Is Switching to Digital Signage Really Going Green?

There’s more to the digital transformation than just making things digital. It also gives businesses of all types the opportunity to cut back on wasteful habits and processes around the workplace.

The communications of yesteryear were all paper. Letters were hand delivered by postman, then came telegrams, phone lines, email, and now we’re in the era of live chat and video calls.

By this point, paper signs are becoming just as antiquated as snail mail. Yes, many businesses still use paper signs just like many people still use snail mail. But they’re clearly not the best choice anymore. Put simply, they’re just wasteful.

Digital signage provides a more eco-friendly and sustainable alternative.

In this article, we’ll go through the ins and outs of going green with digital signage. Then you’ll have a better understanding of just how much more sense it makes to opt for digital signs over poster boards and paper signage.

A Closer Look at Paper Consumption

From 2001 to 2020, a whopping 11% of tree cover was lost due to the production of paper and wood materials. And it’s not just the loss of trees that impacts the environment, it’s the industrial processes involved, and later, where the paper ends up, which all-too-often is landfills.

Even recycling paper impacts the environment with pollution, energy consumption, and water consumption.

Digital signs are the solution to these problems.

What About Digital Signage’s Power Consumption?

Of course, digital signage does consume electricity. But the screens of today are far more energy efficient than those of the past.

Modern digital displays use LED technology, which is significantly less power consumptive than traditional CCFL lamp televisions. And LED screens don’t contain harmful mercury either. In fact, in some states, it’s against the law to dispose of CCFL TVs improperly; that’s how harmful they are.

Plus, digital display technology is only improving and becoming less energy consumptive as the years pass. According to an OAAA (Outdoor Advertising Association of America) sponsored study in New Jersey carried out by Louis Berger Group, outdoor digital signage is now consuming 40 percent less energy than just four years ago.

Reasons for this drop in energy needs include:

• New and better brightness controls that account for daylight vs nighttime
• Improved cooling systems for the signage
• More widespread use of energy-efficient LED backlit screens

Next, commercial digital displays are built to be in use 24 hours a day, and last far longer than consumer screens. That means you won’t have to throw them away for a very long time.

Are Digital Signs More Expensive?

There is obviously the need for an initial investment with digital signage. But cost-wise, digital signage makes more sense in the long-run.

When you compare, the cost of printing and reprinting paper signs again and again coupled with the labor time to manage them is typically greater than the cost of maintaining digital signage.

So the short answer is no, digital signs are not more expensive.

Conclusion

Digital signage is the way of the future. By now, there’s really no reason for organizations with the need for a lot of signage to still be using print.

Even smaller companies these days really ought to make the switch. Not only has it become the way to go green with your signage, it’s a much more effective tool for delivering marketing messages or any other content for that matter.

Plus, digital screens allow you to display much more than just text and images. Put simply, digital signage is a must for modern businesses of all types. And the fact that it’s now a way to go green is definitely a huge bonus.