Key to the development of new environmentally friendly Ricoh products is our Life Cycle Design process. This process, adopted by the entire Ricoh Group's Research and Development Division, begins with a full evaluation of the predecessor model.
The following questions are posed:
What type of components were used and can they be improved upon?
Can any substances used or raw materials be improved upon?
How easy was the machine to recycle?
Could all components be dismantled easily?
Could all components be easily recovered and recycled?
Which materials/components could be reduced in weight without compromising quality and efficiency?
Only after considering these factors will we begin designing the new product.
