Earlier we mentioned reducing your carbon footprint…but you might be asking “What is a carbon footprint?”

A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change.  It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation etc.

Don’t worry, we aren’t suggesting that Digital Signage doesn’t have a carbon footprint at all.  But it is important to compare the alternatives.  The alternatives to Digital Signage include items such as posters, newsletters, pamphlets, etc.  Each of these is created with multiple types of materials such as glue, ink, paint, and more.  Every material needed must be shipped and after the creation process, the finished product is shipped again.  Every time new material must be created, this process is repeated.  That’s a lot of transportation for items that might end up in the trash in just a few weeks.

The components of Digital Signage must be created as well –  display monitors, wall mounts, cables, etc.  But after your digital signage network is up and running, the transportation ends.  Your signage should run successfully for many years, while all content is produced digitally and without waste.

Digital Signage does use electricity, but many non-digital signs are back-lit or lighted and using electricity as well.  While the use of electricity is something that cannot be avoided for digital signage, technology developers are consistently finding ways to reduce the amount of electricity used.  What’s the easiest way to reduce your carbon footprint with your digital signage?  If there is ever a time your network is not in use – save energy and use your signage software feature that allows you to schedule display OFF periods.