Archive for month: January, 2012

The local, woman-owned company will sustainably reface and recycle highway and street signs for the State, producing more jobs in the region

BEND, OR – January 11, 2012 – Northwest Sign Recycling (“NWSR”), a Prineville-based sign recycling and refacing company, has been awarded a two year pilot contract by the Oregon State Department of Transportation (“ODOT”) to execute the aluminum sign reuse program. NWSR and ODOT will work collaboratively toward a cost-effective and sustainable approach for the reuse of aluminum signs throughout Oregon, versus buying new. The company will transform outdated, weathered aluminum highway and street signs into clean reusable blanks, without damaging the environment, greatly reducing Oregon’s sign budget and creating more jobs in the region.

Lori Webb, with the ODOT Sign Shop in Salem said, “We are eager to come full circle with the implementation of a sign reuse program. This new challenge into unchartered territory will pilot the process of hydrostripping signs and refacing them for reuse, which will potentially save the State of Oregon thousands of dollars while also helping to reduce environmental waste.”

The program will kick-off in the next 30 days with the distribution of sign bins at State Highway Department Yards in four locations throughout the State of Oregon, including: Bend, La Grande, Troutdale, Roseburg, and Salem. NWSR will lead the process of collecting and recycling the signs using a hydrostripping technology, where reflective sign sheeting is removed from old aluminum signs with pure water. The process is run by a Programmable Logic Controller calibrated to match the specifications of each sign to direct a power head across the aluminum sign face, forcing a pressurized stream of water that hits the surface at 36,000 pounds per square inch – stripping the sign down to a reusable sign blank. The surface of the aluminum sign is left smooth and clean, ready for refacing with a new reflective sign sheeting. This process is clear of chemicals or erosive solutions, making it the greenest sign refacing process on the market.

“We are thrilled to have been awarded this contract to work with ODOT to help establish a sustainable sign recycling program for the state,” said Wendie Every, NWSR. “The fundamental need for the revamp of hundreds of signs within Oregon and what we can provide is a clear win for everyone – saving the State thousands on their sign budget while recycling signs in an environmentally friendly format, and producing jobs in the region,” added Every.