Epson is keenly aware that our global operations are closely connected with the environment worldwide, and could impact the environment in a variety of ways. Although not publically well known, since years Epson makes a great effort to advance eco activities, through environmental management, the manufacturing of eco-products, and innovation of environmentally responsible production processes based on integrated global objectives and standards. Through these activities Epson works hard to achieve co-existence of the environment and economy, and the creation of a sustainable economy through good environmental management. To integrate its efforts, Epson shares the standards and objectives with all its sites throughout the world. Already in the 1970s Epson introduced a closed system for harmful substances in wastewater processing. In 1988 Epson was the first company to introduce a policy on CFC-free products of which the full elimination of specific CFC’s from products was completely eliminated in 1993. This lead to a general Epson policy on environment in 1994, and revised again in 1999, which is based on our Environmental Philosophy, developed to further enhance the conservation efforts of Epson worldwide. The Philosophy states that Epson will integrate environmental considerations into its corporate activities and “actively strive to meet high conservation standards in fulfilling its responsibilities as a good corporate citizen”.

There are five major activities that are pursued in keeping up with this Philosophy:

• Creating and providing earth-friendly products
• Transforming all processes to reduce the burden on the environment
• Recovering and recycling used products
• Sharing of environmental information and contributing to regional and international preservation efforts
• Continually improving the environmental management system

Linked to the Environmental Philosophy is the Environmental Management System, which covers all stages of a product’s lifecycle. Moreover, an efforts is being made to quantify environmental conservation costs and effectiveness through environmental accounting. This is done to monitor overall activities and to incorporate findings into the future activities. The Environmental Management System has three axes, which have a clear link to the activities of the Environmental Philosophy:

• Creation and providing earth-friendly products: to ensure that our products are increasingly earth-friendly Epson is using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method to quantify the environmental burden of a product through its lifecycle. Besides, Epson integrates energy-saving designs, resource savings and elimination of hazardous substances into the product cycle, from planning, development and design to procurement of materials and parts.
• Creation of products that impose less burden on the environment: minimizing environmental burdens such as energy use, wastes and chemical substances. At the plants that produce the products there is stringent management of the risks associated with plant management and constantly monitor plants’  impact on air, water and soil.
• Promotion of product recovery/recycling: Epson is building the most suitable recovery/recycling systems for each country and region in which the company operates, ahead of enactment of local legislation.

In order for the environmental management program to be effective disclosure of information and communicating with stakeholders through annual reports and other media are additional important components of Epson’s environmental management process.

 

Contact us

If you need to get in touch with your local PR contact in one of the participating countries, please find the respective details in the press release. For general PR matters, please contact Andrea Koepfer.

Andrea Koepfer
Manager Corporate PR & Sponsoring EMEAR
Epson Europe B.V.
Entrada 701
1096 EJ Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 314 5469
Fax: +31 (0)20 314 5669
Mobile: +49 (1)75 5841007
email: andrea_koepfer@epson-europe.com