Fespa UK is working with Prismm Environmental to develop a scheme for collection and recycling of PVC and polypropylene from printers with smaller quantities who do not want to be tied into particular suppliers’ or waste contractors’ operations, or who may not qualify for them.
The organisation says that working with Prismm it will aim to offer a ‘totally impartial’ waste management scheme so that wherever materials are bought, printers will not be tied to one provider to dispose of their waste responsibly.
Suzi Wilkinson, managing director of Fespa UK Association, told Digital Printer, ‘It is very clear that medium to small printers are struggling to either get enough tonnage together to be able to recycle the banners, or secondly, actually getting waste management companies to turn up and collect on a regular basis [are] the biggest headaches. It’s very early days but the more printers we can get involved the quicker it will take shape.
‘Our aim is to bring as many printers together and then as a collective group build an infrastructure to responsibly dispose of as many types of substrate waste as possible. Because we deal with a wide range of printers throughout the industry, we are best placed to bring the industry together and work towards an industry-wide waste management system,’ she added.
The plan is to use Prismm’s logistics infrastructure and knowledge of recycling markets to find solutions for specific waste types, the first of which is rigid polypropylenes. These are already being collected from printers across the UK for recycling. PVC and polyester banners will be next.
