ESL and sustainability: how much paper and CO2 does an electronic label save?
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The most important information from the article:
- Electronic price labels (ESLs) allow you to reduce paper consumption by up to tens of thousands of sheets per year in one store.
- The reduction in CO₂ emissions is not only due to the lack of printing, but also to less logistics and operational work.
- ESL systems reduce waste and support an ESG strategy in retail.
Does ESL really affect the environment? Here’s how. Even at the level of a single store, it is possible to reduce paper consumption by tens of thousands of sheets per year, and on the scale of a retail chain, even millions. This translates directly into lower CO₂ emissions, lower consumption of natural resources and reduced waste.
How much paper does a brick-and-mortar store use?
At first glance, a single price label seems like a trifle. The problem begins on a larger scale.
Typical store:
- it has from several to several thousand products,
- updates prices even several times a week,
- Prints labels with every promotion, price change, or correction.
Estimated paper consumption
For a medium supermarket:
- 10,000 products
- 2 price changes per week
- 52 weeks a year
Depending on the size of the store and the frequency of price changes, the number of printed labels can reach hundreds of thousands per year, especially in establishments with a high turnover of promotions and a wide assortment. Assuming intensive promotional activity covering the entire assortment, this gives → more than 1,000,000 printed labels per year.
This is especially important given that producing 1 ton of paper, i.e., about 200,000 A4 sheets (80 g/m²), requires cutting down as many as 17 trees.
How does ESL eliminate the paper problem?
Electronic price labels work in a simple way:
- prices are updated centrally in the system,
- changes appear automatically on the shelf,
- No need to print and replace labels.
This leads to:
- 100% reduction of paper labels,
- no printing waste,
- no storage of consumables.
For example, → for a chain of 100 stores, this is a saving of up to 100 million labels per year.
How much CO₂ can be saved?
Saving paper is only part of the equation. CO₂ emissions are also generated in the following processes:
- paper production,
- transport,
- printing (energy, toners),
- waste disposal.
Estimates show that:
Depending on the paper grade and production process, the production of 1 kg of paper generates approximately 1-1.5 kg of CO₂
ESL reduces CO₂ emissions mainly by reducing processes related to printing, logistics and disposal of paper materials.
ESL vs. traditional labels – comparison
1. Resource consumption
Paper price labels:
- Paper
- Ink / Toner
- Printing energy
ESL:
- one-stop production of equipment
- low power consumption (batteries for up to several years)
2. CO₂ emissions
Paper price labels:
- continuous emissions (printing, transport, waste)
ESL:
- emissions mainly at the production stage
- Later minimal surgical footprint
3. Waste
Paper price labels:
- hundreds of kilograms of paper per year
- the need for disposal
ESL:
- no current waste
4. Operability
Paper price labels:
- Manual replacement
- Risk of pricing errors
ESL:
- Automation
- Real-time update
ESL and ecology – summary
The most important benefits of ESL in the context of sustainability are:
- elimination of up to millions of paper labels per year,
- reduction of CO₂ emissions by hundreds of tons on a network scale,
- reduction of operating costs,
- supporting ESG strategies.
Companies like Exorigo Upos are showing that digitizing the store shelf can be both business-efficient and environmentally responsible at the same time – less paper, less emissions, and more control over the business.
