Products:Energy Conservation / Prevention of Global Warming
–Preventing Global Warming through Reducing Paper Consumption–

In fiscal 2003, Ricoh developed the RECO-View RF Tag Sheet by combining RF tags with Ricoh’s own rewritable technology, making the RECO-View RF Tag Sheet capable of rewriting and displaying data written on cards or sheets. This sheet displays digital data recorded on a tag, and the display changes as the tag is rewritten. A sheet is capable of being rewritten approximately 1,000 times^*, making it possible to cut CO₂ emissions by 80% across its lifecycle compared to paper-based printing. This tool also helps prevent human error, as operators are able to visually check information on the management of operation processes written on RF tags, and it is currently utilized in a wide variety of areas, including logistics, medical care, and office work.

• *This number may vary, depending on the condition of use.

Introduction of the tag sheet to a Ricoh plant

In October 2009, Ricoh released the “imagio Easy PO Box Printing Type A,” which prevents the user picking up someone else’s printouts by mistake or forgetting printouts while generally reducing wasteful printing in the office. This application automatically storeseach print job in the “PO box” of the individual user, enabling the user to confirm print jobs on the multifunctional printer’s control panel to print out on demand. Print jobs can be canceled before printing if the wrong instructions have been given—such as more copies than intended, color copies instead of black-and-white, single-sided printing instead of double-sided printing, or other incorrect settings. It also offers security in that documents will not be mistakenly picked up by another user if the printouts are left uncollected for some time after the instructions were given. This gives users a sense of security, allowing them to feel safe about printing confidential documents without the risk of top-secret contents being revealed to others. Moreover, because there is no need for user registration or setup on the PC, this application is user friendly, can be installed at low cost, and requires little time for management or training. These features enable immediate use. A similar system was installed at Ricoh’s Head Office (where 2,200 employees work). Calculations show that the system has helped prevent around 2.8 million pages being printed in error, which constitute roughly 24% of all printouts. This has greatly helped reduce both costs and environmental impact.