Sustainability and Accessibility: for a resource-saving and inclusive workplace

Prioritising people and the planet

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Let's all play our part

Making operations sustainable, employing a diverse workforce, and providing an inclusive, accessible environment are elements of many organisations' environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies.

And these efforts are worth making, as customers' and consumers' awareness of environmental and equality issues can influence who they choose to buy from. In Quocirca’s 'Future of Work Spotlight on Sustainability 2025' report, 71% of the 1,500+ office workers and IT decision-makers surveyed say environmental issues and sustainability will be important or extremely important to their business by 2025. 

There are many ways to make your organisation more sustainable and create a more inclusive working environment. Konica Minolta can help, with a range of technologies, devices and services that reflect our own commitment to environmental protection and equal access for all.


A less resource-intensive print landscape

Reducing energy and resource consumption
As standard, all Konica Minolta multifunctional devices (MFPs) are energy efficient, and offer features that allow you to reduce energy consumption further. Read more in this blog article.
  

USE THE ENERGY SAVING POTENTIAL OF OUR bizhub DEVICES

Saving energy is more important than ever - both at home and in the office. That´s why we want to give you some useful tips on how you can save power and resources by modifying the way you print and use the Konica Minolta office devices. 

To use the energy potential of our devices, we recommend special power save settings, which are highly effective while guaranteeing remote management capability for the devices.  

And we also have additional tips to share on how to further optimise printing and reduce print-related waste. 

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Audit tools can provide you with environmental data about your devices to help you reduce the impact of your print infrastructure. We offer:

  • The bizWORKPLACE Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) assessment tool. It shows the energy consumption of each printer to help you decide whether to use further power-saving settings or even replace the devices with others that consume less energy. The tool also provides an overview of consumables consumption so you can look at ways to use less. 

  • Analysis of print, scan and fax usage within our Dispatcher Paragon and YSoft’s SafeQ print management solutions. The resulting Green Reports show resources saved and reductions in CO₂ emissions.


Quality refurbished devices

Buying refurbished multifunctional printers (MFPs) can help reduce your environmental impact. A refurbished Konica Minolta bizhub device, for example, offers savings of at least 70% in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (depending on the device) compared with producing and distributing a new device [1]. Refurbished devices also offer cost savings and they come at a lower price than new machines for the same performance.


Responsible consumables recycling
Our Clean Planet Program assures environmentally sound disposal of toner bottles and cartridges, photoconductor drums, and other used consumables. Using the latest consumables-specific recycling technology and processes, we ensure that 87% of the waste is turned into secondary raw materials. The tiny remaining proportion that can’t be transformed is used for energy recovery.


A more inclusive print landscape

Usability for all
Our devices are designed with usability in mind and follow industry-leading universal design guidelines. Key usability features include:

  • Colour and colour-coding that help make things easy to use and keep users safe

  • Paper trays and toner cartridges that are easily accessible for refilling

  • An automatic document feeder that can be lifted with little physical effort, even by seated users

  • Large touchscreen interfaces that can be tilted to any angle

  • A free downloadable bizhub Remote Access app that lets users operate the display from their own smart device


A healthier indoor environment
We help our customers create an indoor environment that's healthy and comfortable for everyone to work in. To improve indoor air quality, our latest devices incorporate air cleaning units that reduce ultrafine particle emissions by at least 90%. For older devices, attachable units reduce the same emissions by between 82% and 97%.
 

The sustainability potential of the digital workplace

On average, 50% of a company's waste is paper. Digitalising paper-intensive processes helps you can save a lot of waste – while increasing operational efficiency, reducing storage costs, and making it quick and easy for people to access information. 

Digitalise paper-based processes
We offer various solutions to help organisations digitalise their paper-based processes, including:

  • Dispatcher Phoenix helps digitalise invoice and delivery note processing and similar activities, and creates predefined workflows for the steps involved. 

  • Intelligent Information Management solutions like M-Files enable digitalisation and automation of more complex processes such as personnel file, invoice and contract management. 


Enable virtual meetings
By minimising the need for in-person meetings and the associated travel or commuting, cloud-based communications and collaboration tools like Microsoft 365 can contribute to lower carbon emissions by reducing an organisation's environmental footprint. 

Share instead of sending
Microsoft 365 includes features that can positively impact on sustainability. For instance, instead of sending attachments by email or in Teams Chat, you can save data transfer volume by sharing documents via a SharePoint Online or OneDrive link. 

Cloud sustainability
Cloud-based systems can be more sustainable than on-premises solutions, when factors like power consumption, water consumption, device lifespan and digital cleanup are taken into account. For example: cloud servers that use 100% renewable energy consume only half the CO₂e per year and per server compared with on-premises servers using renewable electricity.
  

Tips for sustainable use of digital technologies

  1. Use digital technologies with renewable energy, 

  2. Favour refurbished or remanufactured devices when purchasing digital technologies, 

  3. Technologies that can no longer be refurbished or remanufactured 

Your benefits at a glance



Measurable outcomes.
Support your ESG agenda with measurable outcomes that prove the impact of your greenhouse gas reduction and climate action efforts to your employees, customers and partners.


Accessibility for all.
Choose devices that are designed to be safe and easy for everyone to use.


A better working environment.
Improve air quality to enhance health, comfort and productivity.

1. What are sustainability services?

Sustainability services are designed to help organisations reduce their impact on the environment and support social initiatives. Konica Minolta is committed to a sustainable world — for our customers’ business success, for society, and for future generations. We express that commitment through our contributions to the achievement of the global UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

2. How has Konica Minolta's record on sustainability been recognised?

We've received a number of awards and accolades for our approach to ESG, including the following in 2023 alone:

3. What does diversity in the workplace mean?

'Workplace diversity' refers to a workforce made up of people with a variety of characteristics such as gender, religion, race, age, ethnicity, physical ability, sexual orientation; as well as other attributes like educational background, nationality and life experience.

TECHNOLOGIES AND FEATURES THAT HELP SAVE RESOURCES

Konica Minolta devices are developed and manufactured with the objective of continually reducing their environmental impact at every stage of the product lifecycle. This includes the design stage, production, supply chain and transport, through to usage and recycling/disposal. Every lifecycle stage is carefully monitored in terms of general input-output analysis, energy and resource efficiency, recycling and waste prevention – as well as compliance with relevant environmental and safety regulations.

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IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Sustainability Programs and Services Hardcopy 2023 Vendor Assessment

Konica Minolta has been named a ‘Leader’ in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Sustainability Programs and Services Hardcopy 2023 Vendor Assessment (doc #US49892223, December 2023). The IDC MarketScape states that, “Organizations should consider Konica Minolta when looking for a supplier that is taking decisive actions to reduce climate impact, while promoting the effective use of resources for customers and within its own supply chain.”
 

Read more

Success Stories

BMW

Our Sustainability & Accessibility Services

Universal Design & Accessibility

Indoor Air Quality

bizhub Refreshed

Clean Planet Program

Our digital solutions can help you create a sustainable workplace

Dispatcher Paragon

YSoft SAFEQ

Microsoft 365

M-Files

Dispatcher Phoenix

Workplace Pure

SAFEQ Cloud

Cloud Data Centre Services

[1] Based upon the "Greenhouse Gas Protocol Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard" (GHG Protocol), carried out by ClimatePartner

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Learn how Konica Minolta Sustainability and Accessibility Services can help your business

We know that each organisation is unique, which is why every engagement starts with a conversation. We're ready to listen, so contact us today.