Ricoh has presented its approach to transitioning to a circular economy, centered on LC Transformation, and aims to achieve Evolving Circularity, which increases value beyond collection and remanufacturing.
The Ricoh Group has strengthened its efforts to circulate resources and set out a new framework for a circular economy that balances environmental conservation with business growth by reviewing the conventional return loop and advancing LC Transformation. This involves reviewing the entire process, from product design through manufacturing, collection and remanufacturing, with the aim of continuously converting circularity into higher value.
The vision of LC Transformation is to achieve Evolving Circularity, which increases value with each cycle rather than merely maintaining circularity. Conventional remanufacturing has provided cost advantages, but the Group is shifting from the design stage toward designs based on long-term reuse while addressing concerns about performance and the availability of the latest features.
Under three pillars called Circular New, the Group will integrate design, production and data integration based on long-term circularity, build a production model closer to regional markets, and maximize the efficiency of circular loops by using lifecycle data. This will establish a framework for creating value while limiting the use of new resources.
The Group will pursue company-wide transformation in collaboration with internal and external partners and redesign its organizational framework through dialogue that places importance on feedback from the front lines. In the future, it aims to eliminate the boundary between new and used products and realize a society in which circular products are chosen.