Canon has formulated an action plan and monitors the progress of its activities to systematically promote efforts to achieve its Environmental Vision. The results of activities are evaluated and verified each year with a view to incorporating this feedback into future activites.
| Action Plan for 2011 |
2011 Results |
Action Plan for 2012 |
| Produce |
Raw Materials |
Reducing CO2 from raw materials/ procured goods |
Reduce waste in resource investment and energy in cooperation with suppliers |
- Executed pilot program with selected suppliers to reduce power use. Annual power consumption reduced approximately 20% compared with 2010.
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Reduce waste in resource investment and energy in cooperation with suppliers |
| Reduce environmental impact through the use of simulations during development |
- Executed evaluation simulation of degree of CO2 reduction target from the conceptual stage of product development.
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Reduce environmental impact through the use of simulations during development |
| Promoting environmentally conscious design |
Promote ultra-compact, lightweight, easy-to-use designs |
- Realized 63% weight reduction (6.2kg→2.3kg) for the CXDI-80C Wireless Digital Radiography System compared to previous wired models through the use of thinner housing (23mm→15mm). Use of a cassette 1/4 the size of previous models enables application for radiography in incubators.
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Promote ultra-compact, lightweight, easy-to-use designs |
| Use low-environmental-impact materials and promote designs with product lifecycles in mind |
- Added product labeling and recycling-conscious double-sided tape as categories for improved Recycling-Conscious Design Guidance.
- Considered switch to low-environmental-impact materials for multifunction devices (MFDs), printers, cameras and toner cartridges in advance of regulation implementation.
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Use low-environmental-impact materials and promote designs with product lifecycles in mind |
| Reduce waste in accessories, packaging materials, etc. |
- Made change to CD-ROM format for manuals of compact digital cameras, digital SLRs, digital video camcorders, etc.; realized reduced paper use; achieved reductions in product weight and size.
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| Handling of hazardous substances in procured goods and legal compliance |
Expand green procurement; enhance environmental data management systems |
- Chemical Integrated Management System (for molded product chemical content) went online in January 2012.
- Began operation of IT system for integrated management of regulatory and compliance status for new products launched after July 2011.
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Expand green procurement; enhance environmental data management systems |
| Instill confidence by strengthening compliance systems |
- Began audit trial practice with industry standards (JEITA Standardized Self-Audit Sheet) for efficient supplier management.
- Installed new analysis device, improved analysis accuracy and expanded range of chemicals handled so as to strengthen Canon's system for analyzing chemical content in procured items.
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Instill confidence by strengthening compliance systems |
| Production |
Reducing CO2 at operational sites |
Reinforce energy-saving production technologies; promote installation of energy-saving equipment |
- Cut energy use on the production line by installing automated toner cartridge assembling equipment incorporating space- and energy-saving performance technology at Canon Precision.
- Energy-conservation measures in place at all chemical product manufacturing sites in Japan to be enacted at sites outside of Japan (United states, China, France), beginning in 2012.
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Reinforce energy-saving production technologies; promote installation of energy-saving equipment |
| Raise efficiency by thoroughly managing energy use |
- Established Electric Power Countermeasure Project Team, began electric power-saving efforts in Japan, and launched the Canon Group Energy Management Committee to reinforce its activities in December.
- Canon Marketing Japan received All Japan “Soumu”(General Affairs) Awards Superiority (cost savings, energy efficiency division) Award for energy efficiency efforts at the Shinagawa Headquarters (S Tower).
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Raise efficiency by thoroughly managing energy use |
| Use energy sources with less environmental impact |
- Improved volume of renewable electricity, purchased and generated by European sites, to 49% (sources: biomass, wind, water, solar, geothermal).
- Switched from kerosene to LNG fuel for some boilers at Canon Precision, realizing CO2 emission reduction equivalent to 300 tons/year.
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Use energy sources with less environmental impact |
| Resource efficiency at operational sites |
Further reduce resource and energy waste through the introduction of Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) |
- Participated in Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry initiative toward MFCA international standardization (issued as “ISO14051 of Material Flow Cost Accounting— General Framework” in September 2011).
- Reduced waste by 103 tons (equivalent to 120 million yen) using MFCA (Target: 100 tons, 100 million yen).
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Improving resource and energy waste reduction through MFCA, production innovations, etc.* |
| Improve the rate of transition to resource recycling and recycling technologies |
- Reduced toner waste by 11% in comparison to 2010 through improvements in toner manufacturing process.
- Developed system for recycling fluorescent materials discarded in the manufacturing process for medical devices, resulting in 63% reduction of waste.
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Improve the rate of transition to resource recycling and recycling technologies |
| Management of hazardous substances and legal compliance |
Strengthen management systems for regulated chemical substances |
- Chemical Integrated Management System (for chemicals used at manufacturing sites) under construction.
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Strengthen management systems for regulated chemical substances |
| Employ preemptive development and use of substitute substances |
- Switched from chemical- to water-based solvents in cleaning process for digital radiography panels, reducing solvent use by about 250 kg.
- Began installing VOC removal equipment at sites outside Japan (reducing VOC emissions at Canon Dalian by approximately 30%).
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Employ preemptive development and use of substitute substances |
| Logistics |
Reducing CO2 during distribution |
Shift to modes of transportation with less environmental impact (modal shift) |
- Promoted modal shift from air to ocean freight, mainly for overseas shipments of consumer goods. Reduced CO2 emissions attributable to air shipping by approximately 220,000 tons.
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Shift to modes of transportation with less environmental impact (modal shift) |
| Reduce waste in transport distances, loading methods and distribution processes |
- Began full-scale direct shipments to India from Asian points of origin, and concentrated distribution centers in port regions so as to reduce transport distances.
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Reduce waste in transport distances, loading methods and distribution processes |
Improving
packaging
processes |
Simplify packaging through improved technologies and product strength |
- Reduced external packaging dimensions for new FINE cartridges by 30% compared to previous product, increasing packing capacity of shipping pallets by about 67% (number per pallet: 1,728→2,880).
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Simplify packaging through improved technologies and product strength |
| Eliminate waste from the packaging process and make it efficient |
- Reduced waste cardboard by approximately 140 tons through the use of returnable transport packaging for products shipped between manufacturing sites (China–Japan).
- Switched to returnable from single-use outer boxes ones for copiers (Japan), and invested in their production at manufacturing sites in China from 2009. Achieved CO2 emissions reduction of 887 tons (9% improvement over 2010), waste reduction of 530 tons (19% improvement over 2010).
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Eliminate waste from the packaging process and make it efficient |
| Use |
Use |
Reducing CO2 during use |
Promote both energy efficiency and convenience through minimized energy consumption in standby mode, ultra-fast startup, etc. |
- Reduced power consumption of PIXMA MG6200 series inkjet printer during printing as well as when power is off or in sleep mode (daily power savings of about 41% compared to previous models).
- Achieved 5W (for 100–120V equipment) power consumption during idling for imagePROGRAF iPF8300S large format inkjet printers through improvement of standby operation circuits.
- Reduced throughput/power ratio approximately 30% in FPA-6300ES6a semiconductor lithography equipment by improving the linear motor efficiency and improving the liquid cooling system.
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Promote both energy efficiency and convenience through minimized energy consumption in standby mode, ultra-fast startup, etc. |
| Minimize energy loss during use through energy-saving technologies |
- Achieved TEC value (2.04kWh) for Satera MF9220Cdn laser printers.
- Adopted high-efficiency linear motor in FPA-5510iV semiconductor lithography equipment, achieving annual energy consumption that is among best in the industry.
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Minimize energy loss during use through energy-saving technologies |
| Providing usage proposals |
Propose equipment settings and usage that balance convenience and environmental performance |
- Equipped four models of inkjet printer with the “ECO settings” function, enabling automatic two-sided printing and auto-power off that can easily be set using the LCD display.
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Propose equipment settings and usages that balance convenience and environmental performance |
| Strengthen the customer/product interface through Eco-Use support technologies, etc. |
- Commercialized the Ecology Information Plug-in, which is management utility software for visualization of CO2 emissions and reduction during use.
- Received Eco-Products Awards Promotion Committee Special Award (Excellence Award for Energy Saving Service ) in the Eco-Services Category for the Ecology Information Plug-in and GREEN NAVI environmentally conscious action support website.
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Strengthen the customer/product interface through Eco-Use support technologies, etc. |
| Improving product value during use |
Promote disclosure of product environmental information |
- GREEN NAVI announced globally at CANON EXPO (2010–2011). Began looking into producing localized content.
- Canon Marketing Japan won the Incentive Prize at Eco-Mark Awards 2010 for GREEN NAVI.
- Added ECO settings information and environmental information, such as CO2 emissions, to inkjet product website.
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Promote disclosure of product environmental information |
| Promote both energy efficiency and improved imaging value |
- Achieved higher resolution (pixel pitch 160µm→125µm) and reduced power consumption (approximately 75% reduction compared to previous models) for the CXDI-80C Wireless Digital Radiography System.
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Promote both energy efficiency and improved imaging value |
| Recycle |
Recycling |
Strengthening recycling systems |
Expand “Collection and Recycle” systems for used products throughout the Canon Group |
- Ink cartridge collection and recycling expanded to 17 countries and regions (as of end April 2012).
- Ink Cartridge Satogaeri (Homecoming) Project conducted by six inkjet printer manufacturers in Japan was awarded the Superiority Prize at the 13th Green Purchasing Network Awards.
- In addition to major post offices, 151 local government offices, including Yokohama city government offices, were added to the sites where Ink Cartridge Satogaeri (Homecoming) Project collection boxes are placed, broadly expanding the total to approximately 1,900 sites (as of end April 2012).
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Expand “Collection and Recycle” systems for used products throughout the Canon Group |
| Improve efficiency by promoting remanufacturing (REM), component reuse, and recycling |
- Started the Centralisation Project to promote reuse of recovered products in Europe, increased reuse volume by 6% year-on-year.
- Increased volume of recycled materials produced by Canon Virginia by approximately 30% year-on-year through improved yield.
- Constructed the parts reuse structure for semiconductor lithography equipment, reused approximately 11 tons of parts.
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Encourage remanufacturing, parts reuse and recycling |
| Improving recycling processes |
Create advanced materials recycling technologies |
- Developed recycled plastic mixing technology that maintains uniformity even when a number of grades of collected plastic with different qualities are mixed, expanding recycling applications.
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Create advanced materials recycling technologies |
| Improve efficiency of disposal processes |
- Established foreign body (such as attached sponges and labels) removal technology for collected copiers.
- Established new technology for cutting the case when breaking down ink cartridges, improving recycling efficiency. To be installed in 2012.
- Installed automatic sorter for the ink cartridge sorting process that recognizes shapes, achieving efficiency in the sorting process.
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Improve efficiency of disposal processes |
