BENGALURU : Even as the state government imposed a blanket ban on plastic in the state in 2016, it was the recent directive by the Karnataka HC to the BBMP — to ensure the city is rid of flex banners by August 15 — that has been taken seriously. The two main industries that have been affected by this to an extent are the events and the advertising industries. After speaking to vendors, City Express finds that despite the ban, most continue to ask for flex printing as it is cheaper than using cloth banners.
Mohammad S, owner of a flex printing shop in Jayanagar, says that even though flexes have been banned, people continue asking for flex printing. He says that 90 per cent of the customers continue to ask for flex, and the 10 per cent who opt for cloth banners, only do so because the former is illegal. Due to the higher cost of cloth banners, these customers also compromise on the size of the banners to suit their budgets. “With flex printing, the raw material is cheaper as compared to cloth printing, hence there has always been high demand for flex. The difference in cost is 1:3. Cloth consumes double the ink, hence prices are high,” he adds.
Tapas Guha, who is in charge of print production and coordination at advertising agency JWT, says that post the ban, the usage of flex has been stopped completely. In place of it, they have been in search of an alternative media that is non-tearable and durable. “Fabric material is being considered, for which the supply and distribution have to be streamlined to a large extent.” Tapas states that cost-wise, flex is a much cheaper material — at least 25 to 30 per cent cheaper than cloth. Apart from the cost, the durability of the material also has to be tested.”
More variety in flex compared to cloth
Talking about the cost difference between flex and fabric, Tapas says that fabric has not been used widely for outdoor hoardings mainly due to monetary reasons. He says, “You can get flex for as less as `8 a square-foot, but the standard cost is `14- `15. The cost is not solely dependant on the material, there are other factors such as the machine, ink and labour that affect the cost.” S Prasad, who has been printing indoor and outdoor flex banners for years, says that unlike flex, there aren’t many options for cloth banners that are available in the market. While the standard cost of cloth banners stands at `30 per square-foot, the cost of flex banners vary, with the higher quality ones costing `40 to `50 per square-foot.
Eco-friendly flex material
The use of poly ethylene (PE) banner is suggested as an alternative, recyclable material that can be used for outdoor hoardings. Ecosign is one such product that uses poly ethylene.
Diten Mehta, MD of EcoSigns, says, “If this industry has to survive, it has to accept recyclable material. Our target is to provide a genuine alternative.”