New Returnable Eco Packaging designed for Copier Products Receives the 2018 WorldStar Award from the World Packaging Organization

TOKYO, May 8, 2018 - Ricoh today announced that the new returnable eco packaging designed for copier products developed by Ricoh Technologies Co., Ltd. received the 2018 WorldStar Award from the World Packaging Organization (WPO). The awards ceremony was held in Queensland, Australia, on May 2, 2018.

This international contest aims to promote selected products to the packaging industry that have already received recognition from packaging organizations all over the world. These products epitomize the latest in technology and innovation. This year, 200 winners were awarded the WorldStar Award, from the 318 nominations received from 38 countries. They were focused on protection and conservation, usability, design, economy and environmental-friendliness. 26 projects that won the Japan Packaging Contest went on to receive the WorldStar Award.

In terms of design, two innovative features were incorporated into Ricoh's new returnable eco packaging which will further improve recycling efficiency and durability compared with conventional returnable eco packaging.

The first feature is the improved shape for stacking, to facilitate the easier collection of returned packaging. This minimizes returned packaging volume and enables more efficient packaging collection at a lower cost. The second feature is the reduction in packaging weight and durability for reuse. The use of our own structural analysis technology allows strength to be assured despite an approximately 45% reduction in the weight when compared with conventional returnable eco packaging. We anticipate it will also reduce the burden on logistics workers and improve operational efficiencies.

As a result, the new returnable eco packaging further reduces the amount of material used and therefore CO₂ emissions, and achieves a significant reduction in the environmental impact compared with other disposable packaging materials. (Estimates in 2018-amount of material used: annual reduction of 91.2 tons, CO₂ emissions: annual reduction of 153.7 tons)