Over the past few years, chances are you’ve walked by a fence or down some stairs with vibrant Princeton Builds messaging. The Princeton Builds campaign was initiated to help engage and inform the campus community during a period of historic growth.
As a part of the campaign, each major project fence was lined with vibrant mesh banners that shared information about the project behind the fence, including project goals, disruptions, sustainability, and diversity while incorporating Venture Forward branding. New construction on campus is made possible in part through the Venture Forward campaign, which supports the University's strategic plan through alumni engagement and philanthropic support.
As construction projects near completion and fencing begins to come down, Princeton Facilities got creative with managing the leftover banners. In an effort to divert the banners from the landfill, the team decided to reuse the material by upcycling the old banners into stylish tote bags. Facilities and other campus departments worked with Vinylbomb, a local business in Mercer County known for its diverse workforce, to transform the banners into durable bags.
The first batch of tote bags are a pilot. Bags will be distributed to campus and community sustainability ambassadors. Each bag comes with a QR code to learn ways to lower your individual carbon footprint.
"We think this project highlights Princeton’s commitment to sustainability,” said Karen Fanning, director of communications for Facilities. "We also hope to encourage others to think creatively about reusing materials and reducing their carbon footprint.”
And so, the Princeton Builds campaign continues, not just in construction but in inspiring a more sustainable future. By upcycling the mesh, Princeton aims to model best practices in waste reduction and inspire others on our campus and beyond.