Walking through some trendy shopping district, with seasonal banners/flags above, do you ever wonder where they go after they've been switched out? In most cases, they get disposed of, adding to the waste stream. While it could be argued that these districts could find other creative, less resource intensive ways to promote themselves, one area, Commercial Drive in Vancouver, has taken another path:
They take previously used banners and make them into attractive shopping bags, 10 colors in all, in two sizes. This is brilliant for multiple reasons: It takes the current burgeoning popularity of eco friendly shopping bags, and gives people the option to get a visually unique choice. And it's a conversation piece that will likely result in additional person to person promotion of the shopping district it came from, and the store that they purchased it at.
Aware that re-purposed billboards have long been around doing this same trick, the Commercial Drive district bag initiative also donates proceeds from these bags to the creation of new green spaces in the area.
What sort of impact does this have?
According to their site, it avoids 3.53 tons of CO2 emissions, 281.6 pounds of nylon being landfilled, and enough energy to power an average Vancouver home for 10 months.
However, the thought crosses my mind, these savings are based on making the equivalent number of new nylon bags. What if people didn't make them in the first place? They of course can reduce the number of disposable bags used, but it is a context to be aware of. Don't let yourself be bowled over by statistics merely because they're large. Look into what the larger context might be.
They are definitely to be commended for their innovation and initiative here, and to further improve it, I would suggest that they, and anybody else in similar banner using shopping districts investigate the company The Sign Shop USA.
Though it's low profile now, they have a green line that is quite impressive. It incorporates Evergreen Fabrics, which use 50% less raw material, have 80% energy savings in production, and if landfilled, take up 65% less volume. Bioflex is a biodegradable banner material that turns into sodium dust. And there are many other options there. I've been telling them that once they go above ground with these products on their site, I'd write about them. Tell them I sent you, and let's get the green seen!
How To Reduce Waste At Shopping Malls - To learn more about this author, visit Paul Smith's Website.
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Paul Smith
(Visit Paul's Website)
I help forge truly sustainable businesses
at GreenSmith Consulting. I bring to the
table a wide range of skills and
knowledge, an have an extensive network of
resources to further extend the scope of
what we offer, as needed. For both
existing companies wanting to push the
needle greener, and startups needing help
effectively and authentically getting the
message out and navigating the operational
and strategic considerations involved, we
can help.
Getting an MBA in Sustainable Management
from Presidio considerably strengthened my
green business skills, helping make me
attuned to how to do business in a way
that's more profitable, well managed, and
ecologically sound. I see possibilities
where others don't. I make connections
that others haven't yet. I help people to
see them, and know how to best take
advantage of them.
My overarching talent is "bottom lining"
complex ideas, in a way that is
understandable and accessible to a variety
of audiences, internal and external to a
company. After all, if you have the
greatest idea/product/service ever, and
your employees or customers don't see the
relevance to them, it doesn't really
matter, does it?
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