Cost-effective and sustainable approach to transform end-of-life vinyl banner to value added product

Australian industry estimates 500 t of banners are land-filled every year due to its complex nature which makes recycling either difficult or an expensive process. This study details a new low-cost solution for waste Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) coated banners that does not require the separation of the PVC from the polyester fabric; overcoming a major barrier to recycling. End-of-life banner material was shredded with recycled cable material which improved the mix density and made material suitable for plastic manufacturing techniques. Life cycle analysis study proves that replacing virgin PVC by recycled PVC from banner emits 78% less kg CO2 equivalent. Both materials were characterized elementally and structurally using X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction techniques. A safe fabrication temperature (