Environmentally Conscious Raw Materials (Produce) | Management of Chemical Substances in Products
Eliminating Designated Chemical Substances from Products
Canon has built a group-wide environmental assurance system for managing chemical substances in products. We have also developed products based on in-house standards that are more stringent than laws and voluntary industry restrictions.
Compliance with the EU RoHS Directive
The EU RoHS Directive* bans the use of mercury, lead, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB and PBDE. Since 1997, Canon has been eliminating designated chemical substances by identifying and controlling the chemicals contained in its products and developing substitute technologies to comply with the EU RoHS Directive and other regulations.
The recast of the EU RoHS Directive published in 2011 contains no changes in terms of restricted substances or concentration values, but does require from 2013 forward that products display the CE mark and certify compliance with RoHS in technical documentation and through a declaration of conformity. In compliance with this recast, Canon is currently establishing an RoHS compliant evidence management scheme while keeping a close watch on trends in European harmonized standards.
- *RoHS Directive
The Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment is an EU directive banning the use of six hazardous substances in products, with the goal of avoiding damage to the environment and people when electrical and electronic equipment is disposed of in landfills or scrapped.
Compliance with REACH
The European Union integrated its laws and regulations for chemical substances into the REACH Regulations* in June 2007. REACH is a law related to the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals, with the three aims of improving human health and conserving the environment, maintaining the competitive power and strengthening the technical innovation of the EU chemical industry, and enabling the free circulation of chemicals in the EU region. This applies to chemicals and chemical substances in articles (parts/components and finished products) that are manufactured in or imported into the EU. The new regulations mandate the registration of chemicals (chemical products) as well as the reporting and provision of data on chemical substances of serious concern in products (SVHC Candidate List).
Compliance with chemical products registration
The registration of chemical products is being implemented in stages based on manufacturing/import volume and toxicity, and we completed our response by the initial registration deadline (November 30, 2010). We will respond appropriately by the next registration deadlines (2013, 2018).
Article notification compliance
For articles, we have to date maintained compliance with the RoHS Directive and other regulations. Since 2008, we have been expanding our investigations to comply with REACH requirements and have begun disclosing information as required.
The notification requirement concerning authorization candidate substances of one ton or more that exceed 0.1% concentration in products went into effect, with an initial deadline set for end of May 2011. We are complying fully with this notification requirement.
Creating an information gathering system for suppliers
73 substances were included in the REACH SVHC Candidate List as of the end of 2011, but regular additions are anticipated. Taking the anticipated expansion of the list into consideration, the electronics industry has created a joint guideline system (Joint Industry Guide: JIG) for efficient information sharing across the supply chain.
In 2012, the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) published the IEC 62474 (material declaration) international standard so as to further develop JIG activities. Taking this development into consideration, henceforth activities based on JIG will be transitioned to activities based on IEC 62474.
Canon is actively participating in such efforts, and revising our Green Procurement Standards appropriately. We will conduct appropriate management of chemical substances in products by taking JIG/IEC 62474 jointly into consideration as a rule.
- *REACH Regulations
The Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) is an EU regulation requiring the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemical substances contained in chemicals and other products.
Canon's Primary Measures to Comply with REACH Regulations
Managing Chemical Substances in Products and Promoting Green Procurement
Canon established its Green Procurement Standards in 1997, and has made compliance with them a condition of business with suppliers since 2003. In order to ensure that suppliers understand and thoroughly comply with these standards, Canon conducts briefing meetings in each region and also explains standards directly to individual suppliers.
Based on the standards, Canon evaluates suppliers from two perspectives; namely, overall environmental activity structure and initiatives, and management of chemical substances in the parts and materials delivered. We are currently strengthening our supply chain management system by including in our evaluation confirmation that our primary suppliers, which are our direct trading partners, are appropriately evaluating the procedures at secondary suppliers in the supply chain.
We then investigate the chemical substances contained in the individual parts and materials actually delivered from suppliers whom we have confirmed, and evaluate those suppliers in terms of whether or not they meet the standards based on chemical data provided by them.
We conduct regular in-house inspections for chemical substances, such as lead, which, while banned by us, are commonly used and might inadvertently contaminate our manufacturing processes.
Two Supplier Evaluation Perspectives
- Overall environmental activity structure and initiatives
- Environmental policy
- Compliance with environmental regulations (air and water quality controls, waste management, etc.)
- Management of chemicals used at plants, etc.
- Management of chemical substances in the parts and materials delivered
- Determines chemical substances contained in the parts and/or materials handled by suppliers
- Prevents contamination by prohibited substances
Green Procurement Standards
Management System for Chemical Substances in Products
Uniform Structure for Control of Chemicals in Products
Canon actively contributes to the standardization of chemical-substance control structures in the industry out of our belief that doing so improves the accuracy and efficiency of chemical substance management.
In 2011, Canon cooperated with the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) in the preparation of the JEITA Standardized Self-Audit Sheet. This sheet provides a common format to be used by companies of which a self-audit has been requested. Canon participated in the study of such items as "matters in question" and "evidence for confirmation and confirmation perspective."
We have incorporated into our Green Procurement Standards management procedures for procurement and processes in line with standardized industry rules and guidelines, with the aim of strengthening management throughout the supply chain.
We will continue to keep abreast of regulatory changes, cooperate in the creation of industry guidelines and with other efforts toward standardization, and also reflect regulatory changes and standardized approaches in our company rules.
Managing Product Environmental Information
Product Environmental Information System
Canon has built a Product Environmental Information System that provides data for planning, development and design, prototype creation, quality assurance, manufacturing, and sales. Available on the Canon Intranet, this system allows all divisions within the Group to share environmental data.
It manages all data pertaining to country/region-specific regulatory requirements in its Regulatory Information Database, which is shared by all divisions through the Regulatory (Eco-Label) IT System and the Product Data Management (PDM) System.
The development and design divisions have introduced 3D CAD systems with the aim of reducing losses incurred during prototype creation. In addition to utilizing support tools that use digital data to evaluate such functions as ease of assembly and disassembly, usability, safety, and drive mechanisms, they also make use of product information from digital mockup reviews (DMR*) and the PDM System,
We also conduct an environmental response evaluation through Product Environment Assessments carried out at three stages in the commercialization process; namely, product planning, prototyping, and quality control.
We then go a step further to manage environmental responses throughout the supply chain by accumulating data about our suppliers through our Supplier Environmental Evaluation System.
This basic environmental data as well as that on chemical content in products and parts are managed by the Product Chemical Management System and the Product Environmental Specification Control System. This linkage makes it possible to share environmental data about products, materials and packaging materials within the Group.
Canon's compliance with regulations such as the WEEE Directive, the RoHS Directive and REACH, as well as our response to eco-labeling worldwide, is based on our Product Chemical Substance Assurance System, which uses the data systems described above.
- *DMR (Digital Mockup Review)
A mockup is a full-sized model of a product created at the development and design stage. In DMR, the mockup is created using 3D digital data to test assembly/disassembly, usability, safety, drive mechanisms and other functions.
Product Environmental Information System
