Supplier Guidelines

Epson Group Supplier Guidelines / Epson Supplier Code of Conduct

Epson believes that it is essential for our business partners, including suppliers, to understand our management philosophy and support our procurement activities to realize that philosophy. For this reason, the Epson Group Supplier Guidelines include a code of conduct that we ask suppliers to follow.

We established our Group Procurement Guidelines in April 2005 to promote understanding of our procurement activities and to secure cooperation in our CSR activities. In 2008, we established the Epson Supplier Code of Conduct based on the Code of Conduct created by the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC), now called the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA). The Epson Supplier Code of Conduct, which is included in the Epson Group Guidelines, is updated whenever the RBA Code of Conduct is revised.

The Supplier Guidelines stipulate the basic quality (Q), price (C), and delivery (D) requirements for transactions, as well as trade control measures that meet international requirements and measures to ensure supply chain security. The Epson Supplier Code of Conduct, which is based on the RBA Code of Conduct and is included in the Supplier Guidelines, covers corporate social responsibility (CSR) requirements in areas such as labor, health and safety, environment, and ethics, with the aim of maintaining socially responsible business practices along with our business partners. More than 20 years have passed since the first edition of the Guidelines was issued. The current version of the Guidelines is Ver. 8.0, introduced in April 2024. Moreover, to gain an understanding of suppliers around the world, the Guidelines have been made available in multiple languages, with the current version available in seven languages.

We ask all suppliers to comply with the requirements, and we obtain written consent  from our major suppliers. Of the companies  that were notified of the changes to the latest version of the Supplier Guidelines, 3,064 (94.7%) agreed in writing to consent. We also notify prospective suppliers about our Supplier Guidelines and obtain written consent from them to observe the Guidelines prior to doing business.

Epson is working to improve CSR across the supply chain.

Epson Group Supplier Guidelines (Group standard version)　Ver. 8.0　

Hotline information is available here





Requirements of Epson Supplier Code of Conduct

The Epson Supplier Code of Conduct, which is part of the Epson Group Supplier Guidelines, is based on the RBA Code of Conduct. It specifies supply chain requirements in the areas of labor, health and safety, environment, ethics, and management systems. 
The RBA Code of Conduct requires compliance with local laws, as well as compliance with RBA requirements when RBA requirements and standards are stricter than local laws. This idea ensures a high level of control regardless of the legal requirements and standards of the countries and regions in which the supplier is located, and regardless of the labor practices of the area.

Responsible Business Alliance

A. LABOR (Human rights) B. HEALTH AND SAFETY

  • A1 Prohibition of Forced Labor

  • A2 Young Workers (including prohibition of child labor)

  • A3 Working Hours (including maximum working hours, days off, voluntary overtime)

  • A4 Wages and Benefits

  • A5 Non-Discrimination/Non-Harassment/Humane Treatment

  • A6 Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

  • B1 Occupational Health and Safety

  • B2 Emergency Preparedness

  • B3 Occupational Injury and Illness

  • B4 Industrial Hygiene

  • B5 Physically Demanding Work

  • B6 Machine Safeguarding

  • B7 Sanitation, Food, and Housing

  • B8 Health and Safety Communication
C. ENVIRONMENT D. ETHICS

  • C1 Environmental Permits and Reporting

  • C2 Pollution Prevention and Resource Reduction

  • C3 Hazardous Substances

  • C4 Solid Waste

  • C5 Air Emissions

  • C6 Materials Restrictions

  • C7 Water Management

  • C8 Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

  • D1 Business Integrity

  • D2 No Improper Advantage

  • D3 Disclosure of Information

  • D4 Intellectual Property

  • D5 Fair Business, Advertising and Competition

  • D6 Protection of Identity and Non-Retaliation

  • D7 Responsible Sourcing of Minerals

  • D8 Privacy
E. MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

  • E1 Company Commitment

  • E2 Management Accountability and Responsibility

  • E3 Legal and Customer Requirements

  • E4 Risk Assessment and Risk Management

  • E5 Improvement Objectives

  • E6 Training

  • E7 Communication

  • E8 Worker/Stakeholder Engagement and Access To Remedy

  • E9 Audits and Assessments

  • E10 Corrective Action Process

  • E11 Documentation and Records

  • E12 Supplier Responsibility


Green Procurement

Epson is committed to green purchasing, which prioritizes the procurement of parts and materials that are free from hazardous substances and have a low environmental impact. This approach helps minimize the effects of chemicals in products on human health and ecosystems. 

Please see the link for information about our management of chemical substances in products and the procurement of paper products.

Supply Chain Environmental Initiatives