Inkjet & Digital Printing

Konica Minolta: First laser-based MFPs to receive new Blue Angel Mark

Thursday 08. August 2013 - Major CSR accolades extend Konica Minolta's lead within the industry in terms of environmental friendliness and sustainability. In addition to receiving the new Blue Angel Mark, Konica Minolta products achieve "Gold" status for meeting strict environmental criteria at EPEAT.

With Konica Minolta systems as the first laser-based MFPs in the industry to be awarded a Blue Angel Mark, the company is continuing a long success story. It was already the first company to receive the Blue Angel certification in the copier sector as early as 1992. Additionally, EPEAT, the definitive global registry for greener electronics, has added 14 Konica Minolta bizhub MFPs to its United States product registry, giving them “Gold” status.
The German Blue Angel is one of the most well-known eco-labels worldwide and a reliable guide to environmentally safe purchasing. It is only awarded to products and services which – from a holistic point of view – are of considerable benefit to the environment and, at the same time, meet high standards of serviceability, health and occupational protection. This is guaranteed by the Environmental Label Jury, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, the Federal Environment Agency as well as RAL gGmbH.
The newly revised Blue Angel Mark criteria (RAL-UZ 171) cover changes regarding several parameters, e.g. introduction of a test value for fine and ultrafine particles (UFPs) for devices smaller than 250 litres, tightening of requirements concerning energy calculation and reduced energy consumption limits as well as a change in sleep mode limit. The Konica Minolta MFPs bizhub C224e, C284e, C364e, C454e and C554e all met the high standard set by the new Blue Angel Mark RAL-UZ 171 and are the first laser-based MFPs in the industry to receive this high-ranking eco mark.
Also the US-based EPEAT (Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool) serves as a tool to inform companies, governments and consumers about the environmental impact of electronic products and to purchase greener devices for improved environmental benefits. It assesses the whole life cycle of equipment from design to disposal. To be added to the EPEAT registry, an imaging device must meet at least 33 required environmental performance criteria. Products may achieve higher ratings by meeting additional optional criteria. The number of optional criteria met determines a product’s rating of Bronze, Silver or Gold. With the additions of the 14 Konica Minolta bizhub MFPs to the EPEAT product registry boasting “Gold” status, all Konica Minolta MFPs on the EPEAT registry have now achieved “Silver” level status or higher.
“We are amazingly proud to have received these two outstanding accolades confirming our constant pursuit of excellence as a corporate citizen”, says Benjamin Bossdorf-Zimmer, Team Manager Sustainability Group, International Marketing Division Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe. “And, most important for us, the prestigious awards provide confirmation for our customers that they are using the ‘best of the best’ – also regarding ecological terms.” True to its management philosophy “The Creation of New Value”, Konica Minolta aims to conduct all of its corporate activities in harmony with society and the environment. Regarding ecology for example, Konica Minolta has not only defined ambitious ecological goals in its Eco Vision 2050. It has also broken down these goals into tangible objectives in a medium-term environmental plan 2015 spanning several fields, for example measures to diminish global warming, support a recycling-oriented society, reduce the risk of chemical substances and restore and preserve biodiversity. Just recently, the company has been awarded the RobecoSAM Gold Class Award making it the leading vendor among all MFP manufacturers in terms of sustainability and for the tenth year in a row has been included in the FTSE4Good Global Index by FTSE Group* (FTSE) in the U.K., one of the best-known indices in the world for socially responsible investment (SRI**) communities.