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We sustain

Sustainability

Bold brands. Lighter footprints.

We make brands impossible to ignore. Not impossible to undo.

Brand experiences are built to be seen, not to be thrown away. We design, print and fabricate so that what we make for a campaign can be reused, repaired or recycled, and we tell our clients the honest trade-offs of every material.

PlanetMaterials chosen for a second life, waste segregated at source, energy that switches off.
PeopleSafe crews, fair pay, Kenyan suppliers paid on time.
PracticeHonest trade-offs on every quote, and figures we publish only when we have measured them.
The DBM loop

Every asset has a second life planned before it is printed.

Eight stages, from the brief to the day a frame goes back out on another job. Choose a stage to see what we do and what you can ask for.

  1. Brief

    We ask how long the asset will live, where, and how many times it will be used, and agree its second life before design starts.

  2. Design

    Standard sizes that fit modular frames, interchangeable graphics instead of new structures, and artwork laid out to waste less media.

  3. Source

    Substrates with a known end of life, offered side by side with standard options, from Kenyan suppliers first.

  4. Produce

    Nesting jobs to cut offcuts, proofing on screen to avoid reprints, and offcuts separated by material at the machine.

  5. Deliver & install

    Shared routes for installations, reusable blankets and crates instead of single-use wrap, and crews briefed and equipped for safety.

  6. Live

    LED in lit signage, digital screens scheduled to sleep after hours, and maintenance visits that extend the asset's life.

  7. Return

    De-rig with take-back: frames, lights and fittings inspected, repaired and stored for the next activation.

  8. Reuse & recycle

    Frames redeployed with fresh graphics; what cannot be reused goes by material stream to licensed handlers, and offcuts can be upcycled.

Material matchmaker

Tell us the job. We'll show the greener way to build it.

Indicative guidance from our production team, so you can brief with confidence. Every project is quoted on its own merits.

1 · What are you making?
2 · How long will it live?
3 · Will it be used again?

Re-useEnd of life in KenyaLow-toxicityDurability · Ratings out of 5, indicative only.

Our commitments

Six promises, each with a status.

We say what is already in place and what is still in progress. You can hold us to it.

In progress

Circular builds

Exhibition stands, backdrops and displays designed as systems: frames that come back, graphics that change.

  • Modular frames and tension-fabric graphics offered for repeat events
  • Storage and redeployment of client-owned stands between shows
  • Take-back of event structures at de-rig
In progress

Cleaner print

Lower-impact substrates and inks offered on every quote, with the honest trade-offs explained.

  • PVC-free banner and display options quoted alongside standard flex
  • Nesting and right-sizing artwork to cut offcuts
  • Proofing on screen first to avoid reprints
In progress

Waste segregated at source

Offcuts, board, metal and e-waste separated in the workshop and handed to licensed handlers, as the Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022 requires.

  • Separate streams for paper/board, plastics, metals and e-waste
  • Licensed waste handlers only, with handover records
  • Upcycling of banner offcuts where clients agree
In progress

Lighter energy

LED lighting in signage and lightboxes, and digital screens scheduled to switch off when nobody is watching.

  • LED as the default for lit signage
  • Screen schedules set at installation
  • Shared transport routes for installations
In place

Responsible sourcing

Kenyan suppliers first, paid on time, on eTIMS invoices, under our Supplier Purchasing Terms.

  • Local suppliers preferred when quality allows
  • Supplier onboarding with KRA PIN and eTIMS checks
  • Anti-bribery and code-of-conduct commitments for suppliers
In place

Safe, fair work

Every installation crew briefed, equipped and paid fairly; casual workers registered and protected.

  • PPE and site briefings on every job card
  • Working-at-height and electrical checks before sign-off
  • Fair, documented pay for casual labour
Progress

Measured, then published.

We publish a figure only after we have measured it, together with what it covers.

Baseline year in progress

We are measuring our baseline for the financial year July 2026 to June 2027. Our first figures will be published here, with the method behind each one.

Kenya's rules, built in

The law is moving towards a circular economy. So are we.

What each rule means for a brand activation, and how we handle it for you.

  1. Plastic carrier bags banned

    Making, importing and using plastic carrier bags is prohibited by the Ministry of Environment's August 2017 notice.

    For your activation: no plastic carrier bags in sampling or giveaways. We propose paper, fabric or reusable options.

  2. Single-use plastics out of protected areas

    Single-use plastics are banned in national parks, beaches, forests and conservation areas from June 2020.

    For your activation: events at the coast, parks and forests are planned without single-use plastic décor, cups or packaging.

  3. Sustainable Waste Management Act

    Waste must be separated at source and handled by licensed operators, and producers carry responsibility for what they put on the market.

    For your activation: our workshop and de-rigs separate waste by stream and use licensed handlers only.

  4. Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations

    Gazetted in November 2024: producers of packaging, electronics, textiles, plastics and more must register with NEMA and fund take-back and recycling, alone or through a producer responsibility organisation.

    For your activation: we design POSM and packaging to be easy to collect and recycle, and can share material details for your EPR reporting.

Sources: The Sustainable Waste Management (Extended Producer Responsibility) Regulations, 2024 (Kenya Law) · Sustainable Waste Management Act, 2022 (NEMA) · See also our Health, Safety & Environment policy. General information, not legal advice.

The greener brief

Eight questions that halve the waste before a single print.

Tick what you already know. Send it with your brief, or print it for your team.

0/8 Let's start

Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • 8Decent work & economic growth
  • 9Industry, innovation & infrastructure
  • 11Sustainable cities & communities
  • 12Responsible consumption & production
  • 13Climate action

Figures are self-reported by Distilled Blue Marketing Ltd and are not externally audited. Questions or corrections: sales@dbm.co.ke.

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