Hitachi, Ltd. is initiating a system of labeling products with environmental impact
information. Under the new system, products sold in Japan that have a superior
environmental rating will carry an indication mark as well as pertinent environmental data.
The new system will be first applied to the company's new models of PCs scheduled to
be launched in December 1999.
As part of a commitment to develop green products, in 1994 Hitachi drew up a set of
standards for assessing products in terms of decreased use of resources, recyclability and
ease of disassembly. In the same year, the company developed and implemented the Life
Cycle Assessment (LCA), Disassemblability Evaluation Method (DEM) and
Recyclability Evaluation Method (REM). As of April 1999, these design tools have been
used to develop a total of 62 green products. For the new system, products will be
evaluated based on a set of criteria for assessing product design in terms of
environmental compatibility. A product that receives a high assessment score will carry
a special mark and relevant environmental data, indicating to consumers that it is a green
product.
The assessment criteria, which were drawn up in March this year, incorporate Design for
Environment (DFE) concepts, adding long service life and product information
disclosure items to the earlier set of standards. The result is a system capable of
assessing a product's reduced environmental impact based on the product's overall life
cycle, and to provide consumers with relevant environmental information. The new
system will be applied to all the products of the Hitachi Group.
Hitachi will continue to provide society with products and technology that take the needs
of the environment into full consideration, as part of its commitment to being a company
in harmony with the environment.
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