Material Issue 5

Using Limited Resources Effectively

Background

Social and environmental issue outlook for 2030

Given the world's growing population and the growing rate of resource consumption, it is estimated that the equivalent of two earths will be needed by 2030. In order to make more effective use of limited resources, companies need not only to recover and recycle waste, but also to reduce the volume of resources wasted.
This means that drastic workflow innovations are required, such as using on-demand production and IoT technology, to reduce resource waste in the supply chain. Circular economies also need to be created by developing material technologies that facilitate recycling, while building better networks for recovering used resources.

Opportunities for Konica Minolta to create value, and risks to be minimized

Opportunities

■Through Konica Minolta businesses

Constructing efficient supply chains for client companies using on-demand production
Reducing workflow and supply chain loss for corporate clients

Risks

■Affecting Konica Minolta

Decline in competitiveness due to delayed participation in the circular economy
Production or shipment delays due to water-related risks and water resource depletion

Vision for 2030 and Medium-Term Plan 2022

Vision for 2030: Promote the effective use of resources at Konica Minolta, while also helping corporate clients and suppliers to achieve effective use.

Related SDGs:

Themes		Indicators		FY2020	FY2021		FY2022
Themes		Indicators		Results	Results	Targets	Targets
Effective Use of Resources by Transforming Customer Business Processes		Social and environmental value	Reduction of waste discharge of customers (thousand tons)	320	320	350	350
		Economic value	Solution sales (billion yen)	53	59.9	71	78
Effective Use of Resources Relating to Konica Minolta Sites, Suppliers, Products and Services	Reductions to environmental impact from Konica Minolta production sites*	Social and environmental value	Reduction of waste discharge (thousand tons)*2	0.6	1.3	1.0	1.7
		Economic value	Monetary equivalent of waste reductions (million yen)	130	260	200	300
	Reduction of environmental impact through the use of Konica Minolta products and services	Social and environmental value	Amount of resources saved and recycled (thousand tons)	12	12	14	15
		Economic value	Sustainable solution sales (billion yen)	676	597	690	690

*1: Reduction amount for each fiscal year due to the measures implemented during medium-term plan
*2: Set as a target that includes the reduction of plastic waste at major sites in Japan as part of activities to reduce and recycle plastic waste from products that use plastic based on the Act on Promotion of Resource Circulation for Plastics enacted in Japan.
Note:: Targets and results have been revised retrospectively to fiscal 2020 figures as the method of calculating the effects of measures was

Konica Minolta's Approach

By facilitating connected workplaces, on-demand production, and imaging IoT, Konica Minolta will promote work-style and manufacturing-process reforms that help make even more effective use of customer and society resources.

For example, in the field of commercial printing, the company is providing support for the transition to on-demand printing, thereby transforming the business model of mass production and disposal. The widespread use of Konica Minolta products for small-batch, decentralized printing can accelerate innovation in the printing industry’s supply chain while helping to conserve resources and reduce waste.
Moreover, Konica Minolta will not only effectively use renewable materials that contribute to waste reduction in the broader society, but also leverage DX technologies to promote collaboration with even more corporate clients and business partners, taking on the challenge of broad-scale environmental impact reduction. It will promote the creation of circular models linked to business models.

Businesses: Effective Use of Resources by Transforming Customer Business Processes

●Eliminating inventory and disposal in customer processes using on-demand printing and production

Using Digital Technology to Reduce the Environmental Impact of Commercial Printing — Digital Inkjet Printer AccurioJet KM-1

●Reducing customer workflow and supply chain loss utilizing materials and process technologies that use them

Dramatically Improving Productivity of Polarizer Manufacturers with Obliquely Oriented QWP Film

●Helping to solve global environmental issues by using recycling technology

Internal Action: Effective Use of Resources Relating to Konica Minolta Sites, Suppliers, Products and Services

●Reducing environmental impact and costs at Konica Minolta sites

●Reducing supplier environmental impact and costs using DX

Carbon Neutral Partner Activities

●Creating circular models linked to business models