For billboards that still use vinyl, the next stop often means the landfill. A better answer: upcycling

Upcycling takes old products and turns them into something new:

• Rareform in Agoura Hills, CA has rescued over 3.4 million pounds of vinyl and turned them into beautiful totes, bags, pouches, duffles, and even coolers.

• Striped Lemon in Conway, NH is a women-owned small business. Owner Kristen Barbin personally designs and makes bags from old vinyl billboards and banners.

• Redwood Classics Apparel in Toronto, ON is a women-owned small business that makes shopping bags, laundry bags, and produce bags out of leftover street pole banners from the Pan Am Games. Kathy Cheng’s business also upcycles old wool clothing into new accessories.

Thank you to these business owners for helping the planet! Please support them and also click this link to suggest anyone else doing the same.

BTW, if you’re thinking there’s still too much going to landfills, you’re right. Here’s what else is going on:

• Lamar Advertising is one of the largest outdoor advertising companies in the world with over 150,000 billboards. Read about how they donate old billboard vinyl to Rareform while also investing in more digital billboards, LED lighting, and renewable energy.
• Julia Spangler is a sustainability consultant, educator, entrepreneur, and founder of Ecosystem Events. She has an excellent article about what to do with all those corporate event signs and banners.