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.
Eliminating and Replacing Designated Chemical Substances
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.
Exceptions are made in the EU RoHS Directive for special, indispensable uses for which there are no substitute methods, but these usage exceptions were revised in 2010, narrowing their scope and establishing deadlines for these exceptions. Canon has been making progress in switching to non-toxic parts and materials in consideration of the trend in laws and regulations concerning the chemicals contained in products, and we are also working to respond to the revisions of the usage exceptions in advance of their implementation.
- *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 EU 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 conservation of the environment, maintaining the competitive power and strengthening the technical innovation of the EU chemical industry, and 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 concerning chemical substances of serious concern in products (SVHC Candidate List).
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 and subsequent resistration deadlines (2013, 2018).
For articles, we already comply with the RoHS Directive and other regulations thus far. Since 2008, we have been expanding our investigations to comply with REACH requirements and we have begun disclosing information as required.
A total of 46 substances were included in the SVHC Candidate list as at February 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, and Canon has proactively participated in this effort. Canon has also appropriately revised our Green Procurement Standards taking the JIG into consideration. We will continue to implement appropriate management of the chemical substances contained in products in accordance with the JIG.
- *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
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 our suppliers since 2003. In order to ensure that suppliers understand and thoroughly comply with these standards, Canon conducts briefing meetings as well as explaining standards directly to individual suppliers.
Based on the standards, Canon evaluates suppliers from the perspective both of overall environmental activity process and initiatives and the management of chemical substances in the parts and materials delivered. We also expect the procedures of the primary suppliers, our trading partners, to include evaluation of the procedures at secondary suppliers in the supply chain.
Furthermore, in 2009 we strengthened our supply chain management by creating a category in the primary supplier evaluation for confirmation by secondary suppliers of structures at tertiary suppliers.
In addition to monitoring the management systems implemented by suppliers, we investigate the chemical substances contained in actual individual deliveries of parts and materials. Canon then evaluates suppliers in terms of meeting its standards based on chemical data provided by suppliers.
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.
Green Procurement Standards
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.
- The 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 prohibited substances
Management System for Chemical Substances in Products
Uniform Structure for Controll of Chemicals in Products
Canon took the lead in inaugurating the Japan Green Procurement Survey Standardization Initiative (JGPSSI) because we believe that the standardization of chemical substance control structures in the industry will result in improved accuracy and efficiency of chemical substance management.
The JGPSSI worked with industry groups in the US and Europe to create the Joint Industry Guideline concerning disclosure of chemical substance content information. It has also published the Guidelines for the Management of Chemical Substances in Products, which stipulates the chemical substance control structures to be implemented by suppliers.
Canon is working with like-minded electrical and electronic equipment manufacturers to encourage the expanded use of these guidelines. Canon has incorporated various structures for managing procurement and processes into its Green Procurement Standards, with the aim of strengthening management throughout the supply chain.
In the future, we will continue to monitor legislative changes in real time and strive to reflect these trends in our guidelines and to incorporate amendments to guidelines in our in-house rules.
JOINT INDUSTRY GUIDE
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 system. Available on the Canon Intranet, this system allows all divisions within the Group to share environmental data.
This system manages all data pertaining to country/region-specific regulatory requirements in its Regulatory Information Database 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 3-D CAD systems and support tools using digital data, as well as product information from digital mockup reviews (DMR*) and the PDM System, to evaluate functions such as ease of assembly and disassembly, usability, safety and drive mechanisms. The goal of these systems is development that reduces the losses incurred during prototype creation.
We also conduct an environmental response evaluation through our Product Environment Evaluation at three stages (product planning, prototype 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 and the data 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
