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Ricoh Group Sustainability Report 2013 64
Use of renewable resources
Metal-catalyst-free polymerization of PLA
at low temperature
In 2012, with the cooperation of Shizuoka University,
Ricoh developed technology that makes possible
the polymerization*4 of polylactic acid (PLA) at
low temperatures without the use of a metal
catalyst. Through the use of this technology, PLA
— a bioplastic compound made from biomass
(plant-derived) materials — can be produced using
hyperbaric CO2 or supercritical*5 carbon dioxide and
organic molecule catalysts. As this does not require
the use of organic solvents or metal catalysts, PLA
can be manufactured in a safe, high-quality and
low-cost way. Since its
uses are not limited to
imaging equipment,
this new technology is
expected to spur the use
of biomass resources in a
wide variety of products.
Use of renewable resources
Biomass toner
Ricoh has been working for several years on
biomass*6 toner, which uses recyclable, plant-
based resin as a primary material in the toner
for multifunctional copiers. In November 2009,
Ricoh released the world’s first MFP equipped
with biomass toner — the “for E toner” — with a
biomass content of 25%. Creation of the biomass
toner involved the development of a new plant-
based resin, since unlike conventional plant-based
resins used for plastic parts, the resin used for toners
must have excellent chargeability and fluidity as well
as low-temperature fixing and heat resistance.
*2 Recycling rate: 99.5%
*3฀ ฀The฀British฀Standards
Institution
*4 Polymerization is the process
whereby two or more
small-molecule chemical
compounds (whether of the
same type or different types)
are bonded chemically to
form a single high molecule-
weight compound.
*5 Supercritical refers to a
state where a material is
held at or above its critical
temperature and pressure.
It is difficult to determine
the state of a supercritical
material, whether gas or
liquid, as such materials can
be diffused like a gas and
dissolved like a liquid.
*6฀ ฀Biomass฀resources฀are฀
organic resources that are
biologically reproducible,
excluding fossil resources.
Reuse of products and parts
Marketing recycled products in Japan
Resource conservation and recycling has been one
of Ricoh’s key missions since the early 1990s, and
that includes recycling MFPs, laser printers, toner
cartridges and supplies. More than 200,000 used
Ricoh products are collected each year and fully
recycled*2 or reused.
Since the release of our first recycled copier in
1997, Ricoh has expanded its lineup of pre-owned
machines. We have now taken the industry lead
in offering recycled machines, including 17 models
from 9 series of copiers, with output ranging from
28 to 50 pages per minute in color and from 25 to
75 pages in monochrome.
Now we are taking our reuse business to
countries and regions outside of Japan.
Reuse of products and parts
GreenLine: sustainable printing systems in
Europe
Ricoh Europe PLC (RE), the European sales
headquarters, has long collected and recycled
products to be distributed again. Currently RE offers
its customers the GreenLine series, whereby MFPs
are collected, selected, and renewed according
to a common standard, before being placed with
customers again.
RE sets a quality standard for recycled products
that is the same level as that of the same product
model currently out on the market, and carefully
checks the quality of each component. New operating
software ensures that GreenLine devices are right up
to date. Products that are confirmed to have met the
quality standard are certified with the GreenLine label
before being shipped out.
The GreenLine recycling process has been audited
and certified by the global business standards company
BSI*3, which confirms the reliability of the process.
This effort is highly rated as a best practice for
sustainable businesses, as reported by the consulting
firm McKinsey & Company in its “Towards the Circular
Economy” report published by the Ellen MacArthur
Foundation.
Polylactic acid made through
the use of Ricoh technology.
Biomass toner
Petroleum
resources
Biomass resources
like plants
Recycling
Toner collected by
de-inking
 Industrial waste
Combustion
(Thermal recyling)
Combustion
Thermal
recycling
Recycled
paper
CO2
Just buried or burned
CO
2
absorbed
H
2
OCO
2
Only paper is recycled
Photo synthesis
➤฀WEB฀Resource conservation / recycling
:
www.ricoh.com/environment/product/resource/
Overview Action Data & Profile
Environmental Conservation
ISO26000 : •฀The฀environment฀฀•฀Consumer฀issues฀฀•฀Community฀development