Inkjet & Digital Printing

Ricoh Europe First to Achieve ISO16759 Certification

Friday 13. September 2013 - Carbon calculator receives global standard verification

Ricoh Europe’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of environmental sustainability in print has resulted in it becoming the first organisation to achieve certification of compliance with the new global ISO 16759 standard for “Quantification and communication for calculating the carbon footprint of print media products.” This certification recognises the accuracy of Ricoh’s innovative carbon calculator which has been available through Ricoh’s Carbon Balanced Printing Programme.
Ricoh Europe’s certification was granted by Print and Media Certification Ltd (PMC), the only accredited UK certification body specialising in the paper, print, media and publishing industries. In its work, PMC uses specialist and experienced print auditors, focused on relevant auditing, to improve print processes and add value. “We are proud to have achieved this so quickly after the release of the standard in July of this year, only a few weeks after beginning the certification process.” said Graham Moore, Business Development Director, Ricoh Europe. The Ricoh carbon calculator was designed specifically for the production printing market to help identify ways to reduce the environmental impact of printing, using Ricoh production digital print systems, and to help our customers provide a carbon neutral service. This certification validates that we are on the right track with our Carbon Balanced Printing Programme.”
With the Ricoh carbon calculator, the carbon footprint of each print job is calculated by taking into account the energy, toner and substrate used during the print production process of a particular job. Its calculation also considers service emissions generated by the supply of parts, consumables and service from Ricoh.
With this data in hand, print service providers can work to reduce or optimise emissions where possible before any remaining, unavoidable carbon emissions are offset through carbon credits generated from renewable energy projects that Ricoh sponsor.
Moore states, “Our transparent operation and dedicated approach to making every print production step as sustainable as possible has enabled us to achieve this prestigious verification. It is additional evidence of our longstanding commitment to reduce the environmental impact of our own business practices and those of our customers, while at the same time allowing print service providers to offer a carbon neutral service to their clients. We can also help print service providers understand the far-reaching impact that carbon neutral production can have. This includes introducing savings within their operations as well as winning new business from clients keen to actively embrace a more sustainable approach. There is a wealth of knowledge available through the Carbon Balanced Printing Programme that will help our customers make the
transformation into leaner and greener businesses, and also provide their clients with the assurances of sustainability they are increasingly seeking.”
PMC’s Director Jon Stack adds, “Users of the Ricoh Carbon Balanced Printing Programme and their customers can be sure, as a result of this certification, that the method used for calculating carbon footprints meets this international standard, and has been certified as such by a third party certification body specialising in print. This will enable customers to assess environmental impact from printed products, not just on a one off basis, but over time, and in comparison with other products.”