Installing and using CCTV cameras is a long time commitment; therefore it is vital to ensure that our environment does not compensate for our use and at the same time, surveillance is not compromised. Begin the effort by selecting companies that observe the environmental regulations. Ensure that the installation company which you are engaged in is properly licensed and conform to the endeavor of government in reducing impacts of electronic products and waste to the surrounding.
You know that the company complies with legislation when they make attempts to cut down on the amount of plastic and paper use during packaging and employ more recyclable materials during manufacturing. Moreover, such company may also use CD-ROMs for their user guides or product broche and they will provide you with clear instructions on how to dispose your used and old electronic parts. Similarly, ample reminders will be made accessible to you for constant upgrade of existing systems, usually accompanied by a detailed product life cycle, indicating when and where the new and old products will come into the production chain and the amount of energy used in each phase.
Some companies will complete annual carbon footprint assessment to keep track of the amount of greenhouse gases that the whole manufacturing cycle had emitted, so that they can set a target, and continue to minimize such emission in the following year. In order to do so, companies tend to transport their products via sea or land freightage rather than air. On top of which, such companies will also invest into the use of alternative technology. For example, the use of thermal cameras, which detect movement to trigger alarms within a premises via heat exhale from living things, so as to lift surveillance cameras’ dependence on light-source.
Besides environmental friendliness, some companies will go an extra mile by engaging social enterprise or prevent the use of minerals from conflicting countries, so that nothing from the environment to human is exploited during processing and exporting. For example, due to internal unrest, certain companies forbid the use of metals from Democratic Republic of Congo so that local miners will not risk their lives mining for these metals which usually worsen the situation and did not improve the lives of locals.
Do not depreciate personal responsibility too, it is always advisable to check on the kind of recycling services available for used or old CCTV systems, even if the installation company is not there to provide. It is also recommendable to review existing components of the system, to see if replacement is truly necessary. If the equipment is still in good condition and there is no pertinent upgrade of existing hardware, do not hurry into the decision of changing. Have regular servicing and maintenance so that the system is in good condition.
Furthermore, when choices are made available, choose energy optimizing models because surveillance system is running round the clock. Energy optimizing means that the components within the surveillance system can be used for a longer period of time. This is regards as important as energy saving because lower energy consumption does not guarantee lesser wear and tear, thus a longer in service camera reduces changes and disposal. Employ a good computer for recording and saving of footages from all cameras, instead of having one computer to a camera; ensure that the computer is capable of supporting different soft wares and is able to multitask all at once.
There are many ways to avoid taking advantages of our environment, as long as we pay attention to neglected details, so do not find excuses and begin the work.
