Sustainability: PVC and Acrylic Recycling
Jason Weddle – CEO, Hamilton
As our industry continues to ramp up, and we settle into new trends and directions the industry and our clients take us, we have an opportunity to make a significant and lasting impact. This impact goes beyond us, and while it may not affect us immediately, the long-term impact will be tremendous for the perpetuation of the industry. Sustainability has been an aspiration but often felt more like a dream, desired by the industry for the past several years.
In fact, at EDPA ACCESS a few years ago, I recall sitting in a session led by Tom Bowman where he spoke about sustainability and BHAGs (big, hairy, audacious goals). Tom challenged us to think about the changes we could make, and today, many of those BHAGs are possible. The most recent development is the ability to recycle PVC and acrylics.
Recycling plastics has been around for many years, but recyclers were limited to accepting plastic bags, plastic bottles/cups, and containers. While this benefitted residential households and offices, the technology to recycle PVC products or acrylics used in the tradeshow industry had not effectively been developed – until recently.
The current EDPA Sustainability Committee first started discussing this topic in 2019, but like many other initiatives, sustainability was put on the back burner due to the demands of the pandemic on our businesses and lives. Many in our industry recognized the sustainability issue for years prior to COVID-19, but the recycling technology had not advanced enough to give EDPA member companies a cost-effective way to recycle PVC – until now!
Return Polymers recycles PVC and acrylic products to manufacturer products like composite wood decking. They will send a truck to your facility, at no charge to you, and pick up old PVC products. Additionally, if the market allows, they will pay you a small price per pound for the material. Overall, a much better solution to a previously costly proposition.
Many exhibitors will soon be re-branding their existing exhibits, which will increase the amount of PVC we all have to dispose of. Return Polymers will be a great partner and solution for this looming issue. However, it will require us as a collective group to collaborate and work together. Depending on your location, Return Polymers will only accept a full truckload of PVC. This presents an opportunity to collaborate with other EDPA member companies near you, so the load can be shared, and Return Polymers is able to assist.
PVC is a great choice as a printed substrate for the event industry and is widely used for signage and wall system infills. Previously, when your clients changed messaging, introduced new products or services, or bought a new exhibit, you had to print new graphics and send the old PVC and acrylics to a landfill. Not only was this an additional cost, to deal with storage and disposal as well as the associated labor costs, but the environmental impact was substantial as well. It can take hundreds of years for PVC to decompose in a landfill, and when it does, PVC will give off many toxic materials.
Often, when things seem too good to be true, they are. However, because we’ve experienced it ourselves with great success, I can assure you this isn’t too good to be true. Connect with the team at Return Polymers and let’s become a more conscious, responsible, and sustainable industry. As an association and industry, we have an opportunity and responsibility to do something for ourselves and our future.
How to Enroll in the No-Cost Recycling Program:
1) Contact Vycom
Contact Mike Sherrod or Ryan Manley today to enroll in the Vycom Recycling Program.
MIKE SHERROD – email Mike.Sherrod@AzekCo.com or call (570) 578.0029
RYAN MANLEY - email Ryan.Manley@ReturnPolymers.com or call (720) 653.8759
2 ) Bins & Totes Provided
Once enrolled, Vycom will provide you with bulk containers to store your scrap and would be recycled materials.
NOTE: Keep in mind, recycled materials must be separated by polymer; i.e. PVC and Acrylic cannot be stored in the same bin.
3) Schedule a Pick-Up
When it’s time to schedule a pick-up: Contact Vycom at Recycling@AzekCo.com, who will coordinate with you and other EDPA member companies in need of a pick-up. A pick-up date and time will be agreed upon. They will replenish your bin stock so the process can continue without interruption.
4 ) Your Scrap & Waste is Recycled
After collection, your scrap and waste are recycled and repurposed into high quality raw materials used in the production of beautiful, long-lasting, sustainable products.