Communication:Communication with Stakeholders
–Ricoh Global Eco Action 2010–

We launched Ricoh Global Eco Action in 2006 as an annual event held to raise the environmental awareness of Ricoh Group employees. In the event, which is held on a day during the period around the UN's World Environment Day, participants think about and conduct activities for the global environment. For example, the lights at Ricoh facilities and neon signs around the world are turned off, employees leave the office on time, and participating offices, departments, and individuals also take various actions of their choice. Again, in 2010, many employees in each geographical area participated in the event and enjoyed conducting activities with local people. The range and scope of activities conducted in the event have expanded with the participation of not only employees but also their families and friends, customers, neighboring companies, and local governmental agencies.

Participants created a small bio-garden in Shiba Park

Ricoh Head Office
Experiencing biodiversity under Tokyo Tower

In Shiba Park under Tokyo Tower, on May 22, coinciding with the International Day for Biological Diversity, a total of 51 people, including Ricoh Group employees, their families, and friends enjoyed observing nature and creating a small “bio-garden,” which is different from an ordinary garden in that it “pleases living creatures by providing them with habitats,” rather than simply pleasing people with beautiful and fragrant flowers. Participants completed a small bio-garden while learning about the ecology of local plants and insects.

Members of the Hawthorne Football Club

Ricoh Australia
Creating a “power cycle” with a local football team

Ricoh Australia, a Ricoh Group sales company, installed 12 bicycles equipped with a power generation system on the ground of the Hawthorne Football Club, one of its customers, to hold an event on June 3 in which the football players pedaled bicycles to generate electricity. The electricity thus generated was sent to the local power grid to offset the environmental impact of the football club. This environmental event was visited by many customers and by staff from the local TV station.

Students of a designated Eco School

Ricoh (Thailand)
Helping local schools become “eco-schools”

Ricoh (Thailand) (RTH), a Ricoh Group sales company, launched an “eco-school” project jointly with the local government of Prawet, Bangkok and the Thai Department of Environmental Quality Promotion. This project is designed to encourage local students to conduct environmental activities and become more environmentally aware. RTH plans to give support to these activities, targeting 10 schools located in Prawet. Each of the 10 schools formulated an action plan to make their schools “eco-schools” by the end of 2010. In the future, RTH will present awards to the three schools with the best results among the ten.

Ricoh Europe employees participating in the riverside activities

Ricoh Europe London Head Office
Weeding alien plants around the Thames

On June 4, 46 employees of the London head office of Ricoh Europe, which serves as the Ricoh Group’s regional sales headquarters, participated in the 3 Rivers Clean-up activity held by Thames21, an NPO engaged in biodiversity conservation activities in the London suburbs. The activity aimed to recover the habitats for wildlife around the three targeted rivers, and the participating employees weeded alien plants (Himalayan balsams) that were overwhelming indigenous plants at the riversides,  and also cleaned up the rivers themselves.

Recovery of end-of-life home electric appliances

Ricoh France
Recovering home electric appliances to raise employee’s awareness about the European WEEE Directive

Ricoh France, a Ricoh Group sales company, opened a space for the collection of waste home electric appliances within its offices in line with the European WEEE Directive (collection, recovery and recycling targets for electrical and electronic equipment) jointly with a governmental organization called ECOLOGIC. Because the nearest official recovery facilities were 15 km away from the office and opened only during daytime, it was difficult for employees to take waste electrical appliances from their homes to the facilities. Many employees brought their end-of-life dry batteries, home electric appliances, and PCs to the collection space prepared within the office, and a total of 130 kilograms of electric products and 24 kilograms of end-of-life dry batteries were collected. At the collection space, a volunteer dispatched from ECOLOGIC gave explanations to employees about the WEEE Directive and about how to dispose of and recycle electric products in a responsible manner. The waste products were recovered and recycled in an environmentally-conscious manner.

Youngster and artwork in the competition

Ricoh Latin America
Competition for artworks based on environmental themes

Ricoh Latin America, which serves as the Ricoh Group’s regional sales headquarters, held the Leave a Green Impression activity in 2009. The company conducted this activity targeting children in 2010, and held a competition of artworks made by the children on environmental themes. The objects submitted by applicants were displayed in the offices of Ricoh Group sales companies in the Americas, giving great pleasure to everyone who saw them.

An environmental presentation was held for the children

Ricoh El Salvador
Inviting employees’ children to the office to raise their environmental awareness

Ricoh El Salvador, a Ricoh Group sales company, invited the children of employees to the office, where employees wearing costumes of a tree, a water droplet, and a light bulb welcomed them. The employees gave the children a talk on their environmental activities and presented them with bookmarks made from recycled paper. Moreover, a film on the environment was screened to give them an opportunity to think what might happen if the environment were not adequately protected.

Donation ceremony held as part of the event

Ricoh China
Regularly holding a joint event for the promotion of the World Environment Day with the government

Ricoh China (RCN), the Ricoh Group’s regional sales headquarters, held a forum to promote World Environment Day and the creation of a low-carbon society jointly with the local government of Changning, Shanghai City. Many people participated in this fourth annual event, in which RCN donated 300 battery collection boxes to the local government of Changning. In addition, on the day, RCN switched off the neon signs of its facilities, and encouraged employees to leave the company on time and turn off unnecessary lights—at work and at home—and talk about the environment with their families.

Ricoh group advertising towers, signs, offices and other facilities usually lit up at night will be turned off on 4 June^*.

• *Because 5 June (World Environment Day defined by UN) is holiday this year, we would set this day as the Ricoh Group's unity day on business.

Large neon sign advertising towers where lights will be turned off

• *Turning off office and signboard lights of the Ricoh Group is also scheduled.