Konica Minolta aims for 90 per cent circulated resources

Konica Minolta aims to use more than 90 per cent circulated resources for its products by 2050.

The outfit admitted that its previous sustainability targets were “no longer appropriate” and a wider overhaul of its sustainability goals was needed. The managed print giant wants to be net zero in scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2050.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe General Manager Environmental Social Governance, Olaf Jonas said that when Konica Minolta published its EcoVision 2050 in 2009, the targets were in line with what were strict standards for that time.

“However, as the climate crisis exacerbates, these are no longer appropriate,” he said.

Circulated resources comprise recycled materials and biomaterials.

Currently, the 39,000-employee vendor claims its MFPs and production printing systems already use up to 44 and 15 per cent recycled materials and that its toner bottles use up to 61 per cent recycled materials.

The company wants to replace styrene foam for packaging.

Konica Minolta claims it more than halved its Co2 emissions between 2005 and 2021, from 2.07 million tonnes to 790,000 tonnes.

The energy consumption of its printing devices has continuously decreased over the last few years, it added. The reduction in power consumption brought about by the new polymerised Simitri V toner used in its latest MFPs stands at up to 25 per cent, according to the vendor.

Where possible, Konica Minolta said that it is trying to shift transport across Europe from air and road to rail or water. Some 90 per cent of its goods transported from Rotterdam in the Netherlands to its main warehouse centre in Emmerich, Germany, are carried out on the Rhine River with barges, it said.