Modern consumers care deeply about the planet, and they’re actively choosing to support brands that share their values. For retailers, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity: how do you create impactful retail displays that capture attention while genuinely minimising environmental impact?
With 80% of consumers buying from brands that align with their ideals, implementing sustainable displays isn’t just ethically sound, it’s strategically smart. You’re captivating customers while reducing your environmental impact.
The shift toward sustainability is accelerating. 71% of business leaders cite increasing energy efficiency and using sustainable materials as top priorities. The question isn’t whether to embrace sustainable retail display, but how quickly you can adapt.
The answer lies in understanding what makes a retail display truly sustainable, not just in materials, but across the entire journey from concept to disposal.
Creating a genuinely sustainable retail display requires careful consideration at every stage. It’s not enough to simply choose recycled materials and call it done. True sustainability encompasses design, production, installation, and end-of-life planning.
The foundation of any sustainable retail display starts with material choice. At Imageco, we work extensively with materials like Xanita board and Swedboard – both fully recyclable and sourced sustainably.
Xanita board is particularly impressive. Its print-ready surface eliminates the need for additional vinyls or foils, reducing waste from the start. It’s 100% recyclable, non-toxic, and around 75% lighter than MDF, making transport and installation more efficient with reduced emissions. The material is an excellent canvas, working well with UV inks, delivering sharp, high-definition output that doesn’t compromise on visual impact.
The beauty of materials such as this one is their versatility – they can look showstopping while being kind to the planet!
One of the biggest challenges in retail display is the throwaway culture. Campaign ends, display gets discarded. Sustainable design flips this approach on its head.
For bigger display builds, our CAD engineering team designs displays with longevity in mind. Using Computer-Aided Design (CAD), we create precise, lifelike digital prototypes, eliminating the need for physical samples and reducing material waste during development. This advanced technology allows us to refine designs, make adjustments, and ensure flawless outcomes, all with minimal environmental impact.
We also specialise in modular displays that can be easily reconfigured for different campaigns. Retailers can reuse core structures, updating only graphics or layouts for new promotions. This smart approach not only saves money but also significantly cuts waste.
Sustainable materials and design only go so far if production isn’t equally responsible. At Imageco, we’ve invested heavily in sustainable production capabilities.
Our factory runs on 45% on-site generated solar energy with the remaining power procured from renewable sources from commercial energy suppliers, and we’ve equipped our facility with state-of-the-art printers that minimise water and energy consumption. Our swissQprint Nyala 4 flatbed printer is certified to ISO standard 20690 for energy efficiency, consuming just 2.2 kilowatt-hours of electricity on average.
Every stage of our production process is optimised to reduce waste. From maximising material usage to recycling or donating offcuts, we’re constantly refining our methods to lower our environmental footprint.
A standout example of sustainable retail display in action is our work on Hotpoint’s nationwide POS rollout. The campaign brought the story from their advert to life, recreating Bailey the dog’s birthday celebrations across 32 stores nationwide.
We designed a series of cardboard Xanita board displays engineered for durability, recyclability, and logistical efficiency. By using CAD prototyping, we ensured each component fit together precisely, could be flat packed for transport, and installed with speed and accuracy, demonstrating how careful planning and design reduce material waste and streamline rollouts.
High-quality visuals were printed using our energy-efficient swissQprint Nyala 4 flatbed printer, showing that premium print and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. Our nationwide installation team coordinated around store schedules, ensuring minimal disruption while maintaining the highest standards of presentation and structural integrity.
This project illustrates how innovative materials, intelligent engineering, and meticulous project management can deliver retail displays that are visually impactful, operationally efficient, and environmentally responsible, a benchmark for modern sustainable POS.
At Imageco, we’ve introduced Carbon Metrics reporting for all retail display projects. This provides complete transparency on the environmental impact of your campaigns.
Using advanced tracking technology, we calculate emissions across your entire project, materials, production, logistics, and transport. But it’s more than just numbers. This detailed report is a practical tool for demonstrating your sustainability credentials, whether you’re sharing it with customers, using it in ESG reporting, or incorporating it into marketing materials.
As environmental regulations continue to tighten, having this data readily available is increasingly important. It shows you’re serious about measuring and reducing your impact.
At Imageco, sustainability isn’t an add-on service – it’s embedded in everything we do. From the solar panels powering our factory to our choice of materials and production methods, we’ve built our business around environmental responsibility.
Ready to ensure your next retail display project is genuinely sustainable? It starts with asking the right questions and partnering with a team that takes environmental responsibility as seriously as you do. Talk to us about your next display today!
