Concern for the environment has been a recurring theme anywhere in the world, driven mainly by the rising level of pollution everywhere and increasing industrialisation. In fact, environmental conservation movements have been in place for over a century with modern environmental laws introduced as early as 1863, through the British Alkali Acts that regulated harmful air pollutants released during the production of soda ash. Nearly 150 years later, environmental laws continue to be introduced and reintroduced as environmental preservation and protection have become pressing global issues more than ever. This is particularly true on account of alarming occurrences of large-scale natural catastrophes and climate change that have been attributed mainly to environmental degradation.

To be sure, stringent environmental regulations and strict implementation of such policies by concerned governmental agencies and private sector watchdogs are vital in the success of the environmental movement. Equally important – perhaps even more significant – is self-regulation and the personal commitment of individual organisations to align their products, services and operations according to established environmental norms and practices.

“Individual commitment is crucial in ensuring the success of global environmental campaigns. It is Concern for the environment has been a recurring theme anywhere in the world, driven mainly by the rising level of pollution everywhere and increasing industrialisation. In fact, environmental conservation movements have been in place for over a century with modern environmental laws introduced as early as 1863, through the British Alkali Acts that regulated harmful air pollutants released during the production of soda ash. Nearly 150 years later, environmental laws continue to be introduced and reintroduced as environmental preservation and protection have become pressing global issues more than ever. This is particularly true on account of alarming occurrences of large-scale natural catastrophes and climate change that have been attributed mainly to environmental degradation.

To be sure, stringent environmental regulations and strict implementation of such policies by concerned governmental agencies and private sector watchdogs are vital in the success of the environmental movement. Equally important – perhaps even more significant – is self-regulation and the personal commitment of individual organisations to align their products, services and operations according to established environmental norms and practices.

“Individual commitment is crucial in ensuring the success of global environmental campaigns. It is to study each of these possibilities to identify the most appropriate ways to eliminate or minimise the product’s overall impact on the environment,” says El-Dalu.

Think

Reducing the overall environmental impact of each product starts from the planning and design phases, which constitute the Think stage of Epson’s Life Cycle Approach. Each product’s environmental specifications are identified during product planning and are then implemented into a tangible format during the design stage. Through this approach, Epson has been able to develop design innovations that have successfully defied conventional wisdom and set new industry benchmarks. One example is the introduction of a reconditionable, new-concept inkjet printer, the Epson Inkjet EC-01, which eliminates the need for periodic replacement of ink cartridges by preloading the printer with ink equivalent to about 80 standard Epson ink cartridges. The innovation relieves customers of having to replace cartridges and also helps minimise the environmental impact related to spent ink cartridges.

Epson also implements different environmental labelling programs to match the demands of different countries and regions such as the Middle East, optimising the product’s environmental compliance. Product design reviews are likewise regularly conducted at each step during product development and commercialisation to ensure that environmental specifications are satisfied.

Choose

“Green purchasing” across the supply chain is another important component of Epson’s Environmental Vision 2050. In this regard, Epson has committed to choose low environmental impact product parts and materials that do not contain harmful substances. This approach creates a domino effect as it encourages suppliers and other related businesses to be more environmentally responsible.

Create

Reducing the use of energy and waste emission in product manufacturing plants is another prime concern. With this in mind, Epson has developed, among others, a glossy moulding technique that eliminates the painting process, significantly reducing the energy used during the production of materials. Moreover, non-painted plastics developed through this process provide a higher grade of recyclable material.

Deliver

Epson has also strengthened its cooperation with its affiliates and subsidiaries around the world to improve transport efficiency in a number of ways. The most important initiatives have been the shifting of transport from air to sea and from truck to train, using consolidated shipments, and joining other companies in cooperative distribution systems, which have helped save energy and resources and have dramatically reduced the environmental footprint of Epson products.

Use

The most tangible benefit to consumers under the Epson Vision 2010 initiative has been the introduction of exciting new functionalities within Epson’s product range. The goal is to deliver small, lightweight, energy-efficient products, which provide a convenient and user-friendly way of helping customers minimise their carbon footprint during product use.

Some of the innovative features that have been introduced by Epson include the ability to scan images directly to a memory card and transfer them to a PC, which saves paper; direct printing from a memory card without the need for a PC, which saves energy; duplex printing technology, which reduces paper use by 50 per cent by printing on both sides of sheets; double-sided copying, which saves paper by allowing 2-up copying and multi-page printing; and a software utility that automatically adjusts web pages to fit the printed page, which also prevents paper wastage.

Recycle and reuse

Committing to recycle and reuse end-of-life products as resources for new products ensures a genuinely comprehensive environmental protection and conservation campaign. Epson, for its part, collects and recycles materials through multiple independent programs, while the company also monitors local and international legal and regulatory trends as well as consumer needs in its continuing efforts to build a thorough system for collecting and recycling products at the end of their useful lives.

“Protecting and preserving the natural environment is a continuing process and it is clear that so much needs to be done to achieve our long-term goals. It is also crucial that each member of the business community and the entire society should contribute and show commitment to the environmental cause. As Epson has shown, there are different aspects in businesses operations and product life cycle that we can improve and develop to become more environmentally friendly. By setting an example, Epson hopes to inspire others to likewise adopt a more environmentally responsible business model, which, as in our case, can serve as the bedrock for their future success,” concludes El-Dalu.