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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Smaller, brighter projectors reduce the number of projectors needed to achieve desired results. This reduction in product needs offers many downstream benefits:
In addition to these benefits, our newest projectors are equipped with features that reduce energy consumption and free up human resources:
These features help reduce setup time, resulting in less wasted energy and greater availability of human resources without sacrificing quality.
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:
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.
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:
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.