Epson has extended its Collect&Recycle initiative to include postal return of inkjet printer cartridges. This programme aims to provide home users and small businesses with an easy, free solution to return their empty inkjet cartridges for recycling.  The Epson Collect&Recycle initiative has been running in Europe since February 2006, until now focusing on laser printer cartridges. 100% of the cartridges collected through the scheme are recycled: their plastic components are re-used in manufacturing and construction as raw materials, while metal parts are smelted and re-used in other industrial applications.

Epson UK Press Release

Epson® launches postal Collect&Recycle programme for inkjet cartridges

Recycling option now available for all Epson printer cartridges

20th October 2008 – Epson, the leading manufacturer of printers, LCD projectors and other imaging products, is extending its Collect&Recycle initiative in accordance with its environmental vision goals.  By adding a postal return programme for inkjet printer cartridges Epson now offers recycling opportunities for all of its printer cartridges to all types of customers; ranging from large business to home users.  This programme aims to provide home users and small businesses with an easy, free solution to return their empty inkjet cartridges for recycling.

The Epson Collect&Recycle initiative has been running in Europe since February 2006 and forms an important part of the company’s Environmental Vision 2050. Until now the initiative has focused on laser printer cartridges, however, both today’s announcement and a similar expansion of the service in September to include Large Format Printer cartridges are testament to the momentum that the recycling scheme has gathered.

100% of the cartridges collected through the scheme are recycled: their plastic components are re-used in manufacturing and construction as raw materials, while metal parts are smelted and re-used in other industrial applications.

Eelco Smit, Epson’s Environmental Affairs Manager said “We are working hard to reduce the environmental impact of all of our products and operations.  A key element of this is a reduction in the number of ink cartridges that end up in landfill.  Extending our free, convenient and high-quality collection and recycling programme to inkjet printers is a big step forward.”

Epson is again working with Cycleon, a pan-European reverse logistics provider and partner since 2007, to provide consumers with a postal return option for their empty inkjet cartridges.  Having registered online (www.epson.com/recycle) for the ‘Consumer inkjet Collect&Recycle programme,’ customers can request a return kit, containing an instruction leaflet and pre-paid leak proof envelopes.  Customers with high volumes of empty inkjet cartridges can continue to make use of the Epson Express Centres throughout Europe where they can deposit the cartridges in collection boxes.

The new postal scheme will specifically target home users and small businesses by providing them with the option to return single inkjet cartridges.  It is now available in most Western and Northern European countries and plans are being put in place to extend the service to other European countries. 

About Epson’s Environmental Vision 2050
Epson’s ambitious “Environmental Vision 2050”, sets out a road map of initiatives by which the company hopes to tackle global warming, worldwide resource depletion and biodiversity loss.

The company has set four key conditions in order to work towards achieving “Environmental Vision 2050”:

1) Reduction of CO2 emissions by 90% across the entire product life cycle.
2) Inclusion of all products in the resource reuse and recycling loop.
3) Reduction of direct CO2 emissions by 90%, and elimination of global warming gas emissions other than CO2.
4) Restoration and preservation of biodiversity as a member of the ecosystem, together with local communities.

Epson believes that reaching these goals will require a collaborative effort, and has challenged all stakeholders and competitors to help meet the 2050 targets.

For Further Information see:

Seiko Epson Corporation:
http://www.epson.co.jp/e/company/company_index.htm

Corporate Profile:
http://www.epson.co.jp/e/company/pdf/epson2008.pdf

Sustainability Report:
http://www.epson.co.jp/e/community/sr/2008/pdf/2008_en_sr.pdf

Collect and Recycle:         
http://content.epson-europe.com/environment/collectandrecycle/

Visit us at www.epson.co.uk

About the Epson Group
Epson is a global leader in imaging products including printers, 3LCD projectors and small- and medium-sized LCDs. With an innovative and creative culture, Epson is dedicated to exceeding the vision and expectations of customers worldwide with products known for their superior quality, functionality, compactness and energy efficiency.

Epson is a network of 88,925 employees in 109 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and to the communities in which it is located. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corp., the Group had consolidated sales of 1,347 billion yen in fiscal 2007.

About Epson Europe
Epson Europe B.V., based in Amsterdam, is the Group’s regional headquarters for Europe, Middle-East, Russia and Africa. With a workforce of 2,400 employees, Epson Europe’s sales for fiscal year 2007 were 1,854 million Euros.

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