Ramsey, NJ (April 22, 2020) — Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. today announced a new alliance with the Arbor Day Foundation in an effort to revitalize U.S. national forests. In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and other local planting partners, 10,000 trees will be planted in forests affected by wildfires or other natural disasters. The initiative will have a significant impact over the next 40 years, sequestering 1,617 metric tons of net carbon dioxide, intercepting 11,100,000 gallons of rainfall and removing 207 tons of air pollution.
“As a global corporation committed to our planet, we are honored to participate in a program that will have such an important environmental impact on our world,” said Kay Fernandez, senior vice president, marketing, Konica Minolta. “The Arbor Day Foundation’s commitment to embracing sustainable practices and solutions aligns with Konica Minolta’s global 2050 vision, further fulfilling our mission to create value for society while contributing to a sustainable future.”
“We are excited to work with Konica Minolta to plant trees in forests desperately needing replanting. Forests clean our air and water, mitigate climate change, and house critical wildlife, but these resources are at risk due to wildfires and other natural disasters,” said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Thanks to the support of partners like Konica Minolta, we can begin to regenerate life back to these areas.”
For decades, Konica Minolta has been committed to sustainability across its global operations. Its environmental action plan, Eco Vision 2050, sets ambitious goals, including reducing CO2 emissions by 80 percent (compared to 2005 levels), promoting recycling and biodiversity and shifting to 100 percent renewable energy sources globally by 2050.
The company’s commitment to sustainability is reflected in local efforts at Konica Minolta’s U.S. headquarters in Ramsey, New Jersey. Employees volunteer hundreds of hours each year to environmental initiatives, supporting sustainability in its communities. The site has been partially powered by solar energy for more than six years. The solar energy system consists of carport canopies supporting solar panels that produce about 10–15 percent of the campus’ energy needs. The system represents the first and largest corporate solar installation in Ramsey.
Konica Minolta is committed to helping its customers achieve their environmental goals as well. Its Clean Planet Program has been providing customers the opportunity to easily recycle consumables from its products at no cost for many years. Recyclables are then recovered and reused to create new items such as park benches and sidewalks. Since launch, 59,000 customers have helped to recycle more than 1,079,000 items, equating to nearly 748 tons of materials kept out of landfills.
Konica Minolta also designs its products with the environment in mind, reusing plastic from recycled PET and PC beverage bottles and jugs to create the exterior of its MFPs, and using waste toner bottles made of recycled milk containers. Its printers, copiers and MFPs have a significant environmental advantage with Simitri HD, an exclusive, polymerized toner formulation which contributes to a reduction in environmental impact. It has smaller, more uniform particles than ordinary toners, thus requiring almost one-third less toner to create an image.
Konica Minolta works hard year-round to reduce its environmental impact wherever it can, following the United Nations Global Compact to guide global and community initiatives. Learn more about Konica Minolta’s environmental efforts online.
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About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the Workplace of the Future with its expansive smart office product portfolio from IT Services (All Covered), ECM, managed print services and industrial and commercial print solutions. Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for 13 consecutive years and is proud to be ranked on the Forbes 2017 America’s Best Employers list. The World Technology Awards recently named the company a finalist in the IT Software category. Konica Minolta, Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for eight consecutive years has spent three years on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. It partners with its clients to give shape to ideas and work to bring value to our society.
About the Arbor Day Foundation
Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters and valued partners. Since 1972, more than 300 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to help others understand and use trees as a solution to many of the global issues we face today, including air quality, water quality, climate change, deforestation, poverty and hunger. As one of the world’s largest operating conservation foundations, the Arbor Day Foundation, through its members, partners and programs, educates and engages stakeholders and communities across the globe to involve themselves in its mission of planting, nurturing and celebrating trees.
