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Environmental Affairs
Sony Electronics Inc. is dedicated to protecting and improving the environment in all areas of its business operations. Conserving resources, eliminating hazardous chemicals, increasing energy efficiency, reducing pollution and offering convenient recycling opportunities to customers are among many areas that SEL is committed.
Since 1991, SEL established a corporate-wide environmental policy to address waste minimization, waste management and consideration of environmental impact when evaluating new products, projects and operations. This lead to the establishment of Sony’s Environmental Vision and mid-term Green Management targets.
Green Management 2010 provides guidance, direction and progress measurement systems for environmental initiatives for global Sony group operations. The plan creates a framework to uphold "green" policies and procedures in the creation, design, manufacture, packaging, transport, sales and service of products and in all areas of operation in order to achieve these targets.
All Sony North American manufacturing plants and all non-manufacturing operations larger than 100 employees are ISO 14001 certified under the Sony’s global environmental management system program. This certification recognizes that SEL operations meet the international standard for environmental management requirements and for many areas, Sony and SEL are committed to minimizing environmental impacts well beyond what is needed for certification.
Recycling
As a leader in the consumer electronics industry, Sony has made environmental responsibility a top priority. The Sony Take Back Recycling Program was launched on Sept. 15, 2007 with Waste Management Inc. (WM) and is the first recycling initiative in the U.S. that connects a major consumer electronics manufacturer to a national waste management company and its physical network of recycling centers around the country. To encourage consumers to recycle and dispose of electronic devices in an environmentally sound manner, Sony is working with WM and its Recycle America locations to allow consumers, including businesses, to recycle all Sony-branded products for no fee at eCycling drop-off centers throughout the U.S. The program is also open to all makes of consumer electronics products, recycling any non-Sony product at market prices.
Sony has participated in a similar recycling program in Minnesota since 2000. Based on the success of this program, Sony plans with WM’s support to expand the Take Back Recycling program with at least one eCycling drop-off center in all 50 states. Sony and WM Recycle America are also working toward having enough drop-off locations so there is a recycling center within 20 miles of 95 percent of the U.S. population. The company’s overall goal is to make recycling of Sony products as easy and convenient as it is to purchase, and recycle one pound of old consumer electronics equipment for every pound of new products sold.
As of January 2008, Sony is the first company to sign the “Manufacturers’ Commitment to Responsible E-Waste Recycling,” a pledge with key watchdog environmentalists that all waste collected through its partnership with Waste Management will be managed responsibly. Sony is abiding by the highest environmental standards for end-of-life product solutions by ensuring their recyclers meet a strict set of standards, including not exporting the toxic waste to developing countries.
SEL is also a board member of the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation and labels all of its rechargeable batteries with recycling information. With help from the RBRC, there are now more than 50,000 convenient recycling drop-off points throughout the United States and Canada. In addition to regular rechargeable battery collection boxes currently available in all Sony Style stores, Sony distributes individual collection bags in specific product packaging.
SEL has been instrumental in using post-consumer resources including plastics into new products, supporting the recycling of materials, as well. This initiative has led to the annual consumption of more than 15,000,000 pounds of otherwise waste plastic.
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