Old Ads, New Purpose: Upcycling with BurgerFuel x WAS

Our billboards are eye catching, loud and generally designed to lure you in to grab a feed. But what happens when one of these beauties come down? Rather than sending them off to landfill, we’ve been giving them a second life through a very cool upcycling project with local legends at WAS(We Are Society). 

We turn our old billboard skins into something both functional and fun: epic bean bags for events, and sweet limited-edition staff gifts to celebrate employment milestones through our rewards and recognition programme. 

Why Upcycle? 
The fast-moving world of advertising means billboard skins can have a short life, but the PVC material they’re made from sticks around a lot longer — we’re talking hundreds of years for these bad boys to break down. Instead of sendingthem to landfill, we saw an opportunity to upcycle them instead.

What is upcycling, you ask? It’s the process of giving old, unwanted materials a new life through creative reuse. At BurgerFuel, we’re big fans of upcycling, because it: 

• Extends the life of materials that would otherwise be sent to landfill, 

• Reduces demand for virgin resources, and 

• Lowers the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing new goods. 

We’ve always been committed to doing right by the planet through our Environ-Mental programme, so upcycling just makes sense —it’s creative, it’s practical, and it keeps us rolling toward a future with less waste and more good stuff. 

Meet WAS – Our Upcycling Partners 
This project wouldn’t be possible without the crew at WAS (We Are Society).Based in Whangamatā, WAS takes waste materials like billboard vinyl and transforms them into high-quality bags, accessories, and other goods. Their work is all about keeping materials out of landfill and giving them a second(and stylish) life. 

Jamie, owner, maker and creative mind behind WAS(We Are Society) is a Whangamatā local that recently took over the business from a family friend and has continued their vision while bringing his own creative flair to the mix.

“Growing up in this small beach town has given me a deep appreciation for the ocean, the outdoors, and the importance of protecting our clean, green planet.”

At WAS, Jamie pours his creativity into reusing and upcycling materials that would otherwise end up in landfill — transforming them into unique, functional pieces full of character and purpose. Every product is handmade by Jamie, from cutting and sewing to the final stitch. 

“Partnering with BurgerFuel has been an awesome example of how creative thinking can turn waste into something meaningful. Together, we’ve taken what would’ve been landfill and transform edit into something functional, fun, and full of character — just like the BurgerFuel brand itself. 

At WAS, it’s all about keeping things local, thoughtful, and sustainable — proving that with a little imagination, we can turn waste into something wonderful”. 

Our Upcycled Billboards in Action 
So far, we’ve repurposed our billboard skins into: 

• Custom bean bags in various shapes from Ottomans to large loungers for events (perfect for kicking back between burgers and beats at festivals like Northern Bass). Many a bean bag has gone walking over the years and is likely coming to a flat near you soon!
• Laptop Bags for HQ staff and franchisees.

• Duffle bags that are gifted to our staff who reach the milestone of four years with BurgerFuel. 

As part of our reward and recognition programme,we also offer other upcycled items, like kitchen knives and spatulas with handles made from old skateboard decks. 

Each upcycled item is unique and carries a piece of BurgerFuel history — literally.  

What’s Next? 
This project is just one example of how we’re looking for creative, circular solutions across our business. From compostable packaging to upcycled gear,we’re committed to doing things better, not just because it’s trendy, but because it matters. 

 Massive thanks to WAS for being part of our journey, and to our staff and community for getting behind it.