We promote LCA-based design and the development
of environmental technologies to reduce the "integrated environmental
impact" of all products during their life cycles.
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Concept of Product Development
The Ricoh Group's approach to improving the environmental performance
of its products has advanced from an approach to realize improvements
under individual themes, such as energy conservation, resource conservation,
or chemical substances, to an approach to reduce the "integrated
environmental impact" of all products during their life cycles.
Based on the concept of the "Comet
Circle", we now place a priority on LCA-based design and
the "development of environmental technologiesl," with the
target of keeping the integrated environmental impact of all products
in their life cycles (exploitation of resources, manufacturing of
parts by suppliers, manufacturing of products, transportation, sales,
use by customers, and recycling) below the limit which global environment
is sustainable.
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History of Improving the Environmental
Performance of Products
In the 1980s, the Ricoh Group began
to develop products to meet individual standards, such as noise, the
chemicals contained in the products, and energy conservation. In 1990,
various committees were established to reduce environmental impact
through an integrated approach. These committees began studies to
improve the environmental performance of all products throughout their
life cycles. In 1994, the LCA study group was established. In 1998,
the Ricoh Group began activities to identify the environmental impact
of its overall operations using Eco Balance,
and to reduce the environmental impact of processes with larger environmental
impacts on a priority basis. In 2002, the Ricoh Group established
an environmental action plan based on the evaluation of integrated
environmental impacts. In 2003, the Group began to further improve
various tools to promote LCA-based design.
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Activities |
| 1980s- |
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The Ricoh Group begins to establish
individual criteria, such as those for noise, chemicals
contained in its products, and energy conservation. |
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| 1990 |
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Product Design Committee, Environmental
Technology Committee and Eco Mark Committee established. |
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| 1994 |
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The concept of the "Comet Circle"
completed. |
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LCA Study Group established. |
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LCA activities under individual themes
to reduce the environmental impact of each product and
overall operations promoted. |
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| 1998 |
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| 2000 |
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The Environmental Impact Information
System completed. |
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The Ricoh Group begins to disclose
information on environmental impact of products that was
compiled based on the LCA (Type III Environmental Declaration). |
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The Ricoh Group begins to integrate
data on environmental impacts caused by each product and
by overall operations. |
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| 2002 |
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Environmental Action Plan prepared
based on integrated environmental impacts. |
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| 2003 |
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The Ricoh Group clarifies the concept
of LCA-based design, and begins to improve the system
and tools to promote the concept. |
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Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
LCA means quantitatively identifying which and how much environmental
impact exists in the life cycle of a product, from the gathering
of resources for the production of raw materials to manufacturing,
transportation, marketing, use, maintenance, collection, recycling,
and disposal. LCA may also be applied to part of the above cycle. |
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