Contributing
to reducing the environmental impact that
affects the whole world in cooperation with
customers
In order
to reduce the environmental impact to society
as a whole, and to establish a sustainable
society, it is vital to form green partnerships
with customers that allow them choose products
and services with a smaller environmental
impact. The Ricoh Group provides a green
solution system as well as products that
have less environmental impact in areas
such as Japan, North America, and the E.U.,
which show a growing trend toward green
purchasing. The Ricoh Group is also working
to promote customers' environmental awareness
in order to encourage them to select products
that have less environmental impact. In
other regions, the Ricoh Group strives to
improve the awareness of environmental conservation
among sales representatives and maintenance
service personnel by obtaining the ISO14001
certification at sales and service companies,
and providing personnel opportunities to
promote environmental awareness among customers.
The Group strives to offer customers products
that deliver superior price and performance,
allowing them to reduce the environmental
impact of their purchases without having
to make a conscious decision to do so.
Using Offices as Showrooms  (Japan)
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| In December 2001, the Ricoh Group
obtained ISO14001 certification at
410 business sites of 49 sales companies.
Mie Ricoh Co., Ltd., Aichi Ricoh Co.,
Ltd., and Kanagawa Ricoh Co., Ltd.
achieved computerization of their
offices, which are also used as showrooms.
Customers are invited to see an example
of a paperless office in actual operation,
as well as experience simulated cost
reductions that result from computerization.
In October 2002, Ricoh's Major Accounts
Marketing Division also opened a showroom
to demonstrate its environmental conservation
activities to visitors and its efforts
to establish information security
and support the creation of intellectual
property. |
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Knowledge
Live Plaza: An evolving office (Major
Accounts Marketing Division)
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Resource-Recirculating Office
Paper Recycling Service (Japan)
|
NBS Ricoh Co., Ltd.,
which sells primarily printer paper, launched
a resource-recirculating recycling service
for used office paper. NBS collects used
paper at customers' offices, recycles it,
and returns it to the same customers' offices
for reuse. The company has already won a
number of customers and is continuously
striving to establish a resource-recirculating
society in the wider community by working
in partnership with local companies, governments,
and NGOs.
Promoting Sales of Recycled Paper
and FSC-Certified Paper (Japan)
|
To contribute to
the creation of a resource-recirculating
society, the Ricoh Group included raising
its paper recycling rate in its environmental
action plan and succeeded in raising its
recycling rate significantly in fiscal 2002.
NBS Ricoh, which mainly sells printer paper,
obtained Chain-of-Custody
(CoC) certification
for distribution and marketing of FSC-certified
paper, and began
marketing this paper in August 2002.
United States: The Establishment
of Green Partnerships  (The
United States)
|
| In fiscal
2002, Ricoh Corporation, the regional
sales head-quarters for the Americas,
opened a large environmental conservation
section in its showroom, Ricoh's Technology
Portal, on Fifth Avenue in New York
City. In addition, the company held
a seminar for its government clients
and large-business customers and participated
in such exhibitions as International
CES. Ricoh Corporation made further
efforts by providing environmental
training to Ricoh Group companies
and sales companies at four sales
service personnel training centers
around the United States, engaging
in awareness promotion activities
at service personnel meetings throughout
the country and organizing recycling
center visits. |
|
Environmental
station at the Technology Portal (Fifth
Avenue, New York City) |
Europe: Zero-Waste-to-Landfill
Promoting Program (Waste Management
System) at Sales Companies
|
Ricoh Europe B.V.,
the regional sales headquarters for Europe,
is working to reduce waste through such
means as encouraging reuse of copy paper,
monitoring the type and quantity of waste
produced by division, and establishing a
waste management system in cooperation with
recycling companies. In addition, the company
aims at reducing costs by sorting waste
and achieving level 2.
Austria: Ricoh Austria  (Austria)
|
| Ricoh Austria
GmbH, a sales and service company
in Austria, develops its activities
based on the concept to connect environmental
conservation with business development.
The company makes earnest efforts
to promote public awareness that Ricoh
is leading the world in environmental
conservation activities. In January
2002, it started the "minus 10%
CO2 action" to reduce gasoline
consumption by 60 vehicles owned by
the company. Lecturers were invited
from Austria Drivers Association and
the car industry for the seminars.
Furthermore, an energy-saving driving
competition based on the mileage was
held every three months for the employees.
As a result, 10% reduction in energy
consumption was achieved (in other
words, fuel efficiency improved by
10%) in the January-March quarter
in 2003. These achievements brought
Ricoh Austria the Vienna Eco Business
Plan award organized by Vienna Province. |
|
The president
and environmental conservation staff
of Ricoh Austria |
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