Sustainable Materials in Museum Exhibitions

Sustainability is no longer optional in museums. Funders, audiences and boards increasingly expect exhibitions to demonstrate environmental responsibility. Net zero commitments and public scrutiny put material choices under the spotlight.

But anyone involved in exhibition delivery knows the tension: a material that sounds sustainable on paper doesn’t always perform in practice. It may scuff easily, lack durability under gallery lighting, or prove difficult to recycle once de-installed. For curators, designers and contractors, the challenge is balancing sustainability with durability, print quality, and safety

Museums face multiple pressures:

• Funding conditions often include sustainability requirements.
• Public expectations around climate responsibility are rising.
• Institutional commitments to net zero create accountability for every project.

Graphics and signage are highly visible parts of an exhibition, and therefore attract scrutiny. Visitors notice whether materials look high-quality and whether sustainability is taken seriously.

There is no shortage of “eco” substrates available to exhibitions today. Among the most common are:

• Recycled acrylics and other rigid panels with reduced carbon impact.
• PVC-free wallpapers that avoid harmful plastics.
• Tensioned fabric systems that can be reused across exhibitions.
• Reusable extrusions and frames, reducing single-use waste.

Each promises environmental benefit, but their real-world performance can vary.

Some materials have proven themselves in museum conditions:

• Tensioned fabric systems are lightweight, reusable and deliver strong visual quality.
• Eco-wallpapers can provide seamless coverage with good print clarity while reducing PVC use.
• Recycled substrates such as acrylics have shown they can meet both sustainability and durability requirements when specified correctly.

These options demonstrate that environmental responsibility doesn’t need to mean compromising on visitor experience.

Some eco-substrates scuff or fade more easily than their traditional counterparts. Others claim recyclability but lack practical recycling pathways once removed from site. In some cases, sustainability can be overstated in marketing language, leaving museums at risk of accusations of “greenwash” if the materials don’t hold up.

This is why sampling, prototyping and durability testing are so important before committing to a full exhibition fit-out.

At the Design Museum in London, the Waste Age exhibition tackled the subject of environmental responsibility head-on. Graphics production included recycled acrylics, alongside eco-material consultation, in-house production and installation - all delivered without compromising the impact of the exhibition

At the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, the Sound & Vision gallery refresh placed sustainability at the centre of delivery. Materials such as SG Chrome (a recyclable alternative to Dibond) were specified, alongside recyclable packaging, low-carbon logistics and tracked carbon measurement to align with the museum’s net zero target for 2033

Both projects show that sustainable exhibitions are achievable when material choices are tested and applied responsibly.

Sustainable materials can deliver strong, durable and visually engaging exhibitions - but only when selected with care. The difference between “what works” and “what doesn’t” lies in matching the right material to the right context, and verifying its performance before installation.

Museums don’t need to choose between sustainability and visitor experience. With pragmatic decisions and early testing, they can deliver both