Sustainable retail design in more ways than one
Benefits of PLEXIGLAS® acrylic for sustainable trade fair booth construction and shopfitting
- Climate-neutral PLEXIGLAS® products can make an important contribution to protecting the climate.
- Made from recycled PMMA, PLEXIGLAS® proTerra saves resources and results in lower CO2eq emissions than new products.
- PLEXIGLAS® acrylic is 100% recyclable in the context of the circular economy.
- Durable material in subtle colors means that items can be used for long periods and easily combined, saving costs and resources.
- Low weight reduces CO2 emissions during transport.
Retail is facing more complex challenges than ever before, with the demand for shopfittings that are as climate-neutral and cost-effective as possible – yet still extraordinary. At the EuroShop 2023 trade fair, Röhm showcased innovative and sustainable solutions for retail in this age of transition with its acrylic brand PLEXIGLAS®.
The topic is unavoidable in retail: Sustainability was the focus of EuroShop 2023. The leading international exhibition for the retail sector saw numerous exhibitors presenting technical solutions, concepts and materials that help save energy and resources – and last but not least costs.
Röhm, too, showcased attractive new service concepts for trade fair booth construction and shopfitting, such as the ability to purchase climate-neutral PLEXIGLAS® semi-finished products and the recycled material proTerra. Further products from the Acrylic Products business unit on show at the EuroShop trade fair booth for visitors to see and touch: PLEXIGLAS® Satinice “Come Closer” – an extraordinary acrylic with a velvety surface in a timelessly beautiful caramel color: a durable material for sophisticated store designs that appeal to all the senses.
Recycled material in brand quality: PLEXIGLAS® proTerra
While other manufacturers are investing significant funds and efforts into developing new materials, for example in experimenting with upcycling all kinds of waste materials, Röhm can leverage the potential of its most well-known product in an innovative way: “Since its invention 90 years ago, our PLEXIGLAS® brand acrylic has been contributing toward sustainable solutions and advancing technology in countless sectors – and now it is fulfilling the desire for resource-friendly and recyclable materials,” says Thomas Putze, Head of the Trade and Industry segment in the Acrylic Products business unit.
Circular economy: PLEXIGLAS® acrylic is 100% recyclable
Recycling potential is in the DNA of PLEXIGLAS®. Using different recycling processes, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) – the chemical name for acrylic – can be broken down into its original components, immediately forming pure PMMA again. The method allows PLEXIGLAS® products to be recycled not only in full, but at full quality. This type of circular economy, which is possible only for a very limited number of plastics, saves resources and helps to avoid waste.
Recycled and recyclable materials are in high demand in the trade fair booth construction and shopfitting sector. Röhm serves this approach to sustainability with its PLEXIGLAS® proTerra solid sheets, multi-skin sheets and corrugated sheets. They comprise up to 90 percent recycled material taken from the manufacture and processing of PLEXIGLAS® acrylic. In terms of quality, they are identical to new products and have the same material properties.
Visitors at the EuroShop trade fair had the opportunity to compare the two for themselves: Some of the transparent side walls of the meeting cube at Röhm’s booth were made using PLEXIGLAS® proTerra and some using the new PLEXIGLAS® XT product – with absolutely no discernible difference between the two, as the recycled sheet material has the same level of transparency and brilliance. And it lasts: Röhm guarantees no yellowing and maximum transparency for 30 years for clear PLEXIGLAS® proTerra solid sheets as well.
Presenting products with sustainability and glamour
PLEXIGLAS® proTerra is available not only in highly transparent solid sheets but also in black or white with glossy surfaces on both sides. Matte surfaces and translucent white shades, for illuminated advertising and displays for example, could also be available in the future. They all have one thing in common: It is impossible to tell that the material is recycled. Shop designers can therefore incorporate a resource-friendly material into their concept without any additional planning efforts.
As a result, a resource-friendly, high-quality and durable plastic is available for shopfitting that will outlive the current trend for using natural-looking materials or rugged upcycling designs. After all, wood-based designs are not always the ideal backdrop for showcasing products that demand a more glamorous look. Retail also requires transparent materials for counters, display cases and displays. In the beauty sector, for example, glossy surfaces are still in high demand and many cosmetics manufacturers want to promote their premium brand products using glamorous displays. A renowned cosmetics manufacturer that uses PLEXIGLAS® proTerra for its transparent displays is thrilled at how the material elegantly combines a luxury brand image with the principle of sustainability.
Climate-neutral PLEXIGLAS® products lower the carbon footprint in shopfitting
“As the manufacturer of semi-finished PLEXIGLAS® products, we have chosen this route and are offsetting the CO₂ equivalents (CO₂eq) for an allotment of PLEXIGLAS® sheets, blocks, tubes and rods by reducing emissions elsewhere.”
- Thomas Putze
Head of the Trade and Industry segment in the Acrylic Products business unit
PLEXIGLAS® proTerra is not only visually appealing – it causes lower CO2 emissions than new products and is thus ideal for the retail sector’s efforts to promote climate protection. According to the white paper “Klimaschutzmanagement im Handel 2023” (climate protection management in the retail industry, 2023; available only in German) published by the EHI Retail Institute, 47 percent of retail chains are already tracking and consciously reducing their carbon emissions. Röhm is supporting the industry in this endeavor by making it possible to use PLEXIGLAS® semi-finished products in a climate-neutral way. After all, emissions cannot always be avoided – or not without a long and difficult process. In these cases, compensating CO₂ emissions is an option for companies who want to help protect the climate.
Customers receive an order-specific certificate for the CO2eq amount of emissions produced and offset by the Acrylic Products business unit at Röhm GmbH.
Saving costs and resources while retaining maximum versatility
Scratch-resistant PLEXIGLAS® Optical
For surfaces subject to heavy wear, such as counters or fittings situated in aisles with high levels of foot traffic, scratch-resistant, coated PLEXIGLAS® Optical acrylic with greater abrasion resistance and resistance to chemicals is ideal. It is available clear as glass (HC) or with a silky-matte surface.
Protecting the environment and climate is not the only concern for stationary retail – the sector also faces changing consumer habits and high cost pressures due to increased raw material and energy prices. According to a survey for the EHI 2023 store monitoring study, EHI-Ladenmonitor 2023, of the EHI Retail Institute in Cologne (German only), the costs for outfitting new stores have risen by up to 20 percent compared to 2020, not least due to the huge price increases in the procurement markets. The survey’s authors argue that this demonstrates a need to be able to use shopfittings for longer while maximizing their versatility.
It is here that a third sustainability factor of PLEXIGLAS® acrylic comes into play: The material is extremely durable to use, for example because it ranks among the thermoplastics with the highest surface hardness and is UV-resistant.
However, it is not just material quality, but above all current design preferences and color trends that influence the “visual longevity” of shopfittings. The COLORNETWORK® network – which includes Röhm as a member – has now developed a range of timelessly beautiful colors for long-lasting interior design. The caramel color “Come Closer” is the latest addition to the PLEXIGLAS® Satinice product family and is easy to combine with many other colors and materials.
Because solid sheets made from the PLEXIGLAS® brand plastic are more lightweight than comparable geometries made from glass, they are easier to process and handle. That makes them ideal for flexible shopfitting designs with modules that can be rearranged time and again and are easy to move around, for instance when a sales area needs to be transformed into an events stage. “Dual use” and “third places” are two huge global trends in the retail sector. The shopping experience is being expanded, with stores transformed from mere shopping locations into spaces where people can gather – perhaps by creating a living-room atmosphere that invites people to stay for a while, or through evening events.
Spectacular design using light and color
Playing with light and color is a great way to achieve maximum impact with minimum effort. The PLEXIGLAS® portfolio offers near-infinite freedom of design thanks to its huge variety of available colors and options for printing and colored illumination. Simply by changing the color of the LED lighting in wall or counter cladding made from PLEXIGLAS®, store designers can switch up the style and atmosphere – without the need for remodeling.
