OEM encourages recycling of printers and toner cartridges as part of environmental solutions.
The Malay Mail reports that Ricoh Malaysia Sdn Bhd plans to maintain its green efforts, claiming that it has adopted the use of green technology for 15 years and “is one of the pioneers of incorporating environmentally friendly solutions to recycle its printers”.
With the company reportedly targeting double-digit growth in 2013, it says that it will continue its efforts to operate a landfill-free business by manufacturing its printers and copiers so that they can be easily dismantled and crushed for recycling, with the OEM producing 292 tonnes of copier machines, 38 tonnes of toner cartridges and bottles and five tonnes of spare parts between 2008 and 2010.
Ricoh Malaysia’s COO, Peter Wee, explained: “This way, we will not fill up the landfills as our technical supporters will collect the printers and copiers from customers and take them to a recycling facility. From that, we are able to make new printers out of the ones we sold.”
As well as used printers and copiers, Ricoh Malaysia also collects empty toner cartridges, paying a recycling centre to recycle them at a cost of around RM 10,000 ($3,300/€2,500) per month.
“Companies need to realise that it’s not all about profit,” Wee said. “While sustaining a business, one must not forget about the environment.”
Wee also said that the company would be expanding its reach by focusing on the SME market this year, with plans to launch ,ore laser jet 10 printers aimed at this market over the next six months: “We introduced our affordable laser jet printers mainly for SMEs in June 2012 and we are confident of our new line of products to reach out to this sector. We initiated this programme because we realise how much the SMEs make up a big portion of the business in Malaysia and we want to cater for them.”