Green digital signage efficiency trends everyone is talking about in 2023

Going green is not a choice in 2023, it’s a necessity. Energy-efficient digital signage is how our industry is addressing this challenge. But it’s not a mere feature, it’s a whole movement. A movement toward sustainability not on paper but in reality. While there are certain struggles in that domain, there are also positives that need to be talked about. 

Today we’d like to talk about the digital signage efficiency trends everyone is talking about in 2023.

Wait, but can digital signage be considered eco-friendly? 

While on the surface it does look that much environmentally-friendly with all the screens and technology, it’s the context that defines how sustainable digital signage is. 

The screens came as a response to highly inefficient static signage. If you have a display, in order to make it work you only need electricity. The content you show doesn’t have any burden on the environment, it exists digitally. This is true both for the grand billboards on Times Square and small displays in the offices. 

Now, when you look at the traditional signage, boy, it’s bad for our planet. It all comes down to the negative impact of printing and the necessity to print a lot of material. While you’re operating digital signage, you can easily change content without the need to cut any trees for paper in the process. But when you’re distributing materials, changing billboard content, printing out menus, well… It’s not good for the planet at all.

The economy simply can’t stop showing content and engaging with the audience at this moment. While we’re here, it’s much more eco-friendly to opt for digital signage solutions, than be stuck in the old ways with traditional signage. 

But let’s take a closer look at the digital signage efficiency trends that make rounds in the industry in 2023.

Recyclable screens

Example: Sharp / NEC displays

The industry keeps in mind the toll hardware has on the environment. Recycling is the answer. Screens are combinations of many materials. It’s a great tendency to make them cyclical, meaning that you can produce a new one from the old one. 

Sharp/NEC is a great example of this process. They claim to have a great 97.4% rate of recyclability of their large displays. Also, it’s about the materials used to produce the devices. The company chose metal housings and components instead of plastic for their screens and that allows for more efficient recycling efforts. 

This is very smart sustainable thinking. You produce a screen that can be used for producing a newer screen. This way less materials go to waste and the cycle is stable and green. It’s the digital signage efficiency strategy done extremely well.

Integrated motion sensors

Electricity is costly. Producing electricity is not easy. Energy is precious and the alternative ways of generating it are the future of sustainability. 

That’s why it’s great to see a hot trend in the digital signage realm that is featuring integrated motion sensors in the displays. The screens shouldn’t be on when nobody’s looking. This way we’re wasting electricity for no good reason. That’s why when it’s possible, the motion sensors do their part in preserving the environment and making sure that no second of attention is wasted. 

Everyone knows that light motion sensors. You know, that moment when you enter the bathroom at a restaurant and the light goes on by itself. The digital signage version of this approach works with the same principle and allows businesses and organizations to save money on energy costs, reduce the carbon footprint, and ensure that the technology is used efficiently.

LED screens with schedulers and light adapters

A smarter, more energy-efficient continuation of the motion sensor technology, scheduling, and light adapters on screens are the future of digital signage. 

As for the scheduling, basically, it means that you control the narrative and set the screen to show certain content at a certain time. In practice, it works like a charm when you know your audience and its needs. What makes it effective is the fact, that the screen is not lighting up randomly, it turns on with the targeted content straight away. 

When we talk about the light adaptors in displays, it’s a great new trend that allows you to save resources. Whether you’re running outdoor or indoor digital signage, lighting may change throughout the day. In order not to waste electricity and pay unnecessarily for extra brightness you don’t need, the light adaptors do the job of adjusting to the surroundings. 

Eco initiatives by LED screen providers

It’s quite a trend within a trend, but we’re living in an era when screen providers are actively pushing new initiatives that are destined to reduce the carbon footprint and bring sustainability to the table. 

If you look at the key players in screen production, everyone has something in the eco-conscious department. Sure, the efficiency of implementation may differ. But the fact that there’s a sort of “competition” between the eco-initiatives of different companies feels like a great thing for the environment.