Environmentally Conscious Products (Use) | Providing Usage Proposals
Distributing Information on Environmentally Conscious Products
In recent years, there has been a growing need in the market for environmental consciousness, which has caused a corresponding surge in enquiries from customers regarding the environmental consciousness of Canon products.
In order to respond to such market demands, we have actively provided information on the environmental aspects of our products on our Web site and through other media.
Canon's endeavors to cut CO2 emissions are classified into three lifecycle stages: Produce, Use and Recycle. Cooperating with customers is indispensable in dealing with reductions in emissions arising during the Use stage. In future, we will also promote collaborative CO2 reduction efforts during the Use stage through these information channels.
Ecology Information Plug-in for "visualization" of office power consumption and CO2 emissions
Canon has created new software called the Ecology Information Plug-in, which allows "visualized" monitoring of the power consumption and CO2 emissions of office-use network devices such as multifuction devices (MFDs) and laser printers. It was launched in Japan and the United States in August 2011.
The Ecology Information Plug-in has been developed as a new function of Canon's imageWARE Enterprise Management Console (iW EMC) network device management utility software. While the existing iW EMC offers features that make it easier for the device controller to manage output and cut costs, there is increasing demand for reduced environmental impact by office network devices.
We developed the Ecology Information Plug-in to meet this need by providing a highly visual and intuitive 3D graphical display showing calculations of power consumption and CO2 emissions based on output data for who, when, and how many copies are being printed as well as operating status, such as "printing" and "sleep mode." This makes waste conspicuous, and contributes to reducing the environmental impact of office operations.
GREEN NAVI, a website supporting environmentally conscious action by our customers
In November 2009, we launched the GREEN NAVI site on our corporate website.
GREEN NAVI supports environmentally conscious action on the part of our customers by introducing products and functions that promote reduced CO2 emissions at offices. One feature of the site is the Energy- and Resource-Conservation Simulator, which allows users to verify the CO2 reduction merits of upgrading to new product models. By making CO2 reduction volumes more apparent, the issues surrounding environmental consciousness become more easily comprehensible to general customers.
In 2010, we added a Home Edition to the Office Edition, which had been in place since we first created the site. The Home Edition introduces efforts to reduce environmental impact throughout the lifecycle of products used in the home. We also added an IT Solutions Version, which introduces IT solutions for balancing environmental consciousness and operational improvements in corporate activities.
We added Simple Simulator and Case Study features to the IT Solution Version in 2011, reflecting new product information in each feature.
We will continue to expand content useful to customers in their efforts to reduce environmental impact, and look into ways of developing it further, such as by providing this information outside Japan through the creation of versions tailored for different regions.
GREEN NAVI
Providing Product Environmental Information
Canon has since 2002 disclosed online quantitative data about the environmental impact of its products throughout their lifecycles through the Eco-Leaf*1 program for Type III Environmental Labeling. In 2011, the Company disclosed one such item, bringing the cumulative disclosure to 82 over nine years.
Moreover, in 2009 we began posting on our Web site a unique product environmental data sheet, entitled GREEN PROFILE, which features listings of each product and model with such information as environmental labeling responses, elimination of hazardous substances, and energy and resource conservation. The information provided is highly practical since this feature was created in response to customer enquiries. In 2011, we provided information on 68 product models in 13 categories, and will continue to expand the range of products and models covered.
In Europe, we have provided environmental information through the IT Eco Declaration (currently called the ECMA370 Standard [TED*2]) since the late 1990s. Disclosure through the common format within an industry makes it simple to compare environmental aspects of products that users are interested in with those of other companies. This merit has encouraged IT Eco's widespread adoption as a marketing tool, notably in Scandinavian countries, for business to business (BtoB) tendering and other transactions.
- *1Eco-Leaf
The eco-label promoted by the Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry (JEMAI). Eco-Leaf uses the lifecycle assessment (LCA) method, and shows the quantitative environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle, from extraction of resources through manufacturing, use, and recycling. - *2TED
The environmental label developed by the European Computer Manufacturers Association (ECMA) for voluntary disclosure of environmental information for products. This label makes it relatively easy to understand the eco-friendliness of products.
GREEN NAVI and Ecology Information Plug-in Win the Power Conservation Superiority Prize at the Eco Products Awards
Canon offers a variety of information services that contribute to customer efforts to reduce environmental impact. Connecting these services results in even greater benefits.
For example, visualizing environmental impact using the Ecology Information Plug-in after installing low-environmental impact network devices selected on GREEN NAVI creates a PDCA cycle for continuous environmental impact reduction at the office.
In recognition of these efforts, Canon received the Eco-Products Awards Promotion Committee Special Award (Power Conservation Superiority Prize) in the Eco-Services Category at the 8th Eco-Products Awards.
This award was given in recognition of "Canon's efforts to offer suggestions and services for reducing environmental impact across the total product lifecycle." This has encouraged us to expand our efforts to reduce environmental impact along with our customers and business partners.
