Sustainable Paper Procurement Policy
The Ricoh Group endeavors to provide safe and reliable products to our customers. Paper is indispensable to our business, and its supply chain is diverse and complicated. To ensure that we provide proper paper to our customers, we work together with our suppliers to promote sustainable procurement. In 2023, we established the Paper Procurement Policy to define our standards on sustainable procurement and our goal of zero deforestration. The policy is constituted from “Paper Standards” and “Supplier Standards”, the former including environmental aspects of the paper itself, and the latter focusing on the supplier with criteria on human rights.
Paper Procurement Policy is revised with the approval of General Manager, Supply Chain Functions Management Division
*Ricoh Group promotes environmental management in four areas. In the area of biodiversity conservation, Ricoh Group established its Biodiversity Policy in 2009. In 2010, in consideration of the human rights of local residents and stakeholders, Ricoh Group established “Regulations for Ricoh Group Products Made of Wood (revised in 2021)” to procure legal and sustainable raw materials and promote biodiversity conservation.
Paper Procurement Policy
Ricoh Group established “paper standards” and “supplier standards” and has adopted these two standards in its Paper Procurement Policy.
● Paper standards（Requirements for procured paper）
- The paper must be produced from forests that are sustainably managed and have been verified as legally compliant.
- The paper must not be made from wood sourced from High Conservation Value (HCV) forests.
- The traceability of virgin paper/recycled paper must be confirmed.
- The safety of chemical substances used in the paper manufacturing process must be confirmed.
- Environmental and safety controls must be in place in the paper manufacturing process (including wastewater disposal and other water management).
- The paper must be chlorine-free bleached paper (ECF)
● Suppliers standards（Requirements for procurement transactions）
- Suppliers must comply with the laws and regulations of the region and country in which they operate, and they must conduct their operations and supply products with consideration for the environment, including climate change prevention, appropriate use of resources, and biodiversity conservation.
- Suppliers must protect the human rights of residents and indigenous people in the producing areas and maintain good relationships with them.
- Suppliers must protect the human rights of workers and employees, and they must have no relationship with antisocial forces or organizations.
*Target: PPC paper, paper rolls
Examples of recommended environmentally friendly paper
- recycled paper, used pulp paper
- Internationally certified paper defined by Ricoh
- Chlorine-free bleached pulp (ECF)
