Environmental Management

Resource Conservation and Recycling - Business Sites U.S.A. Business Site Goals: - Reduce final waste by 25% within 2002. - Achieve a 100% resource recovery rate at all overseas production sites by the end of FY 2001. The "Minimum Resource Plant" The Ricoh Group's facilities and processes are carefully planned to realize "Perfect Production," as Zero Waste to Landfill plants, ISO 14001 certified for environmental management. These facilities employ processes designed for maximum productivity with minimal consumption of energy and materials. The company has been converting its plants to Zero Waste to Landfill operation since 1998. Zero Waste to Landfill starts with "entrance management" procedures to prevent waste from being generated in the first place, minimizing waste recycling and incineration. As a residual benefit, the costs incurred by production losses and the proper disposing of wastes are eliminated as well. Database on Recycling Businesses The Ricoh Group has constructed a database which allows each Ricoh site to search for recycling businesses, their contact numbers, and the types of waste handled using a PC-based network. Biological Processing of Sludge Ricoh has developed a biological wastewater processing system for industrial and domestic sewage. At one plant, in Atsugi, Japan, the system has reduced the 28 tons of sludge that used to be discharged and processed monthly to zero.