Republished by Scitop Ltd. All rights belong to the original publisher; see Source below.

Every love story has a beginning. Ours started with the materials nobody else wanted – the silicone backing papers, the self-adhesive PVC, the composite boards that the rest of the world had written off as ‘too difficult’. Where others saw a problem, we saw potential and what began as a quiet commitment has, over the past months, blossomed into something rather more serious.

This is the story of how that relationship grew: how we deepened our commitment to our members, after kissing a few frogs, found a partner who shares our values, made falling in love with responsible waste management wonderfully simple, and set out to change our whole industry for the better.

01 : Strengthened Support for our Members

02 : New Partnership

One of these new partnerships offers accredited members a wide range of waste services, including general waste, hazardous waste, dry mixed recycling and other waste streams. They share our commitment to excellent customer service and pricing, providing businesses with access to an online portal to track and manage their waste, alongside a dedicated support team for FESPA UK accredited members – a partner who turned up with all the right qualities and a genuine desire to build a long-lasting relationship for the future.

At the same time, we’re now taking a more direct role in managing graphics waste, rolling up our sleeves and taking care of the materials closest to our hearts ourselves. By working more closely with transport companies and recyclers, we can strengthen these key relationships, helping to secure the best possible pricing and service for our members while building trusted partnerships that will deliver value long into the future.

03 : Simplified Process

Businesses also have access to an online portal to track and manage their waste, providing greater visibility and making the process of managing waste more straightforward.

At the same time, we’re taking a more direct role in managing graphics waste, working closely with transport companies and recyclers to strengthen these key relationships. This enables us to help secure the best possible pricing and service for our members while building trusted partnerships that will deliver value long into the future.

04 : Driving Change within the Industry

Together, these changes represent a significant step forward for our accreditation programme, strengthening the support available to our community while helping members manage their waste responsibly, effectively and with confidence. This isn’t a fleeting romance – it’s a lasting commitment to our members and to the future of our sector.

05 : A Story Written Together

Our very own love story in numbers

A growing list of materials given a second life; self-adhesive vinyl face materials, silicone backing paper, lamination rolls, Foamboard, Correx, Akyboard, polyester banner and polyester fabrics, ACM and acrylic.

Multiple regular weekly and fortnightly wheelie bin collections for backing papers.

Strengthened, developed relationships with 12 recyclers and transport companies, securing the most preferable rates possible.

New support extended to the labels and foil sectors through the additional services we can now offer.

14 full loads of graphics waste handled among those 50 collections – every last one recycled.

“The Visual Display, Signage and Large Format sectors of the print industry are particularly under the sustainability spotlight from brands, so accountable and responsible waste management has become non-negotiable. Noticeably, the Accreditation is now being recognised up and down the supply chain as the industry-standard signpost to verify a business’s commitment to responsible waste management. Some of this spotlight stems from the new Greenwashing Regulations, primarily aimed at brands and their environmental claims when advertising to influence consumer choices. Hence why brands are demanding the truth about sustainability claims from who and what they are purchasing throughout their supply chain.

They need the facts, not just what you believe to be the case! As you can imagine, the likes of polyester and black-back fabrics, self-adhesive PVCs, Foamboard and Correx, to name a few, are particularly challenging conversations to have with your client when they ask you about your waste management policy. They increasingly want advice as to how you recommend they can minimise their environmental impact at the end of a campaign when the print requires disposal.

Not only do we physically facilitate the compliant recycling of graphics waste, but we also supply independent reports, documents, certificates and all requested paperwork to ensure brand demands are met.”

“From the moment I first envisioned this project and then had the good fortune to meet Jon, whose knowledge, passion and expertise helped turn that vision into reality, it has always been about providing our members with something that genuinely makes a difference to their businesses and to the wider industry.

The foundation has been built; now it’s time to build on that success and deliver even greater value to the community we serve.”

Source

- Large Format Review (UK) (2026-09-21) - Original article: FESPA UK grows waste accreditation for hard-to-recycle print - https://www.largeformatreview.com/business/business-news/hard-to-recycle-print-fespa-uk/