Designing for Sustainability

Driven by consumer concern about the world’s resources and retailer mandates for more easily recyclable materials, brands are challenged to create more sustainable merchandising executions.

The design and production of more sustainable displays start with an awareness of material options and extend to production methods, costs, manufacturing best practices, innovative green energy production facilities, and sustainable design expertise.

The different recycling streams established in different states and the variety of disposal methods of various retailers increase the complexity of navigating a sustainable path. We suggest doing this in steps, not leaps while understanding the trade-offs and limitations of what happens at the display’s end of use.

There are various ways of designing for sustainability – for a rundown of some of the key ways we do this at Tri-PlexDesign, keep reading.

Material

Using sustainable materials that contain recycled content or can be recycled themselves is crucial. When deciding on materials we focus on:

• The percentage of recycled content
• If it’s pre or post-consumer waste
• Designing for a single stream of disposal
• Ensuring the material used complies with a chain of custody certification (documentation is typically available from reputable material suppliers)

Freight Efficiency

Our principles of sustainable design go beyond the displays we produce, but also in how we transport them. We work to maintain shipping configurations that keep waste to a minimum and make transport more efficient.

We generally ship our displays on pallets by truck. By taking into account factors like weight and size, we can get the most out of every shipment made. Many of our displays can be folded or compacted to best use the space available in the shipping container.

Easily Updatable Designs

Sustainability in design means not just thinking about the present, but also the future. Many of our clients need displays that are easily updatable for new signage and product planograms.

At Tri-PlexDesign, we provide an adaptable and sustainable solution that allows things to be altered and updated without needing an entirely new display. On top of reducing waste, this helps save time and money and is ideal for both temporary and permanent displays. Our designs are easily executable at the store level and minimize the amount of effort and materials needed.

Structural Integrity

While we work to keep material usage down, we still ensure all of our displays are without compromised functionality and integrity. They’re built to support whatever products you want to display and will stand the test of time. Construction of these displays is as efficient as possible to help save time and money.

Manufacturing Best Practices

It’s great to use eco-minded production methods and facilities where possible. For energy conservation best practices in manufacturing ask yourself the following:

• Does your production facility have energy-efficient lighting?
• Do you have recycling programs for scrap material?
• Are you using a portion of alternative energy to run machinery?

Ensuring that all the materials used are as eco-friendly as the production methods is one way we remain sustainable.

Key Takeaways:

• Sustainability should be a critical consideration of your retail merchandising programs and in-store executions.
• Consider the multiple aspects of what makes your display sustainable – choice of material(s), sustainable manufacturing processes, and the complexities of recycling streams.
• Each sustainable step in the right direction helps the environment. The more you discuss sustainability issues with your partners the more all will understand the parts they can play that move us towards a more sustainable future.

Sustainable Design

Our impact on the environment is no small thing. As stewards of sustainable design and manufacturing for many years, we offer a range of 100% recycled and recyclable materials and a realistic perspective on helping make your display programs more sustainable. Contact us today to get started or learn more about our services!