Climate change is an existential issue affecting major elements of day-to-day life. While myths abound, the reality is that combating climate change requires efforts across industries to encourage sustainability.
AV services and products, such as projectors, are no exception. According to the 2024 Sustainability in AV (SAVe) report, 62.5 metric tons of e-waste were produced across the globe in 2022. Less than 20% of that waste was officially recycled.
As leaders in the AV space, Panasonic recognizes the need for more sustainable practices across our industry. Through our GREEN IMPACT program, we’re taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint. In 2024, we’re already seeing results:
- 44 zero-CO2 factories
- 99.3% factory waste recycling rate
- 29,600 tons of recycled resin used
There’s still more to do, and Panasonic continues to look to the future. The solutions being implemented in our projector production and distribution are indicative of our larger commitment to a more sustainable future.
Creating a Brighter Future with Panasonic Projectors
Innovation takes many forms. Panasonic projectors have always embraced innovation to create clear, sharp images while prioritizing user-friendly controls. Smart design is at the core of these innovations, with many projectors being redesigned to be up to 40% more compact. This redesign significantly reduces the use of materials while maintaining the same high levels of brightness, performance, and installation flexibility. That same innovative spirit is now being used to make our projectors more sustainable through a multi-faceted approach that spans the full lifetime of the device.
Greener Procurement Methods Address Sustainability at the Source
By conducting projector design and manufacturing in house, we can institute eco-friendly practices from the very start, including the procurement of materials. In addition to ensuring all our practices are RoHS compliant, we actively strive to reduce reliance on any harmful substances. This includes keeping our laser projectors mercury-free, revolutionizing our painting process to be more eco-friendly, and using paint-free designs that are still aesthetically clean and appealing.
Production Processes with the Environment in Mind
Our more sustainable production process involves a two-pronged approach, with a focus on the products we manufacture and the facilities where that manufacturing occurs.
On the product side, we create our projectors with a constant eye towards waste reduction and recycling. During the molding of plastic components, we make sure excess materials are repurposed, so nothing is wasted. We also reduce waste through smart packaging, including returnable boxes and thinner stretch film.
As for the facilities themselves, we strive to lessen our carbon footprint in a multitude of ways. We have reduced the use of paper in daily operations and, when paper is still needed, opt for recycled paper, collecting and reusing any waste. Our facilities are also equipped with more efficient LED lighting to lessen electricity usage.
Innovations like these have led to ISO 14001 certification across our projector business’s manufacturing and distribution sites.
Better, Easy-to-Use Projectors Lead to More Sustainable Distribution, Sales, and Installation
Smaller, brighter projectors reduce the number of projectors needed to achieve desired results. This reduction in product needs offers many downstream benefits:
- Less storage requirements
- Easier transportation
- Fewer human resources are required for installation and operation
- Lower overall cost
In addition to these benefits, our newest projectors are equipped with features that reduce energy consumption and free up human resources:
- Pairing smartphones and projectors via NFC enables users to prepare projectors while the units are unplugged, reducing power consumption.
- The Smart Projector Control App allows users to configure their image automatically with their smartphones, reducing configuration time and lessening the burden on operators to manually adjust images.
- Projection Angle Detection relays information about the projector’s body pitch and roll angles, allowing one person to adjust the projector’s body without needing assistance to check the projection angle.
These features help reduce setup time, resulting in less wasted energy and greater availability of human resources without sacrificing quality.
Longer Lived, More Efficient Projectors
The key area to focus on when considering sustainability is product usage. About 80% of Panasonic’s CO2 emissions occur during product usage. This is why we’re developing more efficient projectors with features such as ECO mode and reduced standby power consumption (in compliance with the European Commission ErP Ecodesign Directive Lot 6).
In addition to more efficient usage, we are focused on creating projectors with longer lifespans, reducing the need for replacements. Some ways of achieving this goal include:
- Quality testing for sustained reliability
- Using long-life components such as lasers instead of lamps
- Focusing on dust resistance in our IP5X-compliant optical engine and laser light-source module
Creating a Circular Economy Through Better Disposal and Recycling
Creating longer-lived projectors that utilize recyclable material both in the product design and packaging is just one initiative Panasonic deploys to create a circular economy. We’re proud to say that, as of 2024, these circular economy models have been introduced across 13 sites in the Panasonic Group.
New PT-VMZ82 Series Laser Projectors, Designed with Sustainability in Mind
In addition to being the world’s smallest and lightest 8,000-lumen projectors, Panasonic’s new PT-VMZ82 projectors have numerous features to optimize sustainability:
- Recycled materials: Projector bodies are made with 59% recycled plastic, reducing reliance on virgin plastics.
- Enhanced efficiency: A refined optical engine results in 27% more energy efficiency than our current VMZT1 series.
- Long-lasting light source: Our laser light source lasts up to 20,000 hours, reducing operating costs and minimizing the need to dispose of mercury lamps.
- Reusable filter: Our ECO filter can be washed and reused, leading to less operating waste and more cost savings on replacement filters.
- Auto power on: When an image is detected, projectors will automatically turn on, allowing operators to turn off projectors when not in use without worrying about unnecessary delays.
- Image detection: Projectors will automatically dim light output by 50% or turn it off entirely when no change has been detected in the projected image. This feature is adjustable, so presenters can adjust the duration before dimming occurs.
- Automation: Multiple actions can be automated, such as power on/off, shutter activation, and input selection, reducing manual labor and allowing for optimized resource management.
Panasonic Continues to Innovate Toward a Greener Future
Panasonic’s commitment to more sustainable AV technology extends beyond our projectors. We continue to strive towards a more sustainable future with goals of net-zero in-house CO2 emissions by 2030 and reducing at least 300 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2050, while our quality standards ensure we offer the best laser projectors in the business.
Learn more about Panasonic’s ongoing initiatives through our GREEN IMPACT program.
