Repurposed with style

I am pretty excited about the vinyl banners I repurposed into reusable totes.  I hadn't touched a sewing machine in over a decade, so I was pretty intimidated.  After a few minutes of orientation from my local sewing repair shop, I thought I'd give it a go.  WOW...It has almost become addictive!  Now all I can think about is which style I should attempt next.

I have definitely come across many obstacles, and I feel as if bobbins have become my tiny enemy, but this has become one of the most fulfilling projects I have ever taken on.  It's not just about creating a cute purse or tote.  It's more about the thrill of taking a product that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill, and repurposing it in to a durable, waterproof, reusable bag.  It just makes me very happy to do something that I know is good for the environment.  If I continue to find customers who are willing to donate their used banners, I will continue doing my best to put them to good (re)use, by making stylish and practical eco-friendly bags.

Below are some pictures of the bags I have given to my family.

Stephanie Ricks

Arrowhead Signs

Back to work

We are back to work after a fun and relaxing week off, enjoying Oregon's beautiful outdoors and fresh air.  Feeling completely rejuvenated and ready to get back to creating and producing promotional signs and banners for our customers.  

Hope you all had a fun and safe 4th of July!

Arrowhead Signs

Feather Flags and Mesh Banners

There are several options available for outdoor display.  Very popular choices are Feather, Teardrop or Sail shaped Flag Banners.  These banners are great for grabbing their attention.  The large banner display "waves" with the wind and is sure to be noticed.  Full color graphic, single or double sided. 

Another popular outdoor banner is the Mesh Banner.  This material is a vinyl coated mesh, which allows light and air to pass through it.  These banners are great for hanging on fences!

For more information call 877-788-7446 or email sales@arrowheadsigns.com

We look forward to working with you!

www.arrowheadsigns.com

SCRAP Portland, Oregon

What a great resource!!!

  

SCRAP is located in Portland, Oregon's and has a great philosophy...

"Fill Minds Not Landfills"

Here is an excerpt from one of their website pages:   

"Did you know that over 75% of Portland’s waste comes from businesses? SCRAP developed Fill Minds Not Landfills (FMNL) to help Portland-area businesses easily, effectively and significantly divert waste from landfills, while inspiring creative reuse in our community. Since launching in 2010, Fill Minds Not Landfills has diverted over 20,000 pounds of reusable materials from local landfills and continues to educate local businesses and manufacturers on more sustainable waste reduction."

How it works:

1. SCRAP provides on-site donation containers to participating businesses. Donations are tax deductible. See a complete list of things we accept.
2. For a nominal fee, materials will be picked up once a month, or whenever a business requests the service, and delivered to SCRAP in Truckie, our creative reuse truck. Or, your business can choose to drop off your material donation and not pay a fee.
3. Materials are sorted, priced and sold for a low price at the SCRAP store to fuel arts and crafts projects. All income goes back into SCRAP’s programs.

How your business benefits:

• All donations to SCRAP are 100% tax deductible
• Reduces waste hauling costs
• As more businesses “go green,” your participation in FMNL positions you as a leader in environmentally sustainable business behavior
• Creates more usable space in your company
• Shows a commitment to the community and the arts
• Directly supports SCRAP’s dedication to inspiring creative reuse and offering educational programs about environmental sustainability
• Your business may be featured on SCRAP’s website or at SCRAP’s Creative Reuse Center.

All of us at Arrowhead Signs would REALLY appreciate it if our customers would consider donating their vinyl banners, when they are no longer a use to them, so they can be repurposed.  Their are so many ways that material can be put to use.  There are many organizations that will happily take that donated material and create a very durable and reusable tote bag (which helps to reduce waste, as well), and other companies may use that material for roofing or housing projects.  

For more information about items that SCRAP is willing to accept, please visit their website scrappdx.org

Dedicated and passionate creative reusers in other parts of the country have taken up the mantle and are establishing SCRAPs in their communities. Pay attention to the creative reuse love coming out of Washington, DC; Denton, TX; and Traverse City, MI.

How to get involved:

If you are interested in learning how to start a creative reuse center of your own, please contact Kelley Carmichael Casey for more information.

You can also follow Creative Reuse Workshop’s blog about how to develop a creative reuse center in your own community, as a preview to the book on the same subject, to be released in early October 2012.

Custom Table Banners

Our customer really loves the quality of the super smooth, curl free, eco-friendly banner material that we use for our retractable banner stands, so we offered to make them custom table covers from the same material. 

Here are examples of the table covers we made for them.

We think they turned out beautifully!

 

If you do not see what you are looking for on our website, please feel free to contact us!

Vinyl Banner Bags

Check out the vinyl banner bags that were repurposed from the vinyl banners we donated!  Having a source for this makes us VERY happy!

Thanks to ra-apparel for helping us stay green!

If you have vinyl banners you would like to donate or repurposed for your own use, please feel free to contact us.

PHX 602-674-0104  or  PDX 503-739-4100

Toll Free 877-788-SIGN (7446)

Bamboo Eco-Friendly Banner Sign Displays

What do you think about Bamboo Eco-Friendly Banner Sign Displays ?  I think they are REALLY cool, but I wonder if people are genuinely interested in buying them.  I cannot recall the last time someone inquired about one.  Maybe it is because we already print on eco-friendly material, using eco-friendly ink.  I guess when you think about it, pretty much all of our stuff could be categorized as "eco-friendly".  We even have our vinyl banners repurposed into reusable carrying bags.

So, that being said, and knowing that Arrowhead Signs is a pretty ecologically conscience company; Is a bamboo retractable banner stand a product you would purchase?  I appreciate your feedback.

Thanks!  Have a terrific day!