Using Digital Signage in Campuses to Reduce Paper Waste and Promote Sustainability

Paper waste is a big problem in universities. Annually, colleges produce tons of waste. It’s a challenge both to the environment and the budget. Digital signage in campuses allows universities to have an effective paperless solution and save money in the process. Here’s how Kitcast software can help.

The somber reality of paper waste on campuses

On the surface, the issue of wasting too much paper doesn’t appear as the most essential one. It takes statistics to put things into perspective.

Annually, campuses spend tons of money to buy paper. Then, tons of paper are wasted producing unnecessary (and often non-recyclable) material. There’s an alternative way. 

But first, let’s turn to facts. Here is the reality of paper production per Business Waste: 

– It takes 24 trees to make 1 ton of paper

– 1 sheet of A4 requires 5 liters of water to produce

– 4 billion trees are cut annually to supply the global demand

– Paper accounts for 26% of waste in landfill 

– 414 million metric tons of paper are produced annually

Businesses and organizations worldwide still actively use paper. But there’s hardly any other industry that uses paper more than education.

Colleges and universities in 2024 are still very paper-based. This means that printing and distributing paper materials is an essential part of their process. This has an impact both on the environment and the expenses. 

According to a Waste Management study, 24% of waste from educational institutions is paper. 

In 2017, Southern Oregon University made an in-depth study on the usage of paper on campus and its findings are quite eye-opening. Also, it shows a bigger picture of how the universities in the USA operate when it comes to printing. Numbers raise the eyebrows. 

6000 reams of paper are purchased yearly accounting for 120,000 pounds. 2,618,862 pages are printed in a year with only 496,342 of them duplexed. SOU equaled their printing to cutting 34.6 trees and the production of 12,518 kilograms of CO2. 

But it’s not only about the environmental impact (that is huge). It’s also about the cost.

Buying paper and printing paper are significant burdens to university budgets. According to Rutgers, “paper consumption costs include not only the paper itself but also the costs of printing, faxing, postage, storage, shipping, waste disposal and recycling.” 

When you’re using paper, you’re paying.

Solving the paper problem with digital signage for campuses

What if we told you that there’s a way to reduce paper waste? You do that by deploying digital signage in campuses.

It’s the ultimate eco-friendly solution that changes the dynamics of how information is disseminated on campus and makes paper obsolete.

You see, paper is static. To change the message you must print anew. To print you must buy the printer and the ink. If the printer breaks, you should pay for the maintenance and repair. It’s a vicious cycle that should be broken for the sake of sustainability and practicality. 

A screen is a versatile digital solution. With Kitcast digital signage software, you’re free to create any kind of content you want without the need to spend extra money on paper. 

The flexibility of screen technology is ideal for dynamic educational institutions where everything is rapidly changing.

A cloud-based solution like Kitcast allows you to remote control a network of as many screens as you want and do it effortlessly thanks to the intuitive Dashboard packed with the latest technology.

Here’s how digital signage reduces paper waste on campus

One important thing to understand about using digital signage in campuses is that this technology completely transforms the way communication is done. It’s not an additional tool. It’s a powerful solution that can entirely substitute paper on campus.

Here are examples of how it does that.

– event announcements and promotions

Screens replace the traditional paper flyers and posters for all announcement purposes. This kind of digital signage in campuses can be used both by institutions themselves and by students. It’s a great way to involve the student community in creating communication.

– campus news and updates 

No need to spend money and time on printing newsletters, brochures and bulletins to disseminate campus news and updates. Displays will do that. And they will use the visual appeal to engage with students more effectively. 

– digital wayfinding and maps

Don’t waste energy on creating printed maps and posters to guide campus visitors, staff and students. Turn to screens to provide everyone with clear and practical digital wayfinding. 

– class schedules and updates

There’s nothing more painful than seeing a printed schedule that has markings and changes on it. The paper doesn’t support real-time updates and last-minute changes. This often results in unreadable printouts and student frustration.

Kitcast digital signage takes this problem away by allowing universities to show digital schedules that can be easily changed and amended on the go. 

– cafeteria menus

Although it’s not the biggest college expense, paper menus are stuck in the past. You can engage and sell better by using signage technology in campus for digital menu boards. 

– staff notices and reminders

Internal communication is a big part of why colleges love digital signage in campus. You won’t need physical handouts to deliver notices and reminders to employees when you operate a screen network. 

– digitized library communication

Libraries won’t have to rely on printouts to deliver messages, make announcements or provide information. Displays will take these tasks. 

Start your campus sustainability journey with Kitcast

Our digital signage software for Apple TV is among the industry’s best solutions for educational institutions. 

Stanford, Marriott, BMW, American Eagle and Nike trust Kitcast with their communication. 

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