Sustainability and Digital Signage: Reducing Environmental Impact

There’s a persistent buzz around going green — ways to promote sustainability and environment friendly strategies to lessen the burden on the earth and its resources. Businesses are prioritizing more conscious efforts towards environmental impacts by offering products that meet global standards for sustainability. 

But the real question is: Is this just a passing trend, or are we witnessing a paradigm shift in business operations?

According to Deloitte, 75% of CxOs said their organizations have increased investments in sustainability over the past year. This data reveals a growing eco-consciousness among brands. The times are changing indeed!

As businesses continue to adopt this green strategy, it’s no surprise that technology is paving the way with innovative solutions. In marketing and communication, one such solution is digital signage. It’s durable, energy-efficient, and cost-effective! 

Let’s discuss more on how sustainable digital signage solutions help reduce environmental impact below.

Traditional signage Vs. digital signage

Traditional signage, like posters and bulletin boards, has been around for ages. Although they have their use cases, they’re not exactly the most practical or effective for business communication. Some deal-breakers include: 

• Delays or missed information as real-time communication is not possible 
• Paper and ink wastage as static signs cannot be updated automatically with new updates
• Energy-intensive due to the printing process
• Clogged landfills due to improper ink and by-product disposal 
• High costs involved in printing new signage continuously and posting them manually  
  

Here’s a shocker: Data reveals that as many as 15 billion trees are cut down each year just to synthesize paper! This large-scale deforestation affects the environment adversely, especially if no efforts are made to replant trees.

This is where digital signage comes in.

With digital displays, you can share real-time updates to targeted screens without hassle. All you need to do is log into the software’s platform, schedule the content, and share! 

Let’s look at some of the environmental benefits of digital displays.

• Zero paper wastage as no printing is involved 
• Energy-efficient by using Innovative technology like LED screens
• Highly durable, resilient and reliable 

Sustainability and Digital Signage

We’ve skimmed through what makes digital signage more sustainable. Now, let’s take a closer look at how you can go green with reduced environmental impact of digital signage.

New technology has made digital displays very energy-efficient. LED displays consume less energy than their older counterparts, which results in up to 30% power savings. 

Some screens also have power-saving features like sleep mode, temperature regulation, and ambient lighting. 

What do these features mean?

• Sleep mode: Enabling the sleep mode shuts down the screen after a certain pre-set period of inactivity
• Temperature regulation: Integrating temperature sensors and cooling systems regulates the display's temperature, optimizing energy use
• Ambient lighting: Display screens automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen according to the surrounding environment, reducing energy spent 

Pro tip: You can also integrate sensors into your displays to detect when people are in the vicinity. The displays can turn on or operate at full brightness only when needed.

Between 2001 and 2020, mass deforestation caused the loss of about 410 million hectares of forest cover — a whopping 10% of the earth’s tree cover!

Sure, not all of this went into paper-making. But a significant portion of it went into paper generation. If we continue at this rate, the reforestation efforts may struggle to keep up with the rapid depletion of our forest cover.

However, the harsh reality is that these signs have more drawbacks than benefits. Most are ignored or given a quick glance at best, without any major effect on customer engagement or brand awareness.

On the other hand, digital signage captures attention 400 times more than traditional signage. And it does this without wasting any paper or trees in the process. Rather, it eliminates paper wastage and minimizes the environmental impact of ink production and signage printing.

C. Longevity and durability

Digital signage is made of durable material that can withstand the test of time. Unlike paper signage, which can tear or become damaged easily, digital displays have an average lifespan of about 5-10 years. You can easily update content on the go without having to worry about printing restrictions. 

P.S. These displays have a lifespan of 70,000 - 100,000 hours and are robust enough to operate 24/7 without overheating, screen burn-ins, or performance issues.

Additionally, with a prolonged lifespan, these displays need fewer resources for manufacturing, managing, and disposal compared to their short-lived counterparts. Ultimately, the lifespan of the screens reduces the need to produce, procure, and purchase more screens, reducing the carbon footprint associated with the entire lifecycle of the digital signage system.

D. Remote content management

Cloud-based digital communication solutions like L Squared make content management as easy as a few clicks. Whether you’re in your office or sitting on your couch at home, you can manage and update content on your display network without hassle. 

This means you don’t have to travel long distances to update signage at a particular location. Instead, you just have to log into the platform and share your updated content to targeted screens from a centralized dashboard. These sustainable digital signage solutions help conserve energy, fuel, and time needed to travel from one location to another.

Sustainable Digital Signage Trends

Now, let's take a look at the top sustainable digital signage trends that ensure a reduced carbon footprint on the environment.

• Cloud-based solutions: Cloud computing reduces the need for heavy physical infrastructure, like bulky media players. This means fewer manufacturing demands for these parts, such as metals and plastics, which reduces the environmental toll from the extraction and processing of these materials.
• Ambient light sensing technology: Modern sustainable digital signage solutions come equipped with light sensors that adjust the brightness of the displays to the environment. This ensures that displays are not unnecessarily bright and conserve energy. 
• Renewable sources of energy: Consider using renewable energy like solar or wind to run your displays. This approach helps significantly reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and lowers the carbon footprint of running digital displays.

Tips for Disposing Digital Signage Sustainably

So far, we’ve spoken about how digital signage is more environmentally friendly than paper signage. But you must be wondering, what do I do when my display screens have run their course? 

Here are some tips on how to eco-friendly digital signage practices for disposal:

Step 1: Practice the 3 Rs — Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Reduce buying more than you need, reuse if it’s still salvageable through repair, and recycle whatever doesn’t work anymore.

Step 2: Sign up for recycling programs with facilities that recycle electronic waste. You can also take it a step further by organizing e-waste collection drives to spread awareness.

Step 3: The recycling facility will disassemble the signage system, separate its components, and recycle them appropriately. 

Here’s how each material is processed:

• Metals: Metals like aluminum and copper are extracted and sent to smelters for melting and reuse in new products
• Glass: This is typically crushed and recycled for use in new glass products

Looking Ahead

As brands move toward more sustainable infrastructure, technology will play a crucial role in this effort. Sustainable digital signage solutions tick all the boxes when it comes to reducing environmental impact. And with more advanced technology coming out every day, who knows what the future holds for sustainable display screens? 

We’re excited to be a part of this movement! The question is: Are you?

Have questions? Talk to us at info@LSquared.com!