*NEWS*RICOH:NEVER MIND THE TREES………

Ricoh throws down the green gauntlet
Never mind the trees, look at the business case…
Printer
giant Ricoh is the latest company to go to pains to outline the work it
is doing to make its business environmentally friendly, admitting that
for a company in the ‘dead tree business’ that message is even more
vital than for other tech firms.
However, it’s not all good old-fashioned benevolence. The company insists there is business savvy behind its thinking.
The
Japanese company insists being ‘green’ makes good business sense for
itself and its customers, claiming it can keep customers happy by
educating them on energy savings and more efficient use of resources –
such as duplex printing and the use of multifunction devices
(copier/printer/scanner) which have one plug not three. And all Ricoh
kit is Energy Star compliant, so the customer can make further savings
on energy bills.
A spokeswoman for Ricoh said: “A 20 per cent
reduction in energy consumption can have the same effect as a five per
cent increase in sales.”
To that end the company, like a number of
its rivals, claims to have developed all manner of technologies to
shave a few extra Watts off the bottom line, including faster
reactivation from idle or hibernated modes to discourage customers
turning off such energy-saving functionality.
But the company, like
others such as Dell who last week reaffirmed its commitment to
recycling, says it is vital that it does its bit for future
generations, citing 85 per cent of current customers who said
environmental issues affected buying decisions.
To that end, for
every 1,000 pages printed through a Ricoh device the company dedicates
a tree to that customer which is planted to encourage sustainable
growth of natural resources.
Ricoh established an in-house
environmental protection organisation as far back as 1976 and in the
UK, Ricoh has two full-time staff working on environmental protection
policies. In 2004 the company opened a green centre in Wellingborough
where old kit is broken down, parts salvaged and hazardous substances
recycled or made safe.