Dentsu Zambia, part of the global advertising and communications network Dentsu Group, recently launched a waste-to-resource initiative that turns used billboard materials into functional school backpacks. As a marketing agency increasingly involved in environmental and social impact work, the firm’s latest campaign demonstrates how creative industries can contribute directly to sustainability goals.
The project was part of One Day for Change, Dentsu’s global annual initiative encouraging employees to develop solutions to local challenges. In Zambia, the agency partnered with Primedia to collect used PVC billboard vinyl, a material known for its durability but difficult to recycle. Instead of discarding it, the vinyl was handed over to a team of women artisans in Lusaka who crafted it into strong, weather-resistant school bags.
These backpacks were filled with basic school supplies and distributed to children at the Home of Love orphanage. Beyond meeting an immediate need for educational materials, the project helped reduce waste and provided paid employment for women in the local community, highlighting how environmental and social goals can intersect in practical ways.
Dentsu Zambia also used the project to test a new internal leadership model. Managing Director Chishimba Musonda explained the broader intent: rather than letting old billboard materials go to waste, the agency saw an opportunity to redesign their use in a way that benefits both people and the environment.
An impact assessment is currently underway and is expected to quantify the amount of vinyl reused, the number of bags produced, and the carbon savings from diverting materials from landfill. While still a small-scale intervention, the project offers a case study for similar circular initiatives in other parts of Africa, particularly in urban centers where advertising waste is prevalent but underutilized.
Dentsu’s approach aligns with a growing trend in the advertising industry to take responsibility for the environmental impact of campaigns—not just in content, but in production and disposal. By turning obsolete marketing materials into usable goods, the firm shows how agencies can move beyond messaging to direct implementation of sustainability solutions.
