The Importance Of Sustainability In the Sign Industry

On a daily basis, businesses and individuals are challenged to make sustainability a priority. We constantly see positive changes and developments such as electric cars, solar powered buildings, reforestation, and so much more. In some industries it can be pretty simple to join the sustainability movement, but what does that look like for the signage industry? Well, you've come to the right place to find out!

First, lets go over what "sustainability" truly means. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, sustainability can be described as:

"Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. To pursue sustainability is to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations."

Now that you know the true meaning of sustainability, let's dive into what the sustainability movement looks like in the sign industry. 

The Sustainability Revolution

Businesses and municipalities around the world play a LARGE role in bringing a positive change to our environment. With that being said, businesses are being called to partake in a sustainability revolution. To accomplish this market transformation, businesses and municipalities have to adopt new business strategies and models. Many businesses have started this positive change by incorporating sustainability guidelines and requirements into their corporate social responsibility models. Ultimately, businesses benefit from a sustainability agenda because it puts them in a better position to attract investors, consumers, and handle changes in the environment.

Businesses have already implemented sustainability guidelines for their own graphics and signage. For example, companies are opting for recyclable signage materials, low voltage lighted signs, environmentally conscious manufacturing, and more. Ultimately, providing environmentally friendly products and solutions is becoming the new normal for the sign and graphics industry.

Opportunity for Sustainability Improvement

Here are some areas you should consider when thinking about sustainability in the sign industry:

• Reducing Energy Consumption: Reducing energy consumption is one of the "most cost-effective ways to save money" and "reduce greenhouse gas emissions" (Can.gov). You can help your business save energy costs by using energy efficient equipment. Electrical fabricators can help their customers save costs by providing energy saving lighted signs. 

• Reducing Material Waste: The sign industry produces a large amount of material waste through production scraps and non-recyclable materials. 

• Reducing Chemical Pollution: Chemical pollution is harmful to the health of humans and our environment and many sign making materials are made from harmful chemicals. For example, plastic based substrates and media options made from PVC release toxins in the air during manufacturing. After plastic materials are used and gone to waste systems, it can take many years for them to break down, ultimately contaminating our soil and eco-system. Choosing materials that avoid using harmful chemicals as a main manufacturing component can help reduce the amount of chemical pollution in our environment.

Learn about the Eco-Friendly materials you should be using in our "How Sign Making Businesses Can Practice Sustainability" Blog. 

Do you recycle your empty inks and printheads?

View your recycling options here!

As a sign supplies distributor and manufacturer, it is our responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint and provide our partners with solutions and materials to do the same. We are dedicated to finding more ways to provide sustainability knowledge and incorporate environmentally friendly products in our offerings. Together, our sustainability efforts and environmental impacts are limitless!