News Release

Canon Toner Cartridge Recycling Program approaches 25 year milestone

TOKYO, December 3, 2014—Canon Inc. and Canon Marketing Japan Inc. today announced that 2015 will mark the 25th anniversary of the introduction of the Canon Toner Cartridge Recycling Program, the goal of which is to achieve zero landfill waste by reusing parts, recycling materials and employing energy recovery. First launched in 1990, the program now carries out collection operations in 26 countries worldwide and, as of the end of December 2013, has collected approximately 320,000 metric tons of used toner cartridges.

First-of-its-kind program now has collection operations in 26 countries

In October 1982, Canon launched the PC-10 and PC-20, the world's first personal copying machines to incorporate replaceable all-in-one toner cartridges. The toner cartridges were then adapted for use in laser beam printers and rapidly gained in popularity amid increases in sales volume. Along with these developments, Canon, as a result of the Company's awareness of such environmental issues as reducing waste and the effective use of resources, and in accordance with its corporate philosophy of kyosei—living and working together for the common good—independently introduced the Toner Cartridge Recycling Program in 1990. The initiative, launched on a global scale by a single company with no cost to customers, marked a watershed moment within the industry.

The return program now operates in 26 countries worldwide, supported by four global recycling bases: Canon Ecology Industry Inc. in Japan; Canon Dalian Business Machines, Inc. in China; Canon Virginia, Inc. in the United States of America; and Canon Bretagne S.A.S. in France.

Achieving closed-loop recycling of plastics

While Canon works to address various environmental issues, resource recycling is one area in which the Company focuses particular attention. Canon toner cartridges make possible closed-loop recycling through a product design that assumes recycling after use, facilitating the reuse of components and the recycling of plastic for new products that realize equivalent levels of quality. As a result, since 2003, all four of Canon's recycling bases continue to carry out resource recovery that does away with landfill waste and, as of the end of December 2013, the Company has reduced the use of new resources by approximately 220,000 metric tons and CO₂ emissions by approximately 480,000 metric tons.

Activities to mark 25th anniversary

On the occasion of the Canon Toner Cartridge Recycling Program's 25th anniversary, next year the Company plans to expand its recycling-themed eco-lesson visits to elementary schools in Japan. Featuring an experiment involving the separation of materials made of plastics and metals, these special lessons will complement science classes taught at the schools, providing insight into the properties of various materials.

Additionally, the same experiment will be presented at the Eco-Products 2014 exhibition in Japan, which will be held from December 11 to 13 at Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International Exhibition Center).

25 years of toner cartridge recycling (1990–2015)

Global recycling bases

• ・Recycling conducted in Japan, North America, Europe and Asia
• ・Promotion of localized recycling, with recycling activities carried out in the region in which products are consumed

Closed-loop recycling

• ・Enables exterior plastic from used cartridges to be recycled for the creation of new cartridges that realize equivalent levels of quality
• ・The semi-permanent utilization of plastic materials contributes to resource recycling

Zero landfill waste recycling

• ・Since 2003, all four global recycling bases have continuously carried out recycling with zero landfill waste. As a result, as of the end of December 2013, the use of new resources has been reduced by approximately 220,000 metric tons while CO₂ emissions have been cut by approximately 480,000 metric tons.
• ・Recycling enables the reuse as materials of more than 80% of collected cartridges
• ・Materials that are difficult to recycle are used as heat sources to reduce use of petroleum resources.