Closing the e-waste loop

Fuji Xerox managing director Gavin Pollard. Photo / Supplied

Fuji Xerox is trail blazing a path through the troublesome problem of e-waste.

Fuji Xerox is a leader in the document services industry, with big goals for leading the charge in eco- conscious initiatives that reduce a potentially enormous stream of e-waste to almost zero. The global company has a longstanding commitment to reuse or recycle 99.5 per cent of all materials, diverting them from landfill and closing the manufacturing loop. The New Zealand division is making strides to go above and beyond for business, consumers and the environment.

The company's latest recognition came from its newly accredited product stewardship scheme. The scheme was the first in the print industry to be accredited by the Minister for the Environment since the 2008 Waste Minimisation Act. This has led to Fuji Xerox New Zealand being selected as a finalist for the Mega Efficiency Impact Award in the 2015 Sustainable Business Network Awards.

Each year, Fuji Xerox New Zealand diverts 1200 tonnes of equipment and consumables from landfill, 700 tonnes of which are refurbished for reuse while the rest is recycled. The scheme includes all returned printers, copiers, toner bottles, print cartridges, drums, rollers, fuser oil, and all associated packaging.

According to Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith, "The scheme from Fuji Xerox is a great example of how forward-thinking businesses can manage and mitigate their impact through proactive product stewardship."

He adds, "Fuji Xerox's initiative is the second e-waste initiative to receive accreditation, and demonstrates that it is possible for global electronic corporates to voluntarily take responsibility for the impacts of their products in a way that provides benefits for the environment, and also stacks up commercially."

Fuji Xerox managing director Gavin Pollard was buoyed by the minister's comments. "Having our Product Stewardship Scheme formally recognised by the Government means a great deal to the company, acknowledging our ongoing commitment to sustainability and providing the impetus to continue to lead the way."

The lifespan of Fuji Xerox machines can be anywhere from seven to eleven years, and certain parts can be reused multiple times, which creates a loop of eco-friendly reuse.

"The fact that our machines and parts are designed to be reused means that we reduce the need for the use of raw materials in our product manufacturing," says sustainability manager Sian Flynn-Coleman. "It closes the loop. The machines and parts having more than one lifespan prevents us from having to build another machine from scratch."

A partnership with Sims E-Waste Recycling (eSims) since 2012 has been highly fruitful. A global on-seller of electronic waste, eSims uses separation technologies that improve the process, thereby improving the purity of final commodity streams. This means that plastics and precious metals maintain value on both local and global markets.

Once returned from customer sites, machines come to Fuji Xerox's own sites for assessment where they will either be refurbished for the second-hand market or reincorporated into new machines. End-of-life materials are then sent to eSims for recycling.

Some of the parts and sub-assemblies that are typically remanufactured in a Fuji Xerox office device. Photo / Supplied

Ultimately, Fuji Xerox removes the end-of-life problem from the consumer, preferring to shoulder the responsibility itself. There is also no reliance on customers to initiate the recycling.

The collection process has seen partnerships with logistics companies nationwide that carefully track and report on their carbon emissions for minimum environmental impact.

Through this product stewardship, Fuji Xerox globally avoids approximately 30,000 tonnes of carbon emissions and 5000 tonnes of new raw material procurement.

The company plans to expand its initiatives. The accredited scheme, Flynn-Coleman says, is flexible and allows for growth within the company. "It's malleable. If an initiative its within the scope, it can be added. We have the scheme for seven years, but we anticipate that it will continue to grow. It will constantly improve from this point," she says.

Moreover, the company has pledged to reduce the carbon footprint of its supply chain by 2020 so consumers know the extra step is being taken on every step of production.

"Customers are starting to put more pressure on us and across the industry to green the supply chain. They want to know just how green we are, and we need to be able to tell them," says Flynn-Coleman. "We're practising what we preach, and customers can be confident that we're conscious of the effects both up and down stream of our supply chain."

By the end of the year, Fuji Xerox will be moving headquarters to a Greenstar-rated building which showcases the company's commitment to being sustainable. The building will future-proofed to continue to incorporate energy efficient initiatives in the future.

"We're always focusing on being a strong, kind and interesting company," says Pollard. "We're financially sound, providing strong returns to shareholders, and are market leaders in New Zealand. We're kind to the communities and environments in which we operate and we're an interesting workplace for employees and the Fuji Xerox community."

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