We all know them: the traditional, humble pull-up banner. A versatile marketing tool, ideal for events, conferences and tradeshows. They help establish your brand, create a strong visual presence, and make your organisation instantly recognisable.
But are they becoming outdated? In 2025, sustainability is high on the agenda for the events sector, making it essential for brands to reflect this in their marketing materials. While traditional pull-up banners may be effective, they are often made from PVC plastic and aluminium bases, which have a significant environmental impact.
Switching to eco-friendly pull-up banners not only aligns with your brand’s sustainability values but also creates a unique talking point at events. Plus, they’re lightweight, compact, and perfect for on the go!
See how making a sustainable switch can have a huge impact!
The Truth About PVC Banners
PVC plastic is a widely popular material for pull-up banners. It’s cost-effective, easy to supply and it’s an ideal foundation for printing on.
However, PVC plastic is unfortunately the most environmentally damaging plastic. PVC may be cheap, but the environment pays the price. From its energy-intensive production to its challenging recycling process, PVC has a significant impact at every stage of its lifecycle, making it poor choice for modern events.
The majority of PVC ends up in landfill, where it emits harmful toxins that contaminate water sources. The other alternative is, PVC is incinerated in a waste-to-energy scheme, emitting high CO2 emissions. When PVC is incinerated, it produces toxic chemicals which have been found to damage the immune system, the reproductive system and even cause cancer.
Recycling traditional banners can be difficult, as they are made from mixed materials. The aluminium bases that support the PVC banner can be recycled but the aluminium loses quality when it’s recycled again and again. Recycling aluminium also generates huge amounts of waste materials, as well as impurities that cause pollution.
Cardboard Pull-Up Banners: Crafted for Impact
As leaders in sustainable print, Imageco’s incredible team of cardboard engineers, can craft sustainable pull-up banners of any size or scale! Crafted from Xanita board, our pull-up banners are sturdy, sustainable, and lightweight, perfect for transport and reuse across events.
Xanita board is a first-class material for print builds, offering both quality and sustainability! It’s a lightweight fibreboard, which features a repulpable core. It’s fully recyclable, 75% lighter than MDF board, and is completely non-toxic.
The advantage of using Xanita is also that it is directly printable, saving the need for any foils or vinyls. It’s compatible with UV and Latex inks and is the perfect base for ultra-sharp, high-definition prints.
Cardboard pull-up banners are designed to be greener. Our expert engineers have innovatively designed the structure to seamlessly slot together, without the need for any glues or adhesives. The result is a seamless pull-up banner that is versatile, lightweight and easy to assemble.
Marketing Materials: Reimagined
Choosing cardboard pull-up stands is not only better for the environment but also allows for creative ways of showcasing your brand and standing apart from the crowd. Cardboard engineering provides you with the flexibility of having a unique structure that suits your needs, is easily assembled, and draws attention. Our team can create unique stands for every event, and to serve every purpose. We have crafted some truly innovative cardboard-engineered pull-up banners, making brands stand out among the rest!
We developed a unique stand for Tendable, who are an innovative medical software developer.
We produced a distinctive, slotted stand, assembled with no adhesives or glues as the different elements simply slotted together. The structure of this stand meant that it could be assembled in different ways, with elements being interchanged for a fresh look. Being constructed from Xanita board, we were able to produce high-quality designs directly onto the board, providing an ultra-sleek finish. This project stands testament to providing customers with a unique style of cardboard pull-up banners.
Cardboard Banners: Larger Than Life
We were also tasked with creating a range of bespoke event displays for Nexus’ 5th Anniversary Dinner, collaborating with their team to bring their vision to life. Nexus are business growth specialists, offering top-of-the-range support to start-ups in Leeds. This event was to mark their 5th anniversary, where they held a prestigious dinner event for over 300 attendees.
Our team delivered a polished, unified look with a hint of innovation. Imageco produced a range of print builds for this event. However, the real standout was the captivating cardboard banner, crafted from Xanita board. For this project, we delivered a larger banner that served as a photo background for attendees. Made up of 3 individual panels, this banner had a slightly curved structure, with ultra-sleek graphics printed on each panel.
The Rewards of Recycling
Our aims at Imageco include encouraging our clients to make sustainable choices. Whether it’s choosing a recyclable material, refreshing older displays or choosing a local supplier, we believe sustainability is a shared responsibility.
We’re offering clients a 10% discount on new, high-quality cardboard pull-up banners, if you bring your old PVC banners to us, so we can recycle them responsibly.
Recycling print builds at the end of their lifecycle is a pivotal step and ensures there’s minimal impact. Our waste is managed by Reconomy, a tech-enabled waste management service who have a zero-landfill policy and specialise in recycling materials as part of the circular economy. They ensure that all our dibond, acrylic, card and PVC roll is properly recycled.
We are also FESPA waste certified, which means our waste is managed in the most responsible way, as meticulously assessed by FESPA.
Stand out at your next event, contact our team to discuss your next sustainable banner.
