Sustainable Design: reuse, recovery, and recycling
In the trade fair and exhibition design sector, the primary challenge today is to integrate innovation and effectiveness with greater environmental awareness. Sustainable design plays a crucial role in this transformation by enabling the development of solutions that combine creativity with environmental responsibility. Designing stands, events, and exhibitions often requires timely, flexible, and highly customized solutions, which inevitably lead to waste and surplus materials. This traditional model, based on “disposable” production cycles, is no longer sustainable, either economically or ecologically.
This is where the concepts of reuse, recovery, and recycling come into play—principles that not only reduce environmental impact but can also offer opportunities to improve service quality, strengthen corporate image, and provide added value to clients.
At Manaly, we’ve been working on this for some time—keep reading to discover where we’ve already applied these principles!
Reuse: optimizing resources for sustainable design
Reuse involves extending the life of materials and components, preventing them from becoming waste after just one use. In trade fair setups, this can translate into using modular structures that can be dismantled, reassembled, and adapted to new projects. For example, wooden panels, aluminum profiles, and other elements can be customized for different events while maintaining high aesthetic and functional quality. This practice not only reduces costs for both companies and clients but also demonstrates a concrete commitment to more responsible resource management.
At Manaly, our furniture rental service is a concrete example of sustainable design: furniture and accessories are provided to clients for fairs and events and are returned after use to be reused in new projects.
Recovery: long-lasting trade fair installations
Recovery differs from reuse in that it focuses on designing durable and versatile structures from the outset. In other words, installations are designed to be dismantled and reused without compromising quality or functionality. This approach is particularly useful for brands that regularly participate in fairs or events and need a consistent and recognizable visual identity.
A concrete example of sustainable design is the projects created for Stefanplast and Mavolo Beverages – Anthology. For these companies, we designed modular and durable exhibition structures meant to be reused over time and adapted to different spaces and contexts, such as the fairs and events scheduled in future years.
These setups combine aesthetics and practicality, ensuring both sustainability and brand continuity. Click here to read the case studies: Stefanplast and Mavolo Beverages – Anthology.
Recycling: turning waste into resources
Recycling is the third pillar of a sustainable approach in our industry. When materials or components reach the end of their life cycle, it is essential to manage them responsibly to avoid waste. This requires selecting recyclable materials during the design phase: plastic, metals, certified wood, and fabrics can be effectively processed and transformed into new resources.
At Manaly, we ensure that all waste generated by our projects is directed toward recovery. Through careful management of the material lifecycle, we can confidently state that our environmental impact related to waste management is zero.
These three principles represent a new perspective for innovating the trade fair and event design sector, improving its efficiency, competitiveness, and adaptability in a market increasingly focused on sustainability.
For us at Manaly, sustainable design is not just a challenge but a concrete vision for the future.
If you’re interested in sustainable design and need to create a trade fair stand or event setup, we’re here to help, contact us!
