Hey Luke,
Good question, so naturally, there is no good answer. It depends on the materials and your resources.
A lot of materials can be reprinted, if you have a printing partner willing to work with you. They usually have to do a white cover layer, then a new print. Or maybe a vinyl wrap (PVC-free). You can't do this forever, but maybe two to three times. So, I would start by talking to your vendors, and seeing what services they offer.
When it's time to dispose of your signs, you may have to do some research. Some metal signs, like aluminum, can be recycled (or sometimes sold) to scrap metal companies. Corrugated paper board and card stock can usually be recycled. Foam board, expanded PVC, corrugated plastic, and laminated materials usually cannot be recycled. At least not through normal waste streams.
So for step two, I would recommend reaching out to your local waste management provider. Most offices have a public outreach department who are available to answer questions, sometimes you can even get a tour of their facilities! "Wishful recycling" where people throw things that may be recyclable into the wrong bins does more harm than good, so learn the rules and follow them.
Then you can look into third party providers, like
Terracycle. I actually have a fact-finding meeting with them coming up to discuss this exact question.
Moving forward, as an industry, we need to start doing better about thinking the whole lifecycle of our exhibits and materials. Cambridge 7 in partnership with AAM came out with a
sustainable exhibit design toolkit, which is a great resource. Again, talk to your vendors and letting them know you want more sustainable products up front. Manufacturers have been rolling out new, and increasingly sustainable products. They do cost more, but as we (consumers) ask for and buy more, the technology will improve.
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Cory Keester-O'Mills
Exhibits Developer
Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science
Miami FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-28-2022 08:18 AM
From: Luke Perez
Subject: Recycle or Trash old panels?
Good morning,
We have a variety of old panels of varying material. I was wondering if people know whether we just trash them or if there are recycling programs which take them?
Best,
Luke Perez
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Luke Perez
Curator of Collections
College Park Aviation Museum
College Park MD
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