Environmentally Conscious Products (Use) | Reducing CO2 during Use
Energy Conservation during Use
Canon has targets for energy efficiency that place it at the top of its industry in each product group, including copying machines, printers and cameras.
Sales volumes were lower in 2011 due to the effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the floods in Thailand, and thereforeCO2 emissions attributable to use by customers were lower at 1.445 million tons (compared to 1.871 million in 2010), a year-on-year decrease of approximately 23%.
Applying Energy-Efficient Technologies to a Broader Product Range
Canon uses energy-efficient technologies, such as induction heating (IH) and on-demand fixing, to significantly reduce warm-up times in copying machines, multifunction devices (MFDs) and laser printers. We have expanded the application of these technologies to high-speed and color machines, achieving better energy efficiency across our entire range of products.
Benefits of Canon's Proprietary Energy-Efficient Technologies
Most of the environmental impact during the lifecycle of digital MFDs occurs in the materials/parts production and product-use stages.
Taking this into consideration, Canon has improved the energy efficiency of its digital MFDs through proprietary technologies, such as IH and on-demand fixing.
Through the use of these technologies, we estimate that CO2 emissions have been reduced by approximately 11.9 million tons, saving consumers ¥377 billion in electricity costs during the eight-year period between 2004 and 2011.
Benefits of Canon's Proprietary Energy-Efficient Technologies in Office Equipment
Energy Conservation Technology in Multifunction Inkjet Printers
Energy-Efficient Product Design
Response to the ErP Directive
The ErP* Directive is a piece of environmental legislation passed in the European Union requiring that eco-design concepts be incorporated by companies in their product development.
Requirements of the ErP Directive that affect Canon products include implementation of measures to regulate off-mode and standby power consumption for electrical equipment, and energy conservation for external power sources. Canon designs its products in conformance with these requirements.
The second stage of regulations governing energy conservation for external power sources went into effect in 2011. Canon products were made fully compliant by the effective date.
Since the ErP Directive went into effect in November 2009, the scope of regulatory control has been extended to include design management, in addition to products themselves, with calls for the incorporation of eco-design into the environmental management structure, and assessment and disclosure of results regarding environmental impact throughout a product's lifecycle.
Canon is stepping up its promotion of energy-efficient design and optimizing its Product Assessment Program and Product Environmental Information System in an aggressive bid to conform to ErP Directive stipulations.
- *ErP
The Directive on Energy-related Products requires the introduction of eco-design that considers a product's entire lifecycle. It extends the scope of the EuP Directive, which targeted the actual energy consumption of products, to include products that influence energy consumption, such as windows, thermal insulation materials and water-saving valves.
