Still looking fresh after four years and an estimated 76,000 miles on the roads of West Sussex, the first KWIK Zip vehicle signage system to be used on a municipal vehicle has been pensioned off.
The overprinted durable PVC banners and lightweight alloy frame system were first installed by Kent-based marketing agency EPIC Media Group (www.epicmediagroup.co.uk) in March 2007. It was applied to a 26 tonnes recycling vehicle, comprising Econic cab and chassis and a Faun body, deployed by municipal services specialist Biffa on its Arun District Council recycling, refuse and street cleansing contract.That was the first time the KWIK Zip system had been used on a municipal vehicle in the UK, and was chosen because of the time and cost savings it offered over conventional signage systems such as adhesive stickers and painting.
KWIK Zip’s design means that vehicle downtime for installation is reduced to just an hour, while the cost of producing and mounting the graphics is about half that of traditional methods
Off with the old, on with the new
EPIC Media managing director Kevin Murton installed that first system four years ago, and this May, took to his step ladder again to personally demount the original promotional display and install new banners.
He said: “We’ve always guaranteed that the KWIK Zip banners will look sharp for at least three years, and this first municipal system is in pretty good condition after over 1,200 days of hard use in all types of weather conditions.”
A further five Biffa recycling vehicles working on the Arun contract were also fitted with KWIK Zip signage at the same time. The mounting frames were quickly fitted over the top of original self-adhesive vinyl graphics on vehicle sides, completely covering them and any visible bodywork wear-and-tear.
David Maidman, operations director of Biffa’s municipal division, commented: “We broke new ground when we commissioned the first municipal KWIK Zip application four years ago. The advantages it offered then are still evident today, which is why KWIK Zip is installed at many of our other contracts across the UK.
“In terms of value and performance, we think it’s pretty unbeatable.”
KWIK Zip is Biffa’s preferred signage for all new vehicles servicing its contracts. The system is also installed on over 1,000 vehicles used in the wider waste management industry.
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Further press information from:
Blair Drummond, PR consultant Tel: 07798 686 217
Email: blair.drummond@btopenworld.com
Notes to editors:
The municipal division of recycling, waste and renewable energy business Biffa (www.biffa.co.uk) currently provides high quality, efficient recycling, refuse, street cleansing and grounds maintenance services for over 40 local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland. The division expanded considerably in late 2010 when municipal services specialist Verdant Group, and its 24 local authority contracts, joined Biffa when Greenstar UK was acquired. The municipal business makes over 2½ million collections per week, and employs in excess of 2,500 staff who use over 1,000 vehicles. Its notable successes include helping South Oxfordshire District Council achieve a recycling and composting rate of 70% during 2010, placing the council second in Defra’s 2009-2010 league tables for overall recycling, composting and reuse and winning a LARAC Award for the most improved recycling authority. The first months of Vale of White Horse District Council’s new service saw its recycling and composting rate match that of its South Oxfordshire neighbour, while a redesigned service for Surrey Heath Borough Council doubled its recycling and composting rate to almost 65%, helping it meet its 2025 target almost 15 years early.
