The digital signage system is now used widely by restaurants, retailers, public buildings, councils, transport hubs, and many businesses, following a gradual start. Digital screens displaying information or advertising are everywhere nowadays. Many people appreciate the ease of readability and provision of up-to-date information, but there are always concerns about the environmental impact of these screens.
Suppliers of digital signage solutions share this concern and have worked hard to reduce the environmental footprint of their products. In this article, we take a look at what has been done in this regard and the developments within the industry and beyond.
DIGITAL VS PAPER
Before we go into industry improvements, let’s first tackle the ongoing paper vs. digital debate that has been going on for years. People generally believe that paper advertising is more environmentally friendly compared to digital signage.
But though recycling paper still entails using fuel, electricity, and water, it’s important to think about that. While creating a tonne of paper from recycled materials uses about 840 kWh, compared to the 1,400 kWh needed for paper made from trees, Optiwee says. However, it still uses a lot of electricity. It also uses up additional power to compact paper and cardboard. Moreover, the production of recycled paper needs 24 m3 of water and burns fuel in the collection and delivery process.
Recycled paper is better for the environment than paper made from trees, but it’s important to note that using paper advertising and information sheets is an environmentally damaging practice.
Both have an Impact
It is understood that while paper and digital signage have an environmental footprint, the materials, manufacturing, and usage of digital screens require the extraction, transportation, and use of materials, water, fuel, and electricity.
In the last few years, there has been an effort to make digital screens less environmentally unfriendly. Let’s explore how.
Less Electricity is used in Digital Screens
While digital screens still consume electricity, things have come a long way. The newer generation of the best modern digital display screens now uses 90% less power than the older ones.
Screens have a long life.
These screens are designed for longevity, and they can often be repaired and used for long periods. Modern LED screens are much easier to recycle when replacement becomes necessary. More businesses are actively sending them for recycling, as approximately 98% of the materials they consist of can be reused.
Green Power Sources
Running screens can reduce environmental impact by drawing power from green energy. The feasibility of running electrical items with minimum environmental impact is enabled by businesses that adopt solar panels and use waste heat from different sources.
Recycling Modern Screens Is Easy
Modern LED screens are highly recyclable, with around 98% of their materials reusable. The recyclability of screens is increasingly verified by businesses before purchase, and they are participating actively in recycling efforts.
When you are analysing the digital vs. paper debate, you need to take into account the context, usage, and environmental practices of businesses. Certainly, digital signage has grown more environmentally friendly, and the industry continues to make efforts to reduce the ecological footprint of the technology.
Industries That Benefit from Digital Signages
Digital signage systems continue to revolutionize various industries.
- Transportation: It provides information on routes and schedules, ticket purchase, and airport self-check-in.
- Healthcare: as wayfinding tools offering facility maps and directories and streamlining patient check-in.
- Retail: acting as information hubs for product details and recommendations and aiding in more convenient self-checkout.
- Hospitality: Improving guest experience at check-in and check-out, as well as giving information about the hotel’s amenities and local attractions so that the guest enjoys a better stay.
- Banking and Finance: As information terminals and customer service points, they provide a wide variety of functions, including deposits and withdrawals.
- Restaurant Signage: Restaurant digital signage increases efficiency and creates an appealing dining atmosphere for customer order processes.”
A digital signage system is equipped with a wide range of useful features, some of which include the following:
- Capabilities to Use Multimedia: Enabling businesses to showcase their brand dynamically, supporting vibrant images, 3D graphics, audio, and video.
- Convenient Payment: Payment integration enabled digital signage reduces transaction processing. They provide support for several payment methods so that customers get convenience and security in their transactions.
- Touchscreen Services: Making it easy for customers to interact with information or services in a user-friendly way.
- Self-Service Feature: Self-service terminals at the core that enable autonomous service delivery and no assistance required.
- Connected to the Internet: Digital signage has internet connectivity, so users can access up-to-date information, like updated product catalogs. In addition, real-time information, such as the news, weather, and more, can be accessed by users. Internet connectivity also allows digital signage users to order online and use other online services.
- Printers and receipts: Applications like ticketing can use digital signage with receipt dispensers and printers for on-demand printing. Users can easily print tickets, receipts, and other things to have something tangible to enjoy the convenience.
- Corporate Systems Synchronization: Synchronizing data between the digital signage and other systems and tools in order to maximize functionality and efficiency.
- Scanning Barcode/QR Code: Especially important for digital kiosks are these scanners that allow users to access information quickly and more conveniently. When you scan a QR code or a barcode, you get instant information that’s more convenient than flipping through options on the interactive display.
The future of businesses with Nento digital signage systems is promising as it continues to evolve; businesses can expect to see better customer experiences and more technological integrations.
