Reclaimed construction materials are more than just the barn-wood flooring and oil drum sink base installed in modern, green-minded homes. One entrepreneur has recently started selling a range of reclaimed products designed for use on construction jobsites rather than in the homes being built. Recycled billboard tarps are one of the popular and quirky choices available from Denver-based Repurposed Materials.
“I’m not the first person to recycle old billboards,” says company president Damon Carson, “but in my previous line of work, I saw an opportunity to capitalize on it.” Carson’s previous career as the owner of a waste disposal business gave him a glimpse into recycling opportunities. Now he works with outdoor advertising companies to take billboard vinyls out of the waste stream.
Affordable & Durable
“Old billboards make great tarps because of their size and durability,” Carson says. “They’re designed to withstand extreme temperatures and weather, and at 20 mils thick, they’re much stronger than a standard 5-mil tarp you would buy at the store.”
Carson says the extra heft is viewed as a plus by his customers, as is the price. Reclaimed billboard tarps, which can last several years, start at just $60 and come in a variety of sizes.
And what about the ad on the tarp? Though customers have asked Carson to keep an eye out for fun designs, they’re few and far between. “For every Porsche billboard, there are 10 lawyers,” he says. Regardless, customers are asked to keep the advertisement side face-down when the tarp is in use.
—Lauren Hunter, associate editor, REMODELING.
