Reducing CO₂ Emissions in Logistics

Konica Minolta is working to reduce CO₂ emissions at the product logistics stage by utilizing consolidated shipping according to cargo volume, changing transport modes, and altering logistics routes.

As part of its efforts to change transport modes, the company is promoting modal shifts from aircraft and trucks to lower-CO₂-emission modes of transport, such as ships and railways. For example, in Europe, barges navigating the Rhine River are used to transport cargo from the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands to a hub warehouse in Emmerich, Germany. In the United States, rail transport is used to move cargo from the Port of Los Angeles on the West Coast to inland areas and the East Coast, thereby reducing CO₂ emissions.

As a member of the SmartWay program operated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is engaged in the following efforts:

• Reducing emissions and fuel consumption in logistics activities
• Shipping more than 50% of goods through SmartWay carriers
• Using railcars and truck trailers
• Avoiding idling
• Reducing distance traveled
• Consolidating multiple orders for delivery

In Japan, the company participates in a joint delivery initiative for forward logistics organized by the Japan Business Machine and Information System Industries Association (JBMIA) and carries out joint last-mile deliveries.
Through these initiatives, Konica Minolta helps reduce CO₂ emissions while enhancing customer satisfaction by providing high-quality delivery and installation services.

Konica Minolta is also working to reduce CO₂ emissions from the transportation of parts and components to its manufacturing sites.

In the South China region near Dongguan and Shenzhen, where manufacturers of components for printing systems are concentrated, as well as in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru, Malaysia, Konica Minolta has adopted milk-run logistics (a transportation method in which a single truck makes rounds to collect cargo from multiple manufacturers). This reduces overall truck mileage, thereby reducing CO₂ emissions.
Similarly, external warehouses for the factory in Malaysia and the production sites of multiple parts suppliers located in remote areas have been consolidated into the Smart Industry Center (SIC), established near the factory. This has significantly shortened delivery distances and enabled just-in-time (JIT) deliveries to the factory.