Closed resource loop
To contribute to the formation of a circular economy in which waste is minimized, Epson is working to reduce emissions and preserve water resources in its production processes. Epson is also promoting the efficient use of limited resources by making products smaller and lighter, by collecting and recycling end-of-life products, and by developing digital inkjet printing solutions.
Life Cycle Thinking
Epson defines an "eco-considerate" product as one for which environmental impacts are considered from product conception to mission completion; that is, at every phase of the life cycle, from design and manufacturing to transport, usage and recycling. Through the creation of eco-considerate products, we are cooperating with customers and business partners to expand our environmental impact mitigation efforts beyond Epson's doors.
Related link
Product Recycling
To expand the resource reuse and recycling loop, work with customers, communities, and others in the industry to collect and recycle end-of-life products in countries around the world.
Epson's Global Collection and Recycling Systems
Please select your region for information about collecting and recycling Epson products.
Collection and recycling programs for imaging equipment:
Collection and recycling programs for cartridges:
Collection Trends for Products and Cartridges
Resources (Performance)
Reduction of Waste
Epson is working toward zero emissions by reducing generated business waste and recycling.
Wastes are generated in our production processes, offices, and operations. Wherever possible, we reduce, reuse, and recycle these wastes on-site. Plastic runners from molding processes are recycled, for example. The remaining wastes, including valuable wastes, are recycled by a contractor. We carefully sort and separate wastes and select the best available recycling methods and contractors for each type. We will continue to reduce wastes and to work for general improvement in waste processing methods, including by allying with recyclers.
To help combat pollution from oceanic plastic wastes, Epson sales companies in Europe banned disposable cups and other single-use plastics in their office buildings in April 2019.
2021 Overview
Goal : No more than the 33.5 thousand t of the previous year
* Actions were carried out using control metrics benchmarked against the previous year's usage.
Result: 33.2 thousand t (a 1.1% reduction compared to the previous year)
The control metric for waste emissions per unit of business profit improved (from 54 to 37 t/100 million yen)
Related information
Preservation of Water Resources
Water and climate change, as well as other environmental factors, are closely linked. Epson's business activities rely on water resources, and the sustainability of water resources substantially affects business continuity. Given this, we are working to preserve water resources by avoiding unnecessary contamination and use, and by recycling the water we do use. We actively strive to increase the rate of industrial wastewater that is recycled in our production processes and to meet strict water quality standards. We are also mitigating our overall environmental impacts, including by introducing more energy efficient water processing facilities. Our efforts extend beyond the water used in our production processes. We ensure that all employees have access to safe drinking water, as well as sanitary kitchens and restroom facilities. Moreover, we make our employees aware of the importance of saving water and preventing water pollution, and we install water-saving fixtures and sanitation facilities.
2021 Overview
Goal : No more than the 7,925 thousand m³ of the previous year
* Actions were carried out using control metrics benchmarked against the previous year's usage.
Result: 8,041 thousand m³ (an increase of 1.5% compared to the previous year)
Epson expects its water usage to increase as it works to achieve its mid-range business plan,
but water usage per unit of business profit improved (from 12.8 to 8.9 thousand m³/100 million yen).
Addressing Water Related Risk
The water-related risks of Epson's production sites were assessed using two global standard tools for water risk assessments: Aqueduct, developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI), and Water Risk Filter, developed by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). These tools assess water primarily from a perspective of physical quantity of water resources and water pollution risks. The results of the assessments showed that no Epson site qualifies for the highest risk level per the overall risk indicators. However, it was found that some of Epson's production sites in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, and South America are located in areas with water stress. We also evaluated the risk of flooding (overflowing rivers), high tides, and droughts in conjunction with our response to the TCFD recommendations and confirmed that future changes in operational risk will be limited.
Moving forward, Epson will continue to act to reduce its water usage and explore water risk assessment methodologies in basins at actual sites.
Water Usage by Region and Baseline Water Stress Map (FY2021)
* This map is a derivative of the World Resources Institute's Aqueduct Global Maps 2.1, created by Seiko Epson Corp. under the Creative Commons license provided by www.wri.org
Related information
Share
