EXTON, PA — Ricoh USA, Inc. has been named the 2024 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This accolade marks the ninth consecutive year Ricoh has received the Partner of the Year award and its seventh year of being recognized specifically for Sustained Excellence, a distinction reserved for partners who consistently exhibit exemplary leadership in energy efficiency and the ENERGY STAR program.
Ricoh’s achievement is particularly notable in a year that saw the company expand its innovative GreenLine Series, the first product line in the industry to offer ENERGY STAR-certified remanufactured imaging equipment. The series grew from nine models in 2022 to an impressive 33 models in 2023, illustrating Ricoh’s proactive approach to promoting energy-efficient solutions.
The company’s efforts extended beyond product development. Ricoh actively engaged consumers through its website and social media platforms, emphasizing the benefits of upgrading to ENERGY STAR-certified products to support net-zero ambitions. Additionally, Ricoh’s Eco Excellence Program, aimed at recognizing dealers focused on sustainable initiatives, prominently featured ENERGY STAR in its promotional materials and membership site. Efforts to raise awareness about ENERGY STAR were also evident at the Ricoh Partner Summit, where branded tote bags were distributed to 400 attendees.
Donna Venable, Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Deputy General Manager, Shared Services, Ricoh North America, expressed gratitude for the recognition. “We are honored and thrilled to be once again recognized as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence by the U.S. EPA,” she said.
Ricoh’s dedication to environmental sustainability is deeply ingrained in its corporate ethos, tracing back to its Founding Principles – The Spirit of Three Loves – established in 1946. The company’s official focus on environmental conservation began in 1976 with the creation of an Environmental Promotion Section. Since then, Ricoh has achieved numerous milestones in its sustainability journey, including the establishment of Environmental Principles in 1992, the development of the Comet Circle™ concept for a circular economy in 1994, receipt of the World Environment Center (WEC) Gold Medal in 2003, and becoming the first Japanese company to join the RE100 in 2017.
The ENERGY STAR program annually honors a select group of businesses and organizations that significantly contribute to energy efficiency and the shift towards a clean energy economy. Award winners lead their industries in producing, selling, and adopting energy-efficient products and strategies, collectively saving over 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity in the past three decades.
Ricoh’s consistent recognition by ENERGY STAR underscores the company’s pivotal role in promoting energy efficiency within the industry. As businesses and consumers alike increasingly prioritize sustainability, Ricoh’s achievements offer a blueprint for integrating environmental stewardship into corporate strategy, product development, and consumer engagement, setting a standard for others to follow in the transition to a more sustainable, energy-efficient future.
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