With bizhub ECO, Konica Minolta is launching a service that supports companies in achieving their sustainability targets. It is available with all current and future Konica Minolta colour multi functional peripherals (MFPs). The service package comes with a pre-set eco configuration of the device, carbon emission offsetting as well as cooperation with Treedom. Thanks to the collaboration with this social business, a tree is planted for each installation of bizhub ECO, benefitting not only the environment, but also supporting a social objective by promoting equal opportunities for women in a developing country." Dr. Teresa Haller-Mangold, Team Manager Sustainability, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH
“A growing share of our customers are interested in increasing the eco-friendliness of their businesses. Yet we can see that smaller and medium-sized businesses in particular struggle to find feasible ways of increasing their sustainability. With bizhub ECO, we are providing them with a great tool to help them with this.” Dr. Teresa Haller-Mangold, Team Manager Sustainability, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH
bizhub ECO consists of three elements: in a first step, a Konica Minolta service expert optimises the settings of the purchased device for eco-friendliness, deleting blank pages for copy and scan jobs as well as enabling a toner save mode as standard, for example. Furthermore, bizhub ECO includes a carbon offsetting program for the device. The total emissions over the lifetime of each device is calculated, which are then offset through a certified carbon offset project. The third and most prominent element of bizhub ECO is the collaboration with the online platform Treedom. For every bizhub ECO service sold, a small-scale farmer plants one tree on her own land – the initiative focuses in particular on helping women to generate their own income and support their families by planting fruit trees in agroforestry systems. In addition, the customer acquires sponsorship of the tree. They can thus track the development of the plant online and communicate it to their customers or employees.
“It’s great that Konica Minolta allows its customers to be part of their sustainability efforts and assists them to improve their carbon footprint. Going one step further and supporting social and ecological reforestation projects with a beneficial impact on women in particular is even greater." Jaron Pazi, Country Manager D/A/CH of Treedom Germany
To underline their commitment to increasing their businesses’ sustainability towards relevant stakeholders, customers are provided with additional communication tools. These tools grant simple access to measures making their business more sustainable while keeping the organisational efforts for it manageable.
Improving both its own and its customers’ sustainability as well as creating value for society as a whole are key Konica Minolta targets. In January 2019 it joined RE100, committing to sourcing 100 per cent of their electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2050. This is in line with Konica Minolta’s long-term environmental target Eco Vision 2050, which was set up in 2009 aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by 80 percent by 2050 compared to 2005 levels.
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