Five recycled items you can use to build dynamic displays

Next time you’re looking to reinvent your tables, shelves, or windows, consider weaving the story of sustainability into your displays.

By Nicole Hilton

iStock by Jose Luis Montoya Retamosa

Retailers are always looking to capture customers’ attention with innovative merchandising. Incorporating this list of recycled items will not only strengthen your commitment to the environment but also act as a conversation starter for your retail team. As consumers become more conscious about the items they’re buying, you can feel good about doing your part too.

Unique antiques

Go treasure hunting! Attend a market or browse your local antique shop to pick up interesting pieces that could be destined for the landfill. Once you find the perfect antique, you can create a new aesthetic for your store that adds a vintage or retro feel. Use the antique as an anchor by placing it in the centre of your display – this will act as a focal point and draw your customers toward the entire table since it’s something unexpected.

Repurpose your empties

Maybe you have a few wine bottles in your garage from partaking in evening libations after closing up shop for the day…maybe you have a pantry full of jam jars you’ve cleaned and don’t know what to do with. Start looking at how you can turn items like these into impactful ways of displaying products. Bottles and Mason jars can easily be repurposed to showcase flowers, candles, or wine stoppers. If you’re feeling extra creative, you can transform them into a work of art or even a light fixture.

Upcycle fabric

Check your local fabric store for end-of-the-roll sales that include overstock, stock that’s not moving or cutoffs. Reusing scraps of fabric, even from clothing that is past its prime, can offer a more sustainable material than plastic in your displays. Fabrics can be sewn to create backdrops and tablecloths, or used to cover display stands, enhancing the visual aspect of your tables and windows with a different texture.

Pack a punch

When you receive your wholesale orders, products are shipped in boxes packed with paper and tissue, and often on wooden pallets. Why not reuse this packaging by incorporating it into your displays for an organic, minimalist look? Take a pallet and suspend it from the ceiling to create a unit that you can hang merchandise from or disassemble the pallet and use the wood for natural shelving in your store. Extra paper and tissue in good condition can be scrunched and shaped to create 3D murals on unused wall space or kept to stuff bags that are on display if you sell accessories.

Paint it new

A fresh coat of paint is every retailer’s friend! You can always opt for non-toxic, eco-friendly paints, but did you know you can also ask hardware stores for recycled cans of paint that could be headed for a dumpster? Paint a shelf, a wall, a designated selfie spot, your cash station, display tables, furniture, a wooden pallet, or the featured antique you’re planning to add as a focal point! Brush up that scrunched recycled paper with some paint to create colourful flowers! Find a tutorial on YouTube! When you use your imagination, customers will always take notice of your refreshed space.