4 minute read
Repurpose Corner
The Byproduct of Industry
You drive by them nearly every single day and you probably don’t even realize it half the time. In fact, many folks argue vehemently that these objects disrupt the inherent beauty of the countryside.
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What am I describing? You guessed it … advertising billboards. Yes, the big display boards advertising the likes of Chevrolet, Budweiser, and the nearest McDonald’s.
What many don’t know is that the vast majority of these billboards are a printed vinyl material. Long gone are the days of physically painting and re-painting these billboards with advertising. The industry switched to printed vinyl because of the cost when billboards are changed so frequently.
That leaves only one problem, what to do with all the old, tired vinyls? And, they are not small, a standard size billboard is 14’ x 48’.
The Repurpose
Interestingly, there are some really creative applications for these highway eye sores.
First, let’s find out about this vinyl material. It is super, heavy duty (20 mm thick and 13 oz/yd material) and a heavier material than most any tarp you’d buy at the store (The blue tarps at Home Depot are just 5 mm thick). A typical 14’ x 48’ tarp actually weighs almost 70 lbs.
Oh, and did I mention, they are completely waterproof. So, the best repurposing of these billboard vinyls is as tarps.
Probably the #1 re-use is to cover hay. After hay, then they’re used to cover just about whatever…boats, RVs, drop clothes, leaky roofs, etc.
“Repurposed” Corner – Recycled Billboard Tarps
Damon Carson
Damon Carson is the owner of www.repurposedmaterialsinc.com in Denver, CO. They have a diverse selection of repurposed products for sale. Their motto is “recycling by re-using byproducts of industry”.
MANAGEMENT
The Byproduct of Industry:
Well, the machine this byproduct comes off is not necessarily seen as much in the country and rural communities. However, you go to a city of any size, and you’re sure to see lumbering vehicles along the city streets kicking up dust like a good whirlwind. In fact, you may have become irritated at how they sometimes snarl traffic, or worse yet, inhibit parking on streets because this vehicle might be at work.
Yes, the good ol’ street sweeper is what I’m talking about.
But, what about a street sweeper is good for re-use? It is the actual brushes that do all the work. Not, the swirling round brushes that stick out on the corners and brush up against the curbs. I’m talking about the long, cylindrical ones underneath the machine that flick the dirt into the hopper.
The Repurpose:
What can one do with a 60” long super heavy duty brush that is about 18” in diameter?
Think about this, too, these brushes are strong, strong, strong. They have to be to continuously brush against the abrasive road surfaces and debris at a high RPM and not fall apart.
Well, the repurposing of these brushes solves a very basic desire of livestock and us humans for that matter. What do you do when you have an itch? You find a way to scratch it.
Mount one of these obsolete street sweeper brushes on a pole and you have a livestock backscratcher that will last for years and years. Now your animals can scratch that itch without tearing up your fence or their shade trees.
Repurposed Corner –Street Sweeper Brooms
Damon Carson
Damon Carson is the owner of www.repurposedmaterialsinc.com in Denver, CO. They have a diverse selection of repurposed products for sale. Their motto is “recycling by re-using byproducts of industry”.
