our projects

Banners to Bags

Issue: Large volume of non-recyclable PVC vinyl banners destined for landfill
Client: Metro Tunnel Creative Program
Outcome: 90% of banner material upcycled into over 7,000 bags; thousands of metres of vinyl saved from landfill.



PVC (polyvinyl chloride) coated polyester fabric is an extremely durable, weather resistant material, perfect for the banners and billboards installed on construction hoardings. Yet, banners are often only required for a specific purpose and short periods.

What happens when they are taken down? A resourceful business might store them away for potential reuse – perhaps even inventively repurpose them as weather proofing. Sadly though, this valuable material often ends up in landfill.

For UpShop Industries, banners are not waste, but a durable and flexible material printed with colour and pattern just waiting to be creatively upcycled. In 2019 UpShop Industries was engaged by the Metro Tunnel Creative Program to find an upcycling solution for vinyl artworks featured around construction sites.

By prototyping, analysing the material (such as tensile strength), and sampling, UpShop Industries produced bags with three different designs: the record bag, the fashion tote and the trade/beach bag.

The process of converting banners to bags is labour intensive but well worth the effort, with over 90% of banner material re-purposed into bags. Here’s how we do it:

Cleaning. The first, critical stage is washing banners that have been subject to the elements. We use citrus-based, eco-friendly detergents and elbow grease to remove what is usually some undesirable combination of grime, graffiti and bird poo. The material is then hand-dried and polished.


Layout involves matching the artwork on the banners to the bag designs. We select areas based on making the best use of colour and pattern for the particular design and repurposing the most material. Our target is to use 90% of each banner.


The material is hand-cut with scissors so that every possible centimetre is used. The bags are stitched using industrial sewing machines, making sure they are sturdy and take full advantage of the PVC fabric strength.


Turning the bags out is quite a laborious process – also done by hand as it requires a certain level of finessing to form them into their final shape.

Creative collaboration. The banners are produced for Metro Tunnel Creative Program, who have commissioned artists to create works to be displayed on their construction hoardings. Once de-installed they are upcycled by UpShop Industries, and then returned to the client as new ‘second life’ products.


Working together, we have successfully implemented an upcycling model based on circular economy principles and sustainable business practices. Our collaboration produces a new creative work that pays homage to the creativity of the artists – and the creativity of collaboratively transforming what might have ended up at the tip into something unique and beautiful.

Finally. What’s most important. Our careful attention to design means that 90% of each banner is re-purposed into bags – diverting thousands of square metres of PVC textile from landfill.