Consumables

Japan Packaging Contest 2012 Ricoh Wins Logistics Award for Reuse packaging for large copy machine units

Monday 05. November 2012 - Ricoh Company, Ltd. (President and CEO: Shiro Kondo) has won the Logistics Award for technical packaging with the reuse packaging for large copy machine units at the Japan Packaging Contest 2012 sponsored by the Japan Packaging Institute.

This year’s contest, the 34th since 1967, aims to promote the development and spread of high-quality packaging and techniques. The best packaging submissions are selected by experts based on the screening criteria below. Of the 320 applicants this year, 13 items were selected for the Japan Star award, 37 won awards for technical packaging, and 66 items won awards for the packaging category.
Screening criteria:
1. Appropriate packaging; 2. Environmental compatibility; 3. Conservation/safety; 4. Economic efficiency; 5. Ability to inform; 6. Safety; 7. Functionality;?8. Creativity; 9. Suitability for manufacturing and distribution; 10. Accessible design; 11. Visual impact.
The reuse packaging for large copy machine units for which Ricoh received an award this time was designed on the assumption that a used unit will be sent back to a recovery plant when a customer replaces it (*1) or that packaging materials will be used repeatedly. The packaging method is a result of pursuing features such as ease of packaging for customers, shock resistance and durability. Also, when the copier and its units are delivered together at the time of initial installation, the packaging size of 7 types of units integrated in 2 patterns enables one to make compact packaging and increase delivery efficiency, and save storage space for packaging materials at customer sites.
“The following item received an award; “A vacuum formed(*2) tray adapted to re-circulated units that makes for easy customer packaging return along with keeping quality of delivery (comment by the Japan Packaging Institute).”
(*1) When an alert sign goes off to indicate that a unit is ready for replacement after normal wear and tear, our Company’s customer engineer in charge of maintenance services will replace the unit and collect the used one. There are instances in Europe and the Americas where customers are inconvenienced because they are not able to use their copier for a long time. This is because it could take two to three hours for our engineer to arrive for a service call depending on the customer’s location or the type of contract. To shorten this down time, we started a practice of having our customers replace/return units in the US this summer. The packaging materials that were developed for this new operation won the award.
(*2) Vacuum formed:a method of production by vacuuming up with mold the heated and softened plate of plastic resin
Having established its Mid-and Long-Term Environmental Impact Reduction Goals to be reached by 2050, Ricoh is working on reducing the environmental impact and also adopting fewer new resources used in various stages of the business, from procuring raw materials, through manufacturing, to recycling/disposal. The Company will act to minimize its environmental impact and aim to realize a sustainable society.