One company thinks all billboards should be green.
NatureWoven sells biodegradable sheets that cover billboards and hopes they’ll replace the standard vinyl now used on most billboards.
The material consists of burlap or cotton fibers that absorb ink along with a natural latex backing, which breaks down faster than synthetic latex. It’s sold in large rolls or palettes of large sheets for use in wide-format commercial printers that make billboards, banners, large signs and wall displays in stores.
The company is based in London and opened U.S. headquarters in Marina del Rey this summer. NatureWoven recently signed a distribution agreement with Next Wave Media Solutions, a Buford, Ga., company that will sell the material to commercial printers that specialize in large formats, increasing NatureWoven sales.
Matt Devlin, NatureWoven’s vice president for North America, runs the office with one other employee. He said previous eco-friendly materials for billboards were only partly organic, but NatureWoven’s product can be thrown in a compost heap, where it turns to fertilizer in three months.
“Companies that practice or tout being eco friendly can now take that a step further using materials that are actually biodegradable,” Devlin said.
For advertisers who worry about their signage turning to fertilizer in front of their customers’ eyes, he said that the material will last about one year in a normal outdoor setting and more than three years inside a store.
Companies that have produced billboard campaigns on NatureWoven sheets include Whole Foods Market, Patagonia and Billabong. This year, Devlin will target universities, cities, and hospitality companies.
He’s also in talks with FedEx Office and some franchise printers so that small businesses can go green when they need a banner for a weekend sale or product launch.
Devlin said switching from vinyl to NatureWoven could cost advertisers more, but not much. In some cases, depending on the type of vinyl, there could even be savings.
“You may still pay a bit more per square foot for our materials or you may pay a bit less,” he said. “We are looking for people with foresight to look beyond the price per square foot and see the far greater good.”
