The Chicago Nature Museum Chooses Enviricard for Exhibit Passports

The Chicago Nature Museum Chooses Enviricard for Exhibit Passports

The Chicago's Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum has an exciting new exhibit called "The Sustainability Center." This exhibit, created in collaboration with Dr. Nancy Tuchman, PhD, from Loyola University, aims to teach visitors and young people about sustainability. 

It combines physical exhibition pieces with digital resources to make an eco-friendly lifestyle more accessible. The Sustainability Center will also introduce visitors to the Chicago Conservation Corps (C3), an organisation that trains service providers and funds community-based environmental projects across Chicago. 

The museum's primary focus is to educate and take action. So it was vital that this new exhibit demonstrated a commitment to sustainability in every aspect, including the tools used to engage visitors.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, we were delighted to receive an email from John Aldridge, the Director of Exhibit Design and Production at The Nature Museum. He conveyed the museum's enthusiasm for replacing plastic exhibition 'passports' and wanted to collaborate with us to provide our eco-friendly biodegradable cards as a substitute. We can't wait to get started on this project.

Finding a truly sustainable solution

The museum has made huge progress in promoting sustainability, however, they were still looking for a solution for their passport card printer. Their previous PVC cards were recyclable, however, they came with several issues. The museum wanted to improve the following:

The Nature Museum is especially interested in reducing PVCs in our procurement wherever possible’ - John Aldridge.

  • Environmental impact: The Nature Museum is committed to reducing the use of PVC in its exhibits. Using this material in its exhibit passports conflicts with its broader mission of educating visitors about sustainability. 
  • Alignment with core values: The Sustainability Center represents one of the museum’s core values, and the exhibit needs to reflect that. While some PVC cards can be recyclable, at its most basic level, it comes from non-renewable sources, which poses environmental risks and undermines the museum’s core sustainability message.
  • Outdated material use: The traditional recycling process uses a lot of energy. The process can also create microplastic that escapes into the environment, causing further harm to ecosystems. According to Statista, only 10% of plastic is recycled globally. While these facts are shocking, they highlight the importance in finding sustainable solutions. 
  • Technical compatibility: The new passports had to work with the museum’s current dye-sublimation printer for cards, removing the need for expensive equipment upgrades.

‘Our senior management raised expectations for the cards beyond recyclability… we began searching for a biodegradable or even compostable solution’ - John Aldridge.

Championing our biodegradable alternative card 

The Natural Museum's new passes are made from Enviricard's 790-micron Invercote paperboard with a unique plant-based coating. Our cards are fully biodegradable and compostable under industrial conditions (EN13432).

The CO2 impact from seed to end-of-life is less than 9g per card, over 57% lower than the equivalent PVC version. Our alternative to plastic cards can also be recycled in standard paper recycling mills, aligning with the museum's broader environmental objectives.

Maintaining functionality: The new passports feature QR codes linked to additional digital resources, including PDFs and articles on sustainability. It reduces the need for physical media, reducing the exhibit's carbon footprint. All whilst encouraging deep engagement with the topic from visitors.

Seamless integration: Enviricard’s biodegradable cards are compatible with the museum’s existing dye-sub printer. It was essential to assist in a smooth transition without expensive upgrades to their equipment.


Reaching environmental goals

Enviricard worked closely with the Nature Museum to ensure a successful rollout:

Testing: The Museum put the biodegradable Enviricards cards through rigorous stress tests with their Zebra dye sub printer. They printed cards at different speeds to see if they could handle various demand levels without problems.

Smooth transition: After the successful testing, the printer was located at the exhibit's introduction kiosk. They also put up marketing materials to show off the new sustainable passports for visitors to read.

Visitor engagement: The new passports do two things. They let visitors interact with the exhibit, and they also send helpful sustainability information to their personal devices. Visitors can even use the cards at the Chicago Conservation Corps stations to look at projects and sign up for training.

The Results

Results such as cost savings or waste reduction are still being assessed. However, early signs from the project are very promising:

Visitor appreciation: The museum anticipates visitors will appreciate the sustainable nature of the new passports. They are a keystone of the new exhibit, encouraging deep engagement with the additional virtual content. The exhibit passports are an effective educational tool and an environmentally friendly keepsake.

Long-term benefits: By using biodegradable cards, the museum can reduce plastic waste. Our paperboard card helps ensure a steady supply of eco-friendly materials for future exhibits. The collaboration with Enviricard has opened up new avenues for promoting sustainability both within the museum and the wider community.

‘So far the results are great and as good or better than we were getting from our PVC cards’ - John Aldridge.

Communications and marketing materials

The museum put up a graphic panel by the exhibit’s kiosk informing visitors about this panel informs visitors about the sustainability features of the passports. It also explains how to use the QR code function and offers extra content.

The passports will encourage visitors to interact with the new materials. The passports will be featured prominently in the museum’s marketing efforts for the Sustainability Centre, symbolising the museum’s dedication to environmental responsibility.

Sustainable future initiatives: 

The Nature Museum is dedicated to making its operations more sustainable. They plan to reduce single-use plastics in their exhibits. This also includes using more recycled materials like steel and aluminium. The museum is exploring 3D printing technology to create exhibit components that can be recycled easily.

The museum hopes that by setting an example, they can encourage other institutions to be more sustainable. Their partnership with Enviricard shows that working together based on shared values can lead to new, eco-friendly solutions. Both parties are excited to keep working together in the future.

Long term, our goal is to maintain a supply of cards for the exhibition with the hope that Enviricard also benefits both from our purchase and a broader awareness of their sustainable alternative to PVC cards- John Aldridge.

Advice from the Museum of Chicago

Lead by example: Advocate for environmentally sustainable materials both internally and through external partners. By setting high standards and aligning with ambitious environmental goals, institutions can inspire meaningful change.

Research thoroughly: Finding the right solution can take time, especially where needs are complex or there is an existing structure. Extensive testing and verification of prospective partners help to ease the transition.

Many thanks to John Aldridge at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences for providing information for the case study and quotes highlighted throughout this case study. You can learn more about the museum's exhibits on their website and social media.

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