Gili Bags are better for disposing of banners

VAIL — You know those signs and banners you see during events? Have you ever wonder what happens to them?

More than 500,000 tons of billboards are printed and disposed of every year.

Vail Valley resident Derek Redd has a better idea. He launched Gili Bags.

They’re made from discarded billboards, banners and vinyl mesh. So far, he has three styles for sports and outdoor occasions.

It’s called upcycling, he said.

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He launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to produce his Gili Bags.

“Gili’s goal is to reduce waste and raise awareness towards a sustainable future,” Redd said.

Redd is a ski instructor in the winter and whitewater raft guide in the summer. Between seasons, he dabbles in the underwater world as a certified scuba instructor. In his spare time, he can typically be found paragliding and stand-up paddleboarding.

“Being able to experience all these incredible adventures has not only enriched my life but also given me the fuel I needed to fire up my first ideas for Gili Bags,” Redd said.

The material that doesn’t go to things like Gili Bags often ends up in overflowing disposal sites, where they’re incinerated, Redd said.

“Misprinted billboards are also discarded, seemingly unsuitable for display or any other use … until now,” Redd said.

MADE IN COLORADO

The print on each Gili bag is one-of-a-kind, and the mesh gear bags come in a wide variety of colors. All materials are sourced in the U.S., and the bags are hand-made in Colorado, Redd said.

He’s even giving some of his profits to the Nature Conservancy.

Redd said Kickstarter rewards range from being one of the first people to get their hands on the Gili bag or adventure vacations that have never been offered before: paragliding, rafting, skiing in Colorado and scuba diving in Mexico.

Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 and rwyrick@vaildaily.com.