Development of alternative
materials using plant-based resins
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As part of its efforts to develop alternative materials to realize a low-carbon and resource-recirculating society, Ricoh is working on the development of components and toners for copiers by utilizing plant-based resins.
Plant-based resins have been receiving increasing attention recently as they are recyclable and contribute less to global warming than their petroleum-based counterparts. In 2002, we launched development of plant-based plastic for application in our copiers, and in 2005, rolled out the industry's first multifunctional digital copier equipped with plant-based components in its main unit (50% biomass content). In October 2008,
we also released the imagio MP C2200, a multifunctional copier for which our new plant-based plastic components with a higher biomass content (approximately 70%) are used. As collection and recycling of toners after printing is rather difficult,
it is important to reduce the environmental impact of their components—currently, petroleum-based resins constitute the primary components. Ricoh has worked on the commercialization of plant-based toners since 2006, and is planning to release them to market in fiscal 2009.
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