<p>Eco-efficiency principles include reducing the usage of natural resources and increasing recyclability. In this context, in the area of urban waste generation, concerns are around the lack of management and incorrect disposal, leading to wastes that could be reused and recycled into landfills. This is the case for banners, materials commonly used in presentations, and advertisements. With extremely short shelf life from materials with high decomposition time, they are disposed of in landfills, reducing their useful life and making the decomposition processes of other materials difficult by forming impermeable layers. The novelty of this research is the reuse of banners as waterproofing layers for green roofs, which require prior knowledge of their physical and mechanical characteristics. This paper presents experimental research on the physical and mechanical properties of two banners and a geomembrane and a comparative analysis of the results on the materials in addition to its application in a green roof prototype. The results showed a higher tensile strength of the banners compared to the geomembrane. The density remained within the range recommended by the literature. The weight and thickness of the banners emphasize the need for layer overlap. The results show that banners have the potential for this application.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>