Page 21 - Print 21 Magazine Jul-Aug 2020

Sustainability
Some 40 per cent of each toner bottle is made from recycled milk bottles, creating a durable polyurethane product. The target is that by 2025 they will be 100 per cent recycled.
Case Study: Konica Minolta AccurioPress
Grant Thomas, product marketing manager at Konica Minolta is clear on how the company is developing its environmental credentials with its digital print systems. Thomas says the company is developing all its products through an environmental matrix as part of its global commitment. He says, “The AccurioPress range of digital colour printers are a great example of how important environmental considerations are in product design. It means that print business owners can go to market with high environmental credentials. Konica Minolta was recently awarded the winner of Grand Prize for its Environmental Report, hosted jointly by the Ministry of the Environment and the Global Environmental Forum in Japan.”
The company has also been named in the 2020 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations list. It has also joined RE100, a global leadership initiative bringing together influential business committed to source 100 per cent renewable power for their operations. Konica Minolta is aiming to source the electricity used in its business operations from 100 per cent renewable power by 2050.
Power requirement being reduced through improved electronics.
Foam and packaging materials that transport the printer from factory to print business are being phased out.
product design. Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) identifies the environmental impact across the lifecycle of
a product, from raw materials
to disposal. Using LCA-based design, it sets targets to reduce
the environmental impact of its products. This can be as simple as designing products to be smaller and lighter to conserve resources. Setting a green procurement framework for raw materials, parts, and products ensures Ricoh works with suppliers who meet strict standards and help reduce the
environmental impact of its products.
The company is continuing to work to reduce environmentally sensitive substances used in its products and has established a chemical management system to comply with the Reach regulatory framework.
Ricoh developed the Rico2Ret system to minimise the environmental impact of its products. The system identifies processes with high CO2 emissions
and
shows
how to reduce
them. For example,
the company developed a
tin-free, low temperature fixing eco-toner with less environmental impact in the production process called PxP toner. By fusing at lower temperatures, the PxP devices
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