The use of digital signage has rapidly grown in recent years as it provides a way for businesses to communicate with their customers in a more engaging and dynamic manner through advertising, wayfinding, and information dissemination. However, it's crucial to consider the environmental impact of digital signage in the context of sustainability.

In this article, we explore the importance of sustainability in digital signage, especially in regions where hot, humid, and dusty weather conditions are common throughout the year.

What is Sustainability & Why Does It Matter?

Sustainability is a concept that encompasses environmental, social, and economic factors, with the goal of creating a world that is just, equitable, and resilient for everyone.

Sustainable development is closely tied to the preservation of natural resources, such as water, soil, energy, and other sources of energy. And it's crucial to properly manage these resources in order to maintain ecological harmony.

In line with that, digital signage plays a significant role in reducing waste and decreasing carbon emissions. By utilizing digital displays instead of traditional displays, businesses can significantly reduce their impact on the environment and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Going Green with Digital Signage

In hot and humid regions like the UAE, the use of sustainable digital signage is crucial for reducing the environmental impact of business operations. With high temperatures and high humidity levels, traditional static signage can quickly deteriorate, leading to frequent replacement and a significant amount of waste.

Below are the reasons digital signage is considered environmentally friendly:

Reduces Waste: Digital signage eliminates the need for paper-based menus, brochures, and other materials, reducing the amount of waste generated. The paper itself degrades, as well as the ink on it, creating methane and other gases which are released into the air, water and soil.

Since digital signage has longer lifespans compared to traditional signage systems, it also reduces electronic waste (e-waste).

Consumes Less Energy: LED displays consume less energy, generate less heat, and have a longer lifespan compared to LCD displays. Digital signage solutions powered by renewable energy sources like solar panels in outdoor locations can reduce energy consumption, reducing the dependence on fossil fuels. Digital screens can be programmed to automatically adjust energy consumption based on usage, maximizing energy efficiency.

Portable & Reusable: Digital displays can be easily updated and reused, reducing the need for frequent replacements. Most types of digital displays are designed to be portable and easily transported from one location to another. These displays are lightweight and compact, and can be easily assembled and disassembled for transport.

Decreased Travel: Digital signage can be used to communicate with customers from remote locations, reducing the need for employees to travel and thus decreasing their carbon footprint.

Eco-friendly Raw Materials: Most digital signage solutions are made from recycled materials or Energy Star-certified materials to reduce the environmental impact.

Best Practices to Make Your Digital Displays More Sustainable

Always Choose Right: To make your digital signage more sustainable, choose displays and screens with low-energy consumption and smart brightness control. By comparing wattage and adjusting screen brightness, you can reduce energy consumption without affecting visual quality. Also, consider media players that don't require a separate power supply to minimize energy usage.

Turn Off When Not in Use: To make digital signage sustainable, turn off displays when not in use. This can be done with timers and sensors. Running screens when your target audience isn't present is wasteful. You can save energy and improve sustainability by turning off digital signs outside of business hours.

Key Take Aways

In summary, there are many ways that businesses can use digital signage to promote sustainability and reduce its environmental impact. The sustainability of digital signage depends on several factors including the environmental impact of the production and disposal of the hardware and the energy consumption of the displays. By considering these factors and working with responsible manufacturers and suppliers, businesses can ensure that digital signage is used in a way that benefits both the environment and the community.

What Blue Rhine Offers?

At Blue Rhine, we provide our customers with innovative products and services, emphasizing our focus on sustainability. This is why, as a company, we prioritized incorporating eco-friendly practices into every aspect of our business. We are investing in sustainable methods and materials that can easily be recycled or repurposed at the end of their lifecycle.

Our digital signage portfolio includes commercial displays from renowned brands like Philips and Absen, among many others.

Philips Professional Display Solutions

Philips is committed to promoting sustainability by offering eco-friendly monitors that incorporate innovative and environmentally responsible technologies. Their monitors feature energy-saving capabilities, 100% recyclable packaging, adherence to strict international environmental standards, and an absence of harmful substances like mercury and PVC/BFR.

In doing so, Philips is working towards a more sustainable future. Their range of Digital Signage, LED Displays and Professional TV, marketed as PPDS, follows this same philosophy, from design to production, delivery, and installation, throughout the entire lifecycle and beyond.

Absen Commercial Displays

Absen has a green initiative named Absen Green which brings together its industry-leading efforts in sustainability, environmental protection, energy efficiency and corporate social responsibility, reaffirming its commitment to a better future for all.

Absen commercial displays achieve energy saving through a combination of technological innovations. LED common cathode technology reduces energy consumption and heat output by more than 20%, while the use of a high-efficiency power supply offers energy conversion efficiency of close to 90% (compared to 75%–85% for products using traditional power supplies).