Most custom banners used for advertising purposes are made of materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) that cannot be easily recycled and are printed using inks that are harmful to the environment. These banners end up in landfills and are likely to remain there for decades to come letting toxic substances into the environment while they break down. Additionally, these banners give off VOCs and can be harmful to people as well.  Now there’s an eco-friendly option for businesses that are environmentally conscious and / or concerned about the health of their employees or customers! As consumer demand for eco-friendly products increases, manufacturers are responding – even in the sign industry! It is entirely possible to purchase banners made out of recyclable materials and printed using biodegradable inks from businesses with the right equipment, materials, and priorities without compromising the banners' usefulness. One example of recyclable banners are banners printed on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and printed using latex inks, both products available from HP. HDPE is a strong, durable, and non-toxic plastic that is used in products such as refillable bottles and fuel tanks. It has the recycling designation of Number 2 and is the second easiest plastic to recycle after the polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) commonly used in disposable water bottles and medicine containers. Similarly, latex ink is an eco-friendly water-based ink that is non-toxic and biodegradable yet performs as well as less eco-friendly inks. The combination of an HDPE banner printed with latex ink is good for the environment as well as for the people who handle them or are near them.  Banners made using these products can be recycled through HP's Take-Back program. Spot-On Signs & Graphics uses the HP L25500 Latex printer exclusively and offers a wide range of eco-friendly options to their customers including the HDPE recyclable banner. Call us today at (530) 295-8285, email us at info@spot-on-signs.com, or order online at www.spot-on-signs.com. [caption id="attachment_173" align="alignnone" width="89" caption="Recyclable banner on a bamboo banner stand"][/caption]