New game-changer in town: Recyclable Banner Mesh

The construction industry has a lot to answer for when it comes to the environment. Unfortunately for a long time, there was no way around sending hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste to landfill each year. Mesh Direct has been working towards changing that. Enter our new Eco Banner Mesh, which is fully recyclable.

Eco Banner Mesh is a greener alternative to traditional banner mesh. It’s much easier to recycle than other materials that contain PVC and are notoriously difficult, if not impossible to recycle in Australia.

Our new Eco Banner Mesh product is a step in the right direction to reducing the industry’s impact on the environment. We are excited to be offering this new product, the first of its kind (that we know about), in the Australian market.

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of eco banner mesh and exactly what you can expect from this substrate.

Eco Banner Mesh Printing

Using a UV digital printing process plays a key role in making this product more environmentally friendly. Traditionally, the mesh printing process uses solvent-based materials. This emits harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the environment.

The printing material itself would also use PVC which is notoriously difficult to recycle. However, the new process addresses both of these issues and allows us to provide a truly ‘green’ mesh product that can be recycled.

The better news still is that the UV digital printing process still allows us to produce high-quality prints. So you can still enjoy the same quality that we know and love with traditional banner mesh.

PVC Free

Traditionally, the process of manufacturing mesh banners involves coating polyester yarn with PVC.

PVC is perhaps one of the most environmentally damaging types of plastic in use today. It has been dubbed by Greenpeace as the ‘poison plastic’. It’s no surprise that it contributes an abundance of toxic substances to the environment. Plus, at the end of its life, it’s difficult to recycle, which usually results in it ending up in landfill where it does not biodegrade.

On the contrary, the material used for our new eco mesh is made by coating polyester scrim with a water-based acrylic. The manufacturing process uses much less water and produces fewer toxins and carbon. And the finished material can be widely recycled. That’s the news we like to hear!

Where can Eco Banner Mesh be used?

Eco mesh is very similar to regular banner mesh in terms of its usage. It’s made from a perforated material which means the wind can easily pass through it, which is ideal for exposed outdoor locations.

Also just like conventional mesh, it can be cut to custom sizes and panels. This makes for a flexible product to suit a variety of projects.

However, even though there are many similarities and the Denier strength is the same as regular 12 x 12 substrates, it is considered not quite as long-lasting. The lifespan is around 12 months for this product, depending on where it is placed. We therefore still recommend this product for shorter-term sites and events.

How to Recycle Eco Banner Mesh

The next important question is how do we recycle the eco banner mesh? There are a few different options that make this part easy.

The first option is using a specific recycling bin that a partnering recycling company collects. It’s an option to have a bin installed for larger companies using a lot of mesh. Eco banner mesh must be separated from regular recycling as it is recycled in the same way as fabrics. We have several recycling partners Australia-wide depending on your location, which we are happy to recommend when you order.

Alternatively, there are a number of drop-off points the mesh can be taken to instead.

It’s worth noting that the welded edges and eyelets must be removed to make the product fully recyclable.

Carbon Neutral

We are also proud to be 100% carbon neutral. You may know this if you have already purchased from us, or even if you have read one of our product pages, but we are Australia’s first 100% carbon neutral signage company. That means we offset every single signage purchase, and at no additional cost for you.

Unfortunately, not every signage material the industry requires is recyclable like this one just yet, so offsetting is another tick for the environment while we continue to work on that.

How to Order Eco Banner Mesh

Get in touch with one of our team today here.