PPDS on Sustainability in 2023
In honor of Earth Day 2023, rAVe [PUBS] partnered with Commercial Integrator To explore stability in ProAV. We sat down with Martijn van der Woude, Vice President of Global Marketing and Business Development at PPDS to discuss the company’s sustainability efforts in 2023.
rAVe: Tell us why your company is passionate about sustainability.
Martin van der Wood: At PPDS, sustainability isn’t just about checking a box or scoring PR points, it’s a top priority and about doing what’s right as a business, for our customers and our communities, and most importantly, for the planet. It’s not about a strategy from the top. The results of our sustainability efforts affect us all, so it is an inclusive approach that we are all engaged in and committed to across PPDS.
As a global manufacturer, we feel a responsibility and recognize that sustainability is much more than words or short-term actions. It is about making fundamental changes in the way we act and operate as a company. Today, we are among the top 6% of companies in our field and we are constantly working to transform our industry.
We take a circular approach to sustainability, ensuring that it goes beyond product management and encompasses every aspect of our business and all of our stakeholders. This includes creating products that are more sustainable and energy efficient from the moment of their conception, through the manufacturing process, their distribution and installation, to the end of their extended first life and beyond. Our holistic approach is fully engaged across our own organization and fostered with our strategic partners.
After significant and ongoing R&D efforts, some of the first public examples of our sustainability strategy are now on display, including energy-free and carbon neutral lines, new modular designs and advanced remote management capabilities.
rAVe: Can you give examples of concrete efforts your company is making to become more sustainable?
MV: From the amount of energy our products consume, the materials they are made from and the packaging they come in, we work tirelessly to constantly monitor and make changes where we can make a small difference that will work on a larger scale. effect
Take our packaging for example. We now use 100% recycled brown boxes, and use only single color eco-friendly, soy-based inks. Plastic use has been reduced by over 98%, with ongoing efforts to make it 100% soon. Palletization has been reviewed and refined with a 184-tonne Tank to Wheel (TTW) CO2 reduction and a 107-tonne reduction in wood pallet use in the process to date. These are significant changes.
Part of our strategy is also focused on doing our part to reduce the cumulative 50 million metric tons of e-waste generated globally. By basing our displays on an open Android SoC platform, and collaborating with software and hardware partners, we are dedicated to providing solutions that extend the lifespan of our products, such as our Chromecast built-in Philips MediaSuite Hospitality TV. By enabling regular firmware updates, bringing the latest features and benefits to existing fleets, our solutions provide our customers with a better return on investment, while reducing Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).
Growing products within our digital signage, professional TV and direct view LED portfolios are also now being designed and updated to support energy savings with lower energy consumption (20% lower than comparable models elsewhere on the market). Low heat dissipation is built through our common cathode design. The same high quality performance, with lower running costs, potentially saves hundreds or even thousands of dollars annually. And with active health monitoring, and pixel monitoring (dvLED), as well as dimming options, remotely or through our PPDS Wave remote display management platform, cost of ownership can be significantly reduced, while enhancing green credentials.
Taking things a step further, we also recently unveiled the multi-award winning ‘Zero Power’ Philips Table, the world’s first advanced color epaper digital signage series from a global manufacturer, delivering full color (60,000) content on the go. 24/7, unplugged, without using a kilowatt of energy.
This energy efficient, Android-powered series is perfect for businesses (including retail, corporate, education, public venues and transportation) looking to digitize paper signage or replace existing screens with more durable digital models. No power required, no installation boundaries, only minimal power required during content changes and can be operated remotely or manually.
These are just a few examples so far. The journey continues.
rAVe: What sustainability efforts are you planning to implement in the next year?
MV: Sustainability is an ongoing process. What we achieve today, we want to improve for tomorrow. This is the same with all our solutions and our entire business philosophy. We are not a company that likes to sit back and admire what we have achieved, we will always feel that we can improve and that is a very healthy mindset.
Our product team works tirelessly to develop new displays, and improve existing ranges, to keep power consumption and environmental impact to a minimum and will continue to do so.
In addition to further improving the energy efficiency of current and future solutions, we will continue to grow and expand the availability of our PPDS Wave cloud-based display management ecosystem to support more markets such as hospitality.
Newly available, PPDS Wave is designed to bring a new and future-proof approach to control and manage display fleets of any size with incredible sustainability benefits. In a continuing climate of rising energy prices, Wave features can play an important role in providing environmentally conscious, sustainable solutions for almost any business, helping to reduce total cost of ownership with energy savings opportunities and extended product life.
By connecting to features built into the hardware in Philips professional displays, PPDS Wave allows users to control the power schedule of their displays, turning them off automatically when not in use, for example, outside of core business or school hours, or manually if required under lighting conditions. Based on the brightness can be adjusted intelligently, again supporting energy savings and extended product lifetime.
The demonstration is only part of the story of our sustainable strategy.
rAVe: Can you give a long-term overview of your sustainability plan?
MV: There are no limits and no endpoints for our sustainability vision. Our global approach to business is supported by our agile approach to development and this allows us to respond quickly to market needs and innovate display solutions to meet them. In 2022, the focus on energy prices was not the only question of concern. Today, it is increasingly part of the tender process, and we feel obligated to our customers and the industry to respond quickly to their needs and introduce solutions when they need them. We have a proud history of achieving this with pandemics.
We will continue to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and remain committed to making a difference with our actions as well as our products to ensure we are leading our business and our industry sustainably in the long term. We encourage others in our industry to do the same.
rAVe: Anything else you want to add?
MV: At PPDS, we constantly monitor and work to make adjustments where we can make a small difference that will have a big impact. Our path is paved with smart goals and science-based goals.
We encourage people to learn more by visiting our website, which details our strategic approach to sustainability, or by contacting your local sales manager. Alternatively, we’d love to welcome you to our newly-opened PPDS studio in Charlotte. Join us on our journey to a more sustainable future.
This sponsored content is created as part of a paid partnership with PPDS. The content of this article is entirely independent and solely reflects the views of PPDS. In lieu of payment to rAVe or the commercial integrator, PPDS donated $1,000 to SAVe AV and $1,000 to Trash Turtles.
