K&R Solutions, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, has launched Bio Knit – a biodegradable tension fabric for dye sublimation printing that will be used for airport advertising throughout the USA and Caribbean in 2024.

Polyester is the industry standard base material for such silicone edge graphics (SEGs) because it can withstand the rigors of manufacturing, shipping and installation, but as is well known, polyester fibres can persist in the natural environment for hundreds of years.

Bio Knit, by contrast, will biodegrade in a natural environment at the same rate as a non-synthetic fibre such as wool, the company says, and thanks to advancements in textile technology, the fabric maintains the durability of polyester for its useful lifetime.

“Recycled content has a lot of baggage,” says K&R’s director of project management Audrey Peebles. “Materials in the recycling stream are transported multiple times and have to be heavily processed to become usable again. Biodegradable technology is our answer to reducing the environmental impact of such products that still perform in the real world.”

Bio Knit is designed to work with natural processes once its useful life is complete, breaking down 15 times faster than polyester.

Its price point is also uniquely competitive and aligns with K&R’s other dye sublimation materials. There is no cost premium for the sustainability benefit.

K&R Solutions Group was founded in 2019 by a trio of industry experts in airport and OOH (Out of Home) advertising production. It produces and installs printed tension fabric, SEG graphics and lightboxes.  Clients range from media agencies and airports to schools, global retail brands and international security companies and the company’s emphasis is on personalised customer service for both large and small projects.

www.krsolutionsgroup.com