Provision Events, a sports activation agency, has been working with Event Cycle for the last couple of years to find sustainable ways of repurposing their client's events graphics. With sporting events requiring a lot of signage and truly sustainable options for outdoors still limited, Provision is willing to experiment to find new ways to use the material they are left with to make sure it doesn’t end up in landfill.
At the end of 2023, Event Cycle collected a variety of old event graphics including PVC and Dye sub-blackout fabric with silicone edging to repurpose in whatever way they could. Some of the fabric went to some creative sewers and the rest of the fabric found its way to a reuse hub and an organisation helping with men’s mental health.
“It's been fantastic working with Event Cycle to help reduce our waste that positively impacts both the environment and local communities. The waste we produce post event has dramatically decreased, and that is all thanks to the great work of Event Cycle!”
Sarah Cheverton, Marketing & Client Services Executive, Provision Events
Where the fabric went…
Reuse and repurposing
The Stirling Reuse Hub was set up to reduce carbon emissions, through reduced consumption and waste. They promote, unsurprisingly, promote reuse of items that would have been thrown away and are an essential resource for the community they support. They have a network of makers who utilise leftover material to make new products and the hub itself runs sewing workshops to teach upcycling skills to help more people reuse and repair what they’ve got. Some of the material from Provision has been provided to support these workshops and makers to create some wonderful things.
Another lot of material found its way to Milton Keynes Men’s Shed, an organisation that supports many retired or unemployed people in the community to have a safe space, find new friends and partake in all sorts of construction activities from wood to metal work, arts and crafts to model making and electronic projects. The shed is often commissioned to take on projects for the local community too. The fabric from Provision will be assessed for its quality and then either allocated to be used as dust sheets for some of the machinery and the model railway or to be made into items by the people attending the shed sessions.
Upcycling
The rest of the fabric was sent to long-time partners of Event Cycle, Calluna Upcycling, who creatively take on any challenge that is set for them. This time the request was to create large storage bags, similar to rubble bags you might find on a construction site. Destined for much lighter items and for those that are better stored in bags, such as old event graphics, Calluna created some enormous containers to hold all of the graphics that Provision will collect over the coming year. They will also be used to transport branding to and from events Provision work on.
As well as large storage bags, Calluna also made some XL tote bags to be sent to another organisation in need. Clothing Coventry provides clothing for refugees and asylum seekers who often arrive with very little to their name. Of course, being a charity means their funding is limited, and buying bags to give out to the users of their service costs money which could be better used elsewhere. A welcome donation for the organisation and a great way to keep materials in use and out of landfill too.
Want to help us find old ways to use new things? Give us a call to talk about what we can do for your next event