Environmental product development lifecycle
Product Environmental Information
Consumers have become more environmentally conscious in recent years. Energy consumption and the ease of disassembling products into recyclable components have joined basic performance and design as criteria for choosing which product to buy. To appeal to these customer needs, we use various media to provide environmental information so that consumers can appreciate Epson products' environmental performance.
- Compliance with environmental labels
- "Product Information Sheet" for printer consumables
- Brochures/feature articles on product environmental performance
- Environmentally conscious products best practices
Compliance with environmental labels
An environmental label is a tool for making environmental declarations and providing other information about a product’s environmental features or performance. The requirements for environmental labels are prescribed by various groups, including the International Standards Organization (ISO). The ISO defines the three types of environmental labels described below.
- Type I label
Indicates that the product has met the criteria set by a certified third-party organization - Type II label
A “self-declaration” label that indicates a company volunteers environmental information about its products
(Epson’s ecology profiles and eco labels fall under the Type II category.) - Type III label
Indicates that the environmental effects of a product throughout its life cycle - from raw material procurement through manufacturing, transport, use, disposal, and recycling - are analyzed using LCA methodology and that the results of such analyses are published as quantitative data. The accuracy and reliability of the claimed data must be verified before being made public.
Epson is taking steps to comply with the labeling requirements in major countries around the world (Table 1).
Eco Labels Acquired in Different Product Categories
*1 Information on Type II Environmental Labeling Program can be found here.
*2 The International Energy Star Program is also being implemented by Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan.
Also, with the two objectives of "continuously improving environmental-conscious products" and "publicly disclosing product environmental information," Epson utilizes the "Epson Ecology Label Program" Type II environmental label, which targets all products offered by the company.
Information on Epson Ecology Label Program can be found here.
For more on environmental labeling and environmental information on Epson products, please contact an Epson sales company in the country or region in which you live.
"Product Information Sheet" for printer consumables
To enable customers to safely and properly use Epson products, including consumable printer supplies (ink cartridges, ET cartridges, ribbon cartridges, etc.), Epson provides "Product Information Sheets," which describe a product's chemical content as well as how to operate, handle, and store the product.
Environmentally conscious products best practices
- Energy-saving design best practices
- Resource-saving best practices
- Efforts aimed at eliminating hazardous substances
- Efforts for special printer paper
- Case examples of global warming impact reductions in a product's life cycle
At Epson, we know that planning for the future requires a strong commitment to the environment. That is why we strive to create innovative products that are reliable, recyclable, and energy efficient.
Better products that use fewer resources help ensure a better future for us all.