Initiatives by the two companies are making an environmental difference.
Above: Epson was the recipient of the Director-General’s Award from the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy.
The Energy Conservation Center (ECC) in Japan annually recognizes outstanding energy conservation promotion, products, and business models that excel in energy efficiency and CO2 reduction from companies, local governments, and educational institutions. The recognition is endorsed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and is known as the “Energy Conservation Grand Prize.”
The 2023 Energy Conservation Grand Prize was awarded to Ricoh’s Numazu Plant, which received the METI Award for contributing to energy conservation by promoting energy’s 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) utilizing digital data. Additionally, Epson was awarded the Director-General’s Award of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) for contributing to energy conservation by developing and marketing an energy-efficient, resource-saving line of inkjet multifunction printers. Furthermore, Ricoh also received the Energy Conservation Center Chairman’s Award for its development and marketing of an energy and resource-saving full-color multifunction printer, contributing to energy conservation. The award ceremony was held on January 31.
The Ricoh Numazu site was the winner of the Economy, Trade and Industry Award.
Ricoh’s Numazu Plant was awarded the METI Award, aligning with the company’s ambitious goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its entire value chain by 2050 as part of its commitment to a decarbonized society. The Numazu factory has set an advanced target to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2036 to contribute early to this societal shift. Toward this goal, the site is redoubling its efforts in visualizing CO2 emissions and analyzing wasted energy across the entire facility.
Utilizing an “Energy Waste Map,” which organizes production process locations and CO2 emissions, the site is implementing unique energy-saving activities centered around the 3Rs of Energy. These initiatives have led to significant energy savings in the polymer toner process through the adoption of noncombustible VOC (volatile organic compound) treatment, the introduction of mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) for reusing wasted energy, and further enhancements such as high-pressure processing. Specifically, by employing “reduce,” the site has implemented a solvent recovery system and noncombustible exhaust gas treatment. For “reuse,” it has established technology for reusing wasted energy within its systems. With “recycle,” it has achieved energy recovery from wasted energy using heat pumps, collectively saving over 1,000kL of energy annually.
Additionally, over 130 energy-saving initiatives at the Numazu Plant, including production line consolidation and compressed air measures, have been recognized for achieving an energy savings of 5,211kL, which corresponds to 23% of the site’s total energy usage.
The Director-General’s Award
Epson received the Director-General’s Award from ANRE for its achievements in energy efficiency with its office multifunction printers. In the market, printers with a print capability of 30–59 pages per minute represent a significant volume of machines, and typically, laser technology, which requires substantial energy due to thermal fixing, dominates this segment. However, Epson challenged this norm by introducing the LM-C6000 series in February 2023, which utilizes heat-free inkjet technology and advanced PrecisionCore print head technology, enabling high-speed, high-quality line inkjet printing without the need for heat.
The LM-C6000 series significantly reduces power consumption during sleep and operation modes, thanks to its new circuit unit. Specifically, the LM-C6000 model, which is capable of printing 60 pages per minute, achieved a TEC (typical electricity consumption) value of 0.25kWh, marking a 39% reduction compared to previous models and reaching an energy efficiency standard achievement rate of 437%. Furthermore, adopting a new line head with increased nozzle density and a compact design optimizing the paper transport path led to a 35% reduction in installation area compared to conventional models. These innovations and their contributions to energy efficiency were highly recognized, earning Epson this prestigious award.
The Energy Conservation Center Chairman’s Award
Ricoh was awarded the Energy Conservation Center Chairman’s Award for its development and launch of the A3 full-color multifunction printer, the RICOH IM C6010 series, in February 2023. This product line is a testament to Ricoh’s commitment to contributing to customers’ environmental management and preserving the global environment by pursuing energy and resource conservation. The company has considered energy reduction throughout the entire lifecycle of the product, from manufacturing to disposal/recycling, resulting in a 27% reduction in the carbon footprint (a measure of the total CO2 emissions equivalent over the product’s lifecycle) compared to its predecessor.
Particularly noteworthy is the TEC achieved the IM C61010 series by adopting newly developed low-melting-point toner and energy-saving control microcontrollers.
Ricoh has made significant strides in sustainable material usage. The utilization rate of recycled plastics in the RICOH IM C6010 series exceeds 50%, incorporating commercially collected materials such as plastic packaging containers and plastics from electronic products as raw materials for multifunction printers. Additionally, by using paper-based packaging materials derived from recycled paper and reducing the use of polystyrene foam, Ricoh has achieved a substantial reduction of about 54% in the amount of plastic used in packaging materials compared to traditional methods. These comprehensive efforts in energy and resource conservation have been duly recognized with the Energy Conservation Center Chairman’s Award.
