Large-format print specialists Cactus Imaging won the Sustainability Award at the World Out of Home Congress in Hong Kong. The business was recognised as a global leader in in wide-format sustainability. Its Ecobanner features a PVC-free flexible banner fabric.
The award is a significant win for Cactus Imaging and has positioned the business as a world leader in wide-format sustainability. Keith Ferrel and Nigel Spicer have led the strategy and development of the project for the PVC-free flexible banner fabric, which offers a 100% capable closed-loop recycling solution for large-format billboard advertising.
The Ecobanner material was developed in conjunction with Gale Pacific and is available to all print businesses to use, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to use it.
It prints on all the Cactus large format equipment. The aim is to have up to 80% of all billboards printed on this material. The width of the rolls is the only factor preventing Cactus from being more widely used, as the roll size is up to 3.5 metres. It may take up to a year before this can be increased to 5 metres wide.
Traditional PVC-based banner materials have proved very suitable at holding the ink, providing the base for vibrant images, and is able to withstand harsh outdoor elements; however, they are environmentally problematic. The new Ecobanner, developed by Cactus, offers the same print fidelity and characteristics as traditional media, but can be recycled, rather than resulting in landfill.
The sustainable banner initiative was under oOh!’s Environmental, Social, and Governance team, in partnership with Cactus Imaging, which required a large format Out of Home solution that met the evolving sustainability demands of agencies and advertisers.
Ecobanner from Cactus: Global sustainability winner. Image credit: Ecobanner
The material was first used during the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 at the iconic Glebe Island Silos. “Our collaboration with Gale Pacific on Ecobanner demonstrates how innovation and sustainability can coexist, driving the Out of Home sector toward a more sustainable future. We are delighted to receive this honour in a category that celebrates the achievements being done in sustainability by OOH peers around the world.”