Environmental Activities > Collection & Recycle > Building Recycling Systems Around the World

The WEEE Directive went into effect in the EU in February 2003. EU countries are establishing and implementing laws to comply with the directive, and are building the infrastructure to collect, reuse, and recycle used equipment.

To fulfill extended producer responsibility in such situations, Canon has been working to meet the WEEE Directive through efforts that include labeling products to be collected separately and providing users with the necessary information. Under the management of the European sales headquarters, national sales companies that cover 25 EU countries are participating in national recycling consortiums or creating their own recycling schemes for commercial and consumer products. These companies register themselves as producers in accordance with national laws, and share collection and recycling system costs. As of March 2006, sales companies in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland have completed their systems for recycling.

In Japan, Canon Marketing Japan handles most of the collection and recycling of used copiers and business machines. Our operational sites in Japan are fully equipped to implement the 3Rs and have begun operating as a model region for Canon worldwide. We are also looking into building Pan-Asian and other recycling schemes.

Canon Australia Pty. Ltd. has begun outsourcing the disassembly and recycling of collected machines. In North America, a program to collect consumer products was implemented in March 2005.