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Promoting employee awareness of environmental issues through environmental education and awareness promotion activities
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In successfully implementing sustainable management, the aggressive promotion of environmental conservation activities by each division is needed, as are statements from top management on the need for perseverance in carrying out such activities. Urging individual employees to become more aware of environmental issues is equally important. Environmental conservation activities may appear to be a corporate responsibility, but employees are the ones who actually conduct the activities. The success or failure of any activity depends upon the extent to which employees understand its importance. The Ricoh Group is promoting employee awareness of environmental issues as well as their behavior in a variety of ways, such as providing environmental education, sharing relevant know-how through IT networks, and supporting the volunteer activities of employees through such means as nurturing environmental volunteer leaders and commending their actions.
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| Sharing Know-How |
| Ricoh established a database in Japanese and English that anybody in Ricoh Group companies all over the world can search or update with the latest environmental information. Sharing the latest information and know-how about environmental conservation activities works very effectively in the Ricoh Group. The Ricoh Group periodically publishes the environmental information journal Eco Today, which contains regional activities and external opinions of people, including those from environmental NPOs. Thus, the Ricoh Group promotes employee environmental awareness from a broad perspective. |
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Ricoh Group's environmental information journal Eco Today |
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| Japan |
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Environmental Education  [Japan]
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The Ricoh Group established an education system for Group companies in Japan to help employees become more environmentally aware professionals. Under this system, a variety of seminars and training sessions are held, including those for new employees, designers, and internal auditors under Ricoh's environmental management system. Furthermore, employees are encouraged to obtain official qualifications as pollution control managers and other positions.
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Environment-Related Seminars and Number of Participants
| Name of Seminar |
FY 1998 |
FY 1999 |
FY 2000 |
FY 2001 |
| Recyclable Dsigns |
18 |
21 |
32 |
13 |
Technologies for the
Environmental Impact
Assessment of Products |
22 |
22 |
26 |
27 |
Environment-Related
Laws and Regulations |
52 |
81 |
66 |
59 |
Environmental
Management System
Standards |
69 |
8 |
30 |
35 |
| LCA |
20 |
46 |
- |
18 |
Chemical Substance Safety/
Compliance with Related Laws
and Regulations (Introductory) |
19 |
29 |
25 |
30 |
Chemical Substance Safety/
Compliance with Related Laws
and Regulations (Advanced) |
18 |
26 |
16 |
29 |
Technologies for Environmental
Conservation at Business Sites |
16 |
- |
10 |
3 |
Environmental Impact
Assessment
at Business Sites |
36 |
- |
13 |
8 |
Total Number
of Participants |
270 |
233 |
218 |
222 |
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The Ricoh Group Environmental Conference [Japan]
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| The Eighth Ricoh Group Environmental Conference |
In December 2001, the people in charge of environmental issues from five regions gathered for the Eighth Ricoh Group Environmental Conference. Ricoh president Masamitsu Sakurai gave a speech on the promotion of sustainable management, and a representative from Sony Corporation, a company that is world renown for its advances in environmental conservation, gave a speech as well. In November 2001, Ricoh Unitechno held its Second Environmental Conference, inviting residents and people from the local government.
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| The Americas |
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The Americas Meeting on the Environment  [The United States] |
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| The Americas meeting on the environment (March 2002) |
Ricoh Corporation (New Jersey) holds regular meetings on the environment for those in charge of environmental issues at Ricoh, Savin, and Lanier. The meetings take place in the form of teleconferences to produce time efficiency and to eliminate the environmental impact of traveling to a particular meeting site. At the March 2002 meeting, presentations were given, including one by Savin on its efforts to promote toner cartridge collection.
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| Europe |
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European Meeting on the Environment
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In February 2002, the European Environment Meeting was held at Ricoh Industrie France with 55 participants from 28 companies in 13 countries. The main agenda included efforts by companies for subsequent developments following ISO 14001 acquisition, seminars on the EU Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) (European regulations for recycling scheduled to be enforced in 2006), and the promotion of the collection and recycling of toner cartridges and other products. Because tens of thousands of recovered machines were marketed throughout Europe in fiscal 2001, the meeting has been handled by personnel in charge of environmental issues as well as marketing directors in charge of developing environment-oriented businesses.
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Ricoh UK Ltd.  [The United Kingdom]
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Ricoh UK distributes its in-house news-letter CHEW to promote employee awareness of environmental conservation, health and safety. As part of its energy conservation practices, the company set up an intranet which enables all employees to know the amount of electric power consumed in their division. In November 2001, the staff in charge of environmental conservation, safety and health gave awareness-promotion presentations to all employees.
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Ricoh France S.A.  [France]
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To promote environmental conservation activities both within and outside the company, Ricoh France has prepared a brochure distributed to all 1,500 employees. By the end of March 2001, 60% of all employees had taken environmental conservation training.
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Ricoh Hungary Kft.  [Hungary]
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| Ricoh Hungary conducted
its own educational program for all 65 employees by
using a handbook issued by the International Environment
Association Hungary Office to cover such general issues
as environmental conservation and office equipment with
less environmental impact. The company is planning to
hold a regular meeting for its customers as well as
its employees. |
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| Asia and Oceania |
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Ricoh New Zealand Ltd.  [New Zealand]
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To improve customer satisfaction, Ricoh New Zealand introduced a coaching system that promotes employee awareness of customer satisfaction.
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