Earth Day is here, and for over 50 years, billions of people all over the globe have come together on this day to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
But what’s grown to be the world’s biggest environmental movement was actually born out of anger with the lack of environmental protection and pollution destroying the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we live on.
Founded on April 22, 1970, Earth Day was created by American politician and environmentalist Gaylord Nelson as a way to force the government to enact legal and regulatory laws around the environment. Before this day, there was no Clean Air Act, no Water Pollution Control, or Environmental Protection Agency, just to name a few.
For many of us, it’s hard to imagine a time when it was okay to dump toxic chemicals into our oceans or allow factories to emit black smoke into the air with no repercussions. Thanks to the actions led by Nelson, environmental activism and awareness has been adapted worldwide and continues to be a global priority.
Collectively, we still have a long way to go to preserve our Earth. That’s why at Danavation, Earth Day isn’t just once a year—it’s every day. We advocate for environmental sustainability through significantly reduced paper use and print waste. And we don’t just say it, we put our commitment into action through our Digital Smart Labels™.
ELIMINATE PAPER USE
When we think about environmental issues, most of us automatically think about air pollution or global warming. But one problem that’s often overlooked is the devastating effects of deforestation.
Trees give us biodiversity, absorb carbon dioxide and provide oxygen, and help fight climate change. Without trees, we simply wouldn’t be able to survive. But according to research by Earthday.org, “Human actions continue to be the biggest direct cause of deforestation, with commodity-driven deforestation totaling around 27%.”
On average it takes 6% of a tree to make 500 pieces of paper. This might not seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things, but for a company regularly printing hundreds, if not thousands of paper price labels a year, this number grows to a catastrophic amount.
Digital Smart Labels™ eliminate this need entirely, replacing static, traditional paper with digital displays that update pricing and product information in real time. Even the labels themselves are sustainable; once installed, the battery lasts for up to ten years (based on one update per day). And because Digital Smart Labels™ are micro e-paper displays that only consume power while updating, they are way more energy efficient compared to other digital signage solutions.
REDUCE PRINT WASTE
While eliminating the use of paper is the obvious benefit of Digital Smart Labels™, another—often forgotten one—is reducing the environmental impact of toner cartridges.
According to a Forbes article titled, Taking Them Back: How Recycling Toner Containers Help the Planet, “More than 500 million toner cartridges end up in landfills globally every year, each cartridge taking from 450 to 1,000 years to biodegrade.”
500 million is not a small number; now, imagine how many of these toner cartridges are coming from organizations printing out labels. While it’s great that these companies are finding ways to recycle toner cartridges, an even better solution would be not always having to rely on them in the first place.
By implementing automation solutions such as Digital Smart Labels™, organizations no longer have to print out their pricing and product information for every store. This is not only more environmentally friendly, but it also saves money on printing costs in the long run.
WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER
Saving the planet isn’t going to happen overnight, but it’s the little things, like switching to Digital Smart Labels™, that lead to big changes in the long run. Contact us today to learn more!
