Let’s be honest, most lanyards at a trade show have a shorter lifespan than a New Year’s resolution. The Global lanyard market in 2024 was estimated to be worth a staggering USD 6.2 billion, yes with a B. In the UK alone, an estimated 30 million lanyards are handed out at events, conferences, and exhibitions every year, and for good reason. They’re essential for security, quick identification, and keeping large-scale events running smoothly. But once the doors close, their job is done, and most end up in the bin. It’s a small product that plays a big role, yet collectively it adds up to thousands of tons of wasted material every year. Up to this point, there hasn’t been a practical or scalable way to give them a proper second life.
Until now!
Introducing the LAN–KEY moulded keyring, made entirely from recycled lanyards. Yes, you read that right, this is the UK’s first keyring created from reclaimed event lanyards. It’s more than just a product launch; it’s the result of almost three years of innovation, testing, and collaboration to make genuine closed loop recycling possible within the UK promotional industry.
What has been in a process that has taken nearly 3 years to bring to market. It’s a breakthrough that has already started transforming how event organisers and distributors think about sustainability, especially for large-scale, single-use events where waste reduction has always been a challenge.
So what exactly does closed loop mean, and no its not a few fancy words to make it green, it actually is! Closed loop recycling means the materials from a used product are collected, recycled, and made into something new, again and again. Instead of ending up in landfill, those materials stay in use, creating a continuous cycle of reuse.
In this case, it starts with our rPET or polyester lanyards. After an event, customers can send them back to us. The lanyards are then:
This creates a closed loop, the same material that began as a lanyard comes back as a new item, ready to start its life again. Yes, it’s recycling… but cooler.
Why is closed loop so important?
Every time recycled material is used in place of new plastic, it helps cut down the demand for virgin (newly produced) plastic which is made from fossil fuels. Creating virgin plastic requires extracting oil, transporting it, and processing it through carbon-intensive manufacturing.
By using recycled PET (rPET) from old lanyards instead, we’re keeping existing materials in circulation rather than starting from scratch. This not only conserves non-renewable resources but also lowers carbon emissions linked to plastic production.
In other words, every LAN-KEY keyring made from reclaimed lanyards represents plastic that didn’t need to be newly created, proving that smart recycling can have a real impact on reducing the industry’s carbon footprint.
Let’s face it ‘Made from recycled lanyards’ sounds a lot better than ‘Made to be thrown away.
With our closed-loop system, every lanyard has a second life and so does your brand story. It’s a small switch with a lasting impact on how your business is seen.
Enquire today: sales@premierpandp.com
