According to Google, sustainability means meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In addition to natural resources, we also need social and economic resources.
Pictured: E Ink United Nations Global Compact team - clockwise from left: Colleen Canyon, Xiaolong Zheng, Lynne Garone, and Roger Sabourin. Learn more about the UNGC at https://www.unglobalcompact.org/
McGill University goes further - the principles of sustainability are the foundations of what this concept represents. Therefore, sustainability is made up of three pillars: the economy, society, and the environment. These principles are also informally used as profit, people and planet.
How does this correlate to digital signage and digital paper? Let’s review the inherent properties of digital paper:
1. Low power usage – digital paper and signage only draws power when updating the display. This feature allows the use of rechargeable batteries and solar power. How often do you charge your eReader or eNote? Time between charging varies on usage, but most eReaders will last close to 6 weeks. eNotes average about a week or 10 days before charging.
2. Real time updates – images are updateable in real time or at scheduled intervals via wifi. Information is always up to date.
3. Emergency applications – digital paper is a perfect medium to relay information in emergency situations. Ease of updating and the bistable aspect of digital paper means never staring into a blank screen. If power is interrupted to a bistable screen – the last image displayed remains on the screen.
4. Smart cities, hospitals, homes, schools, retail – limited by our imagination and the ability to develop apps are the only roadblocks to creating “smart” environments – or the IoT – Internet of Things.
Subsequent posts will discuss specific implementations of digital paper and the effect on sustainability. Please check out our whitepaper – Digital Paper for Sustainability - and more at https://go.eink.com/whitepapers.
What are your thoughts on sustainability in digital signage and digital paper? Contact us at social_media@eink.com.