PVC-Free Displays: How Antalis SwitchGreen Box Guides Choices
As exhibitions move toward zero-PVC policies, brands must rethink visual communication materials. Antalis Visual Communication helps companies transition smoothly using the SwitchGreen Box and expert guidance.
As exhibitions move toward zero-PVC policies, brands must rethink visual communication materials. Antalis Visual Communication helps companies transition smoothly using the SwitchGreen Box and expert guidance.
1. The “Zero PVC” imperative in events
Sustainability is rapidly becoming a non-negotiable requirement in the events and exhibition sector. Major international trade shows increasingly impose strict environmental standards on exhibitors, including limitations on single-use plastics and the use of recyclable materials.
Two major European events illustrate this shift. ICEX Paris 2025 showcased a growing demand for eco-designed stands and communication materials. In such contexts, environmental responsibility is no longer a differentiator—it is a prerequisite. Likewise, the Genera 2025, hosted at IFEMA Madrid, is one of the leading international exhibitions dedicated to energy and environmental innovation. The event explicitly highlights sustainability and environmental responsibility as core themes.
For companies exhibiting at these events, the challenge is clear: visual communication materials must be completely PVC-free. However, eliminating PVC is easier said than done. Traditional exhibition graphics rely heavily on PVC banners because they offer durability, flexibility and consistent print performance. Removing PVC raises an important question:
How can exhibitors maintain premium visual quality, essential for exhibition stands, while switching entirely to sustainable materials?
2. The solution: combining expertise and Antalis tools
This is where Antalis expertise creates a practical pathway toward PVC-free visual communication together with key tools for transition such as the SwitchGreen Box and the Green Star System™.
The SwitchGreen Box: a catalyst for change
The SwitchGreen Box is a practical selection kit designed to help companies compare sustainable alternatives to traditional materials. Instead of relying on theoretical specifications, the SwitchGreen Box allows designers, printers and brand managers to physically evaluate different substrates, including PVC-free films, recycled boards and textiles. By touching, printing and testing materials directly, decision-makers gain confidence in switching to more sustainable options.
The tool provides a structured way to replace conventional substrates with alternatives that meet both environmental and performance requirements.
The importance of expert guidance
Equally important is the advisory role of Antalis specialists. Choosing a PVC-free material requires technical validation: compatibility with printing technologies, durability in exhibition environments, and ease of installation. Antalis sales teams work closely with clients to assess these parameters and confirm that selected materials will deliver the required visual impact.
The Green Star System™
To support these decisions, Antalis also developed the Green Star System™, an environmental rating framework that evaluates products according to circular economy criteria such as renewability, recyclability and recycled content. Each product receives a score from 0 to 5 stars, allowing companies to quickly identify the most environmentally responsible solutions.
3. Product focus: Coala Textile Backlit City
Among the alternatives evaluated for the ICEX and Genera stands, one solution stood out: Coala Textile Backlit City. Coala Textile Backlit City has a very tight structure making it ideal for backlit or frontlit graphics. This innovative material offers an ideal replacement for PVC in backlit signage and exhibition structures.
Why this material?
Coala Textile Backlit City is a 100% polyester textile, guaranteed PVC-free and certified B1 fire-retardant, making it suitable for indoor exhibition environments.
Its tightly woven structure ensures excellent light diffusion, making it particularly effective for illuminated displays and lightboxes commonly used on trade show stands.
Premium print quality
Print quality remains a critical requirement in exhibition communication. The material was printed using water-based inks, which significantly reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) compared with traditional solvent inks. This combination of textile substrate and aqueous inks delivers sharp image definition and vibrant colour reproduction, meeting the premium visual standards expected in exhibition environments.
Visual results on the stands
The results were visible on two key exhibition stands.
On the ICEX stand (IDOM), large vertical illuminated panels demonstrate the textile’s ability to diffuse light evenly. The graphics appear luminous and crisp, with no glare or reflective plastic effect often associated with PVC materials.
The textile was also used to cover large overhead structures on the SAJ stand. Thanks to its flexibility and tension stability, the material wraps complex structures smoothly, maintaining a perfectly stretched appearance without visible creases.
These examples demonstrate that PVC-free materials can deliver the same, if not better, visual impact than traditional substrates.
4. Beyond the material: a broader circular vision
While switching substrates is important, a truly sustainable exhibition project requires a holistic approach combining eco-friendly printing, optimised logistics and lower carbon footprint.
Eco-friendly printing 
The use of water-based inks was a decisive factor in this project. Unlike solvent-based inks, aqueous technologies drastically reduce volatile organic compounds, improving air quality and lowering environmental impact without compromising colour performance.
Optimised logistics
Another advantage of textile graphics lies in their logistical efficiency. Textile prints are lightweight and foldable, unlike rigid PVC panels or heavy banners. Once dismantled, exhibition graphics can be folded into compact volumes, significantly reducing transportation space.
Lower carbon footprint
Less transport volume means fewer shipments and therefore lower CO₂ emissions. Combined with recyclable materials and water-based printing, this approach helps create exhibition stands that align with broader circular economy principles.
5. Proof through practice
The experience at ICEX Paris and Genera Madrid demonstrates that moving away from PVC is no longer a technical limitation. It is a strategic opportunity.
With the support of Antalis tools such as the SwitchGreen Box and the Green Star System™, companies can confidently select materials that combine premium aesthetics with strong environmental performance.
By combining innovative materials, expert guidance and circular thinking, Antalis shows that visual communication can achieve maximum visual impact with minimal environmental footprint. In a sector where sustainability expectations continue to rise, this approach provides a clear roadmap for the future of responsible exhibition design.
