Replace your edtech on a budget | ActivPanel LX
On 1 January 2026, the EU and UK will fully ban and prohibit the manufacture and sale of products containing mercury, including lamp-based projectors and replacement lamps in schools, universities, learning centers, and businesses. The new law, 2023/2049, amends Regulation 2017/852.
Mercury, a chemical element that can be harmful to humans and animals, is being discovered more frequently in our food supply—most often in fish—which according to European Commission, can harm a human’s brain, lungs, kidneys, and immune system. Mercury is already banned in batteries, thermometers, and barometers in the EU and UK. The plan to further restrict the remaining use of the heavy metal was proposed in July 2023.
With the ban on projector lamps approaching in the next couple of years, now is the best time for any school or higher education campus still using projectors with expensive, hard-to-maintain lamps to consider replacing their front-of-class display with a new ActivPanel LX. ActivPanel LX is Promethean’s most secure, sustainable, and affordable alternative to lamp-based projectors. This flexible interactive flat panel display is designed to work with the operating system, software, tech, and apps you use right now, so there’s virtually no learning curve
The ActivPanel LX can be plugged into a laptop with a single USB-C cable, instantly turning any computer into a large-format interactive display. It can also be paired with a computing module with Android, Chrome OS, and Windows options to fit in with a school’s preferred ecosystem—creating maximum flexibility.
Promethean’s Google EDLA-certified OPS-A Android computing module was built specifically for use with the ActivPanel LX. Users can seamlessly integrate their devices with the Google Workspace tools and install their favorite apps from the Google Play Store. EDLA-certified devices offer advanced security protections like password protection, data encryption, the ability to manage them using Google Admin tools, and security patches from Google for the lifetime of the Android OS that the device is running.
Show me the numbers
Upgrading to the ActivPanel LX over a projector and whiteboard will save your school £1,141 per device over five years and as much as £22,820 if your school outfits 20 classrooms.
Add in filter replacements, energy usage, service, and speaker costs, and the cost of owning a projector with a whiteboard over five years skyrockets to £2,500, vs. £1,359 when you choose the ActivPanel LX. Those significant savings can be used toward boosting morale for burnt-out teachers, replacing more tech throughout your school, or funding other education-based initiatives.
Most importantly, you’ll have a much better user experience and an edtech tool that’s built to last, and you won’t have to worry about replacing expensive lamps that all burn out at the same time. Thinking ahead toward the future is important as you review the education technology available.
Encourage your science teachers to use the new law as a teaching opportunity for their classrooms. As you replace your projectors, have them educate their students on the elements and why the mercury ban is important for humans, animals, and our environment.
Download our ActivPanel LX total cost of ownership breakdown.