suitable for their project spec. Being a sustainable business is becoming an absolute must if you want to be credible in the signage industry. But that’s not to say it’s an easy task, with the latest cost of living crisis making it even harder for the average business to buy materials, machinery, and manpower. The cost of producing pretty much everything is rising, and it can be easy to take shortcuts and not really think about what impact that would have on the environment. But know this, those little things do have an impact, and you should always be mindful of every decision you make when striving to be sustainable. Crotch agrees: “I think in such times it’s easy to default to the attitude of cutting back on sustainability to save costs. However, through our own product development, we have seen first-hand the benefits good sustainable design can have, not just on the environment but on consumer costs too. “Carefully choosing your illumination options is one example. A highly energyefficient, high lumens per watt, advanced technology LED with extended warranties is a savvy investment. This is because the technology provides the same brightness for less LEDs (saving on materials and production processes), which can save you as much as 30% on running costs, which in the current energy crisis is a massive advantage to businesses.” Working together on missions like this should always be strived for because, after all, collaborative thinking leads to more change, and this has been the case with Applelec and its partnership with the non-profit company interest company JUST ONE Tree. The organisation aims to reverse biodiversity loss and remove CO2 from the atmosphere through strategic tree planting across the globe. Having already planted 100 trees, Applelec has pledged to plant a further tree for every order it receives from its eco-friendly signage and lighting ranges. “Our partnership with JUST ONE Tree is really building momentum, and the team at Applelec are eager to make the most of our tree planting scheme,” Crotch explains. “After looking at several potential partners, JUST ONE Tree stood out to us for how it maximises on donations to make the biggest impact it can. Its strategic projects hire and train local community members to plant native trees and care for them through to maturity. This not only educates and alleviates extreme poverty but positively impacts areas where deforestation has been devastating.” Lead by example If lasting change is to happen, then it can’t just come from one direction in the industry. It needs to come across all fronts. Whether that be going PVC-free or using recycled acrylics, many different avenues can be explored. Plastic may be cheap, but it’s far from cheerful. Overall, companies should be trying to divert to more traditional methods such as using timber, metal, or even glass. The choice is very much in the hands of the business, from using solar energy to making a promise to be carbon neutral – it’s the small steps that help add to the bigger conversation. One company wanting to make that difference is Embed Signage, a digital signage software company that began as a concept back in 2014 and launched as a Limited company in 2016. Since then it has grown year after year without fail, and all 28 ▲ Planting trees is a popular way for businesses to offset their impact on the environment ▼ In November 2022, COP27 took place in Egypt and a net zero goal for 2050 was agreed marked International Reducing C02 Emissions Day 28th January February / March 2023 - Issue 245 FOCUS ON / BEING SUSTAINABLE email: news@signlink.co.uk
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