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The Ricoh Group regards suppliers as green partners and strives to reduce the environmental impact of all business activities, including those conducted by its partners, by supporting the establishment of EMS at its suppliers' places of business and jointly developing materials that have less environmental impact. Accordingly, the Ricoh Group aims to successfully carry out environmental management along with total cost reduction.
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Supporting Suppliers |
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The Ricoh Group issued its Green Procurement Guidelines in 1998. It asked suppliers to cooperate by either following the conditions laid out in the guidelines or by acquiring ISO 14001 certification. Rather than merely asking to observe its guidelines, Ricoh sends its internal auditors to suppliers to give advice and inspections free of charge. To spread the concept of green procurement globally, the guidelines were translated into English, French, and Chinese. Furthermore, business sites located in the United States, France, the U.K., and China give support to their suppliers in the same way as those in Japan do. |
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The Ricoh Group's Green Procurement Audit Guidelines (left, issued December 2000) and Green Procurement Guidelines (revised December 2000) |
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Sharing Technologies with Suppliers |
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To achieve more efficient environmental activities, it is important to share information and know-how with its suppliers. Ricoh shares its technologies with its suppliers through its Green Procurement News as well as through seminars that focus on such topics as zero waste plants and energy conservation production lines. Thanks to such sharing, many Ricoh's suppliers3 are developing their own activities aimed at cost reduction and minimum environmental impact. |
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The 5th Green Procurement seminar held in February 2001
to share technologies with suppliers |
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Reducing Chemical Substances in Materials |
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Aiming to reduce the environmental impact of chemical substances, Ricoh is working with its suppliers to develop a joint system to eliminate the use of PVC, lead, hexa-valent chromium, and PVC-coated wiring. The Company is also doing its best to successfully adopt lead-free solder and chromium-free steel plates for its products. Ricoh first began restricting the use of the above-mentioned chemical substances with its Aficio 1022/1027 (imagio Neo 220/270 marketed in June 2001) and continues its drive toward eliminating them in most of the newly designed parts for these product lines. |
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Green Procurement of Office Consumables and Supplies |
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Ricoh's eight business sites, which are all located in metropolitan areas, and three production sites drafted a “green procurement list” for office automation (OA) equipment, office supplies, stationery, sales promotion giveaways, and gifts. They promote efficient green procurement activities with the use of a computerized ordering system they established. Ricoh is planning to adopt this system nationwide. Ricoh Unitechno established a Green Supplies section that is connected online to suppliers. Ricoh Unitechno's inventory is automatically checked and restocked when needed, thereby eliminating the need to fill out order forms that waste paper. |
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Green Supplies section at Ricoh Unitechno |
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Copyright (C) 1999-2002 RICOH Co.,Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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