as a base component in chewing gum.

The Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) in conjunction with Global Polymers, LLC, a private recycling company headquartered in Kentucky, is working to develop a comprehensive recycling program to ensure that qualified PE materials are actually recycled. Global Polymers has committed to collecting Eco-Flexx™ for recycling after its use from billboard companies anywhere in North America. The complete plan is expected to be in place by early 2008.

Circle Graphics has been asked to participate in the work of the OAAA's Safety, Standards and Technology (SST) Committee and the OAAA Marketing Committee which are developing comprehensive green initiatives for the entire industry.

Eco-Flexx™ billboards – an environmentally sound choice for print production

Please visit our contact page to request additional information.

Read or download the Eco-Flexx™ Brochure.

1 - Because of the weight difference and the specific materials used in each product, the energy consumed in producing one square foot of Eco-Flexx is less than half that required to produce a comparable amount of PVC flex. Likewise, the global warming potential (the CO2 released during production) of Eco-Flexx is less than half that of PVC flex. A detailed explanation of the derivation of the global warming potentials and energy demands of Eco-Flexx™ and PVC-flex can be viewed and downloaded on our Reference Info page.

2 - An explanation of the difficulties of PVC recycling can be found at in this PDF file.

3 - 14 x 48 size and 12.5 ounce/square yard PVC flex.

4 - The entire mass of Eco-Flexx™ can be melted down and recycled for use in other products. Furthermore, Eco-Flexx™ can be collected for recycling after its use from any billboard company in North America.

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