Seiko Epson Corporation

1. Mercury no longer used due to the use of LEDs as light sources in scanners and in LCD panels for inkjet multifunction printers

At Epson, we are moving forward with efforts to replace the cold cathode fluorescent lamps used as conventional light sources in scanners and LCD panels with LEDs (light-emitting diodes). As part of these efforts to promote non-mercury light sources, all inkjet multifunction printers launched in 2008 utilize LED light sources. These efforts will make it easier to perform appropriate disposal procedures at the end of a product's life.

2. Measures for meeting the RoHS Directive

Epson have made compatibility with the European RoHS directive* a standard feature of our entire line of products throughout the world, regardless of whether a particular product is bound for the European market.

* The European RoHS Directive restricts the use of the following 6 hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment: lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE)

3. Actions for REACH compliance

Epson has been complying with the requirements of REACH (the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals), a European Community regulation that entered into force last year. Under REACH, enterprises that manufacture or import more than one ton of a chemical substance per year are required to register it in a central database. For ten or more tons a chemical safety report must be prepared. We worked with our suppliers last year to register materials used in our inks, toners and ribbons. Reporting on articles is in the offing for 2011, requiring additional preparations. Epson Imaging Devices Corp. (Nagano, Japan) got off to an early start and has achieved nearly 100% compliance in its device operations. The company will need to continue to engage suppliers in information exchanges to stay on top of REACH requirements. The REACH legislation is indicative of the trend toward requiring the management, tracking and control of all materials, including chemicals and other substances, throughout their life cycles. Epson recognizes this trend and is staying positioned to respond.

4. Preventing the commingling of harmful substances

To prevent the commingling of harmful substances into product and to maintain product quality, Epson checks its own internal systems and surveys its suppliers in addition to collecting chemical substance data from suppliers. A full-time staff of about 800 professionals across Asia survey manufacturing sites in their respective regions, perform sampling inspections of delivered production materials, and take similar steps to ensure that materials have not been contaminated through commingling. As of April 2008, we have verified the systems of some 2,000 companies in our supplier base.