Sony -CSR
Environmental Conservation Activities
Established Partnership with NGO to Address the Issue of Climate Change
<CSR Report 2007 P10>
In July 2006, Sony signed an agreement with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) global environmental NGO, to join its “Climate Savers Programme”. Under the program, Sony has agreed to partner with the WWF to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at Sony’s sites around the world, reduce CO2 emissions from product use by lowering the annual energy consumption of major Sony products and cooperate with the WWF to raise consumer awareness of global warming prevention.
– Promoting Product Energy Saving
<CSR Report 2007 P11>
In February 2007, Sony received a Sustainable Energy Europe Award from the European Commission, the first consumer electronics and entertainment company to earn this prestigious prize. The award recognized Sony for its voluntary commitment and efforts to improve the energy efficiency of its products, as well as its disclosure of information to consumers. As of February 2007, all Sony televisions sold in Europe had a standby power consumption below 1 watt, with 30 models achieving a standby power consumption of only 0.3 watts, below the market average. In Japan, Sony’s KDL-40J3000 model BRAVIA LCD television has achieved an energy-conservation level of 180% relative to Japan’s energy-saving laws, representing the industry’s highest energy-saving performance2 .
– Environmental Conservation at Sites
< CSR Report 2007 P65-P69>
Sony is engaged in a variety of environmental conservation activities at its sites as it works towards its “Green Management 2010” mid-term group environmental targets, to be achieved by 2010. In fiscal 2006, Sony’s emissions of greenhouse gases (calculated in terms of CO2) totaled approximately 2.03 million tons, down 9% from fiscal 2000 levels. Furthermore, waste from Sony sites was approximately 193,000 tons, down 30% from the fiscal 2000 level, while the amount of water used dropped approximately 16% from fiscal 2000 to 24.18 million cubic meters.
SONY ESTABLISHES FIRST NATIONWIDE ELECTRONICS RECYCLING PROGRAM WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT�S RECYCLE AMERICA
Program Open to All Consumer Electronics Devices
NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2007 � To encourage consumers to recycle and dispose of electronic devices in an environmentally sound manner, Sony has established a national recycling program for consumer electronics. The Sony Take Back Recycling Program allows consumersto recycle all Sony-branded products for no fee at 75 Waste Management (WM) Recycle America eCycling drop-off centers throughout the U.S.
The program, which begins on Sept. 15, was developed in collaboration with WM Recycle America, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Waste Management, Inc. The program also allows consumers to recycle other manufacturers� consumer electronics products at market prices, and may include a recycling fee for some types of materials.
This is the first national recycling initiative in the U.S. to involve both a major electronics manufacturer and a national waste management company.
As the Sony Take Back Recycling program expands, the number of eCycling drop-off centers will increase to at least 150 sites within a year, with at least one location in every state through a combination of WM Recycle America locales and WM external service partners.
Sony and WM Recycle America are also working towards the goal of having enough drop-off locations in all 50 states so there is a recycling center within 20 miles of 95 percent of the U.S. population.
Consumers will also have the option of shipping their used Sony electronics products to select WM Recycle America locations.
The Sony Take Back Recycling Program is part of Sony�s broader global commitment to environmental stewardship, which spans product design, recycling, facilities management and energy conservation across all categories.
“Providing the highest level of service and support doesn�t stop once a purchase is made. We believe it is Sony�s responsibility to provide customers with end-of-life solutions for all the products we manufacture,� said Stan Glasgow, president and chief operating officer of Sony Electronics. �Through the Take Back Recycling Program, our customers will know that their Sony products will be recycled in an environmentally responsible manner.�
Glasgow said that by making the recycling of Sony products easy and convenient, the company expects to reach its goal of recycling one pound of old consumer electronics equipment for every pound of new products sold.
�People are seeking services to help them recycle electronic waste responsibly and economically,� said Patrick DeRueda, president of WM Recycle America. �This program serves consumers� needs by offering a convenient and cost-effective waste management solution, while demonstrating our shared commitment to providing outstanding customer service and environmental stewardship.�
As the technology industry sees continued growth, the amount of electronic waste is also increasing. A study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency showed that in 2005 used or unwanted electronics amounted to about 1.9 to 2.2 million tons. Of that, some 1.5 to 1.9 million tons was primarily discarded in landfills, and only 345,000 to 379,000 tons were recycled.
By recycling old electronics products, useful materials — such as glass, plastic and metals � can be collected and re-used in the manufacture of other products. Recycling not only minimizes the amount of waste disposed, it also minimizes the extraction of new raw materials from the earth and resources required for processing, saving energy and reducing greenhouse gases in the process.
A complete list of WM Recycle America eCycling Drop-Off centers can be found by calling 1-877- 439-2795. More information about the Sony Take Back Recycling Program is available at http://www.sony.com/recycle.
URL : www.sony.net/SonyInfo/Environment/