In pursuit of a circular economy, Epson is working to reduce resource use and eliminating waste emission form plants and offices, while promoting a shift to sustainable resources. In addition, we will contribute to resource-circulating society as a whole through technology.

• Goal
• Reduce Total Resource Inputs 
• Eliminate Waste
• Replace with Sustainable Resources 
• Contribution to Paper Circulation

Resource use often involves environmental impact In particular, fossil fuels and other underground resources cause greenhouse gases (GHGs) and harmful substances at each stage of extraction, utilization, and disposal, with negative impacts on human health. As long as we depend on underground resources, we cannot achieve a decarbonized society, nor can we achieve sustainability and enrich communities.
Epson is committed to reducing the total volume of resource inputs and replacing all resources with sustainable resource² such as closed loop resources by 2050 to reduce waste. Through such efforts, we aim to realize a sustainable society by using underground resource free.

Main actions to achieve underground resource free

• Reduce total resource inputs: compact and lightweight design, longer product life, product recycling, etc.
• Eliminate waste: Minimize production losses, reduce inventory, zero landfill, etc.
• Replace with sustainable resources: use of recycled materials, biomass materials, etc.

Target
2030: Sustainable resource rate³ 50％
2050: Sustainable resource rate 100％

FY2023 Results

Sustainable resource rate 32％

¹ Non-renewable resources such as oil and metals.
²  Renewable resources, closed loop resources and less-depletable resources.
³  The proportion of sustainable resources (renewable resources + closed loop resources + less-depletable resources) to raw materials.

Epson seeks to deliver more customer value with fewer resources. By reducing waste through smaller and lighter product designs, we focus our resources on delivering the value that is truly required.

Case Study 1: Business Inkjet Printer
Compared to its predecessor, the WF-C20600, the AM-C6000 A3 color line inkjet MFP has been made smaller and lighter by revising the paper transport path of the machine and reducing the thickness of the frame plate. As a result, the  AM-C6000 is approximately 30% lighter and 34% smaller in volume than its predecessor, while maintaining the same 60-page/minute printing speed, enabling installation in confined spaces.

Case Study 2: Business Projectors
The EB-PU22/PU21 series of high-brightness business projectors are approximately 60% smaller and 50% lighter than conventional models, while maintaining 20,000 lumens of brightness, enabled by a unique liquid cooling system and an optimized structure. It reduces the burden of carrying in and installation at events, large auditoriums, gymnasiums, etc.

¹ Comparison of size (W x D x H) of the following products, including protruding parts but excluding the lens.
   EB-PU2220S: 586 x 492 x 218 mm / EB-L20000U: 620 x 790 x 358.5 mm
² Comparison of weights of the following products, excluding the lens.
   EB-PU2220S: approx. 24.4kg / EB-L20000U: approx. 49.6kg

Case Study 3: Industrial Use SCARA robot
In the industrial SCARA robot T3, the controller has been made smaller and lighter, enabling it to be built into the main unit. This reduces the mass by approximately 25% compared to previous models in which the controller and main unit were installed separately, while also reducing complex wiring and increasing installation flexibility.

To maximize the use of resources once they have been utilized, Epson is promoting the recycling of resources used for the product itself and consumables by providing product repair and maintenance services and promoting collection, recycling, and refurbishing initiatives in countries and regions around the world. In addition to reducing the use of new resources, we are working to create recycled resources throughout society through collaboration with our customers, industry, and local communities to expand the resource reuse and recycling loop.

Case Study 1: Circularity Program of Ink Container
Under the ink container recycling program currently in operation in Japan, we collect ink cartridges and ink packs that customers have finished using, sort out the reusable parts, and manufacture products using those parts to deliver them to customers again.

¹  Ink containers subject to this program that are collected by the pick-up and collection service in Japan.
²  Non-eligible parts, damaged or dirty parts, and other items that are determined not to be reusable are sent for recycling.

Case Study 2: Provision of recondition program and refurbished products
To ensure that customers can use our products for a long time, we offer a long term care service called "Recondition Program" for up to 10 years for the SC-S80650 large format printer with eco-solvent ink for the sign and display market in the Japanese market. Epson also offers refurbished products that have been inspected, refreshed, and refurbished to the same quality as new products. The "Recondition Program" allows approximately 93% of the parts to continue to be used, while refurbished products allow approximately 86% of the parts to continue to be used, significantly reducing the use of new resources compared to discarding products and purchasing new ones.

¹ Percentage of parts mass to be used continuously. Figures are based on maximum parts replacement. Parts to be replaced will vary depending on the condition of the aircraft.
² The environmental impact associated with the use and disposal/recycling of new, refurbished program aircraft and refurbished items are equivalent and are not included in this comparison. The total environmental impact (in terms of CO₂ equivalent) for use and disposal in the life cycle of new products accounts for about 67% of the total life cycle. This comparison is based on the case where parts replacement is implemented to the maximum extent possible, and the CO₂ reduction effect depends on the customer's usage environment and the condition of the product.
³ The raw materials procurement of refurbished products includes the transportation load associated with the collection of end-of-life aircraft.
⁴ Recondition program and production of refurbished products include disposal and recycling of replaced parts.

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.

2023 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 waste emissions)
Result: 31.6 thousand t (a reduction of 5.6% compared to the previous year)

Because plastics are durable, lightweight, and easy to mold, they are used in a wide variety of products and have become an indispensable material in our daily lives. However, most of them are made from petroleum, an underground resource, and GHG and other environmental impact are generated in the process of mining and manufacturing.
Epson is working to reduce the use of petroleum-based plastics through the use of recycled plastics in its products.

^* The ratio refers to the proportion of recycled material in the total mass of plastic used. The mass is calculated considering the ratio of recycled materials, and the content may vary depending on procurement conditions.

Many of the packaging materials used to carefully deliver products to customers are made from petroleum-derived materials, an underground resource. Epson is working to replace such materials with paper-based packaging materials.

Case Study 1: High-capacity Ink Tank Printer
High-capacity ink tank printer ET-4810 series uses cardboard, a paper-based product, as cushioning material instead of traditional polystyrene cushioning materials. Furthermore, the cardboard contains over 80% recycled material. Additionally, the polypropylene tape used to protect the product during transport has been replaced with paper tape.

Case Study 2: Business Projector
In the EB-L890E series of business projectors, cushioning material has been converted from traditional polystyrene to molded pulp with a 100% recycled material usage rate. In addition, more than 80% of the cardboard used for the packaging box is made of recycled materials.

Case Study 3: Watches
Epson has applied its proprietary Dry Fiber Technology to develop a new packaging material made from the scraps generated during the sewing process of cotton clothing, which is used as a packaging material for for Epson watch products.

With the increasing digitization of documents, the world is promoting productivity improvement and effective use of resources by reducing the use of paper. At the same time, there are many situations in which the value of paper media is important from the perspectives of visibility, portability, and preservation. Epson strives to supporting such values while contributing to the sustainable use of paper resources.

The PaperLab A-8100, a dry-process office papermaking system, makes new paper from old right on-site using Dry Fiber Technology, which is characterized by waterless¹ defibration.

¹ Moderate humidity is required.