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1. Consider Necessity
Consider whether a product is needed before purchasing it.
 
2. Consider the Life-Cycle of Products and Services
Consider the various environmental impacts from the overall life cycle of a product, including those incurred through a service provided - from extraction of raw materials to disposal - when making a purchase
2-1. Harmful Substances
2-2. Energy and Resource Conservation
2-3. Renewable Natural Resources
2-4. Long-Term Use
2-5. Design for Reuse
2-6. Design for Recycling
2-7. Contains Recycled Materials
2-8. Reduce Disposal Waste
3. Consider Supplier Efforts
Select products and services offered by suppliers who make a conscious effort to reduce their environmental load.
3-1. Environmental Management System (EMS)
3-2. Proactive Implementation
3-3. Transparency
4. Acquire Environmental Information
Actively gather information on products, services and their respective suppliers, and employ that information when making purchasing decisions
1. Consider Necessity
Consider whether a product is needed before purchasing it.
The first step before making a purchase is to carefully consider whether the particular product or service is necessary. For products one already owns, it is important to consider repairs or modifications, in addition to the options of sharing, renting or leasing. When making bulk purchases, the overall quantity should be reduced as much as possible to meet one's needs.
2. Consider the Life-Cycle of Products and Services
Consider the various environmental impacts from the overall life cycle of a product, including those incurred through a service provided - from extraction of raw materials to disposal - when making a purchase
Consumers should try to gain a full understanding of the various aspects of the environmental load resulting from the product or service purchased. There are a number of basic considerations - such as energy consumption, air, water and soil pollution, waste generation, mineral and water resource use, as well as the release of greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substance - which are receiving more attention in recent years. Additionally, the geographical extent of these effects, as well as the time required to remedy the effects, should be taken into account.
At first glance, the environmental load of a product may seem insignificant, but looking at the entire life cycle there may be some stages in which there is substantial negative impact. This shows how imperative it is that we examine the environmental impact of a product over its entire life cycle, from the gathering of raw materials to production, distribution, use, disposal and recycling.
2-1. Harmful Substances
Select products that reduce the use of harmful substances and/or the emission of gasses that have an adverse impact on the environment or human health.
It is vital for manufacturers to eliminate substances that have potentially harmful effects on the environment and/or human health, such as the emission of noxious chemicals, heavy metals, and ozone-depleting substances. The purchase of potentially harmful materials should be promptly reduced or replaced with a substitute. Moreover, purchasers should consider whether the product is designed to limit harmful substances such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and dioxin generated or emitted during any combustion process.
2-2. Energy and Resource Conservation
Select products that conserve resources and energy.
At the present rate of consumption, some metal resources and fossil fuels could be exhausted within several decades. Excessive use of fossil fuels such as oil and coal produce atmospheric emissions of the greenhouse-gas carbon dioxide (CO2), and accelerate global warming. Accordingly, we should select products that are made from and consume fewer resources and less energy during their use or distribution.
2-3. Renewable Natural Resources
Select products that use renewable natural resources in a sustainable manner.
Some natural resources, such as forests, can be renewable if managed according to replenishment growth. If such resources are used in production, one must confirm they are obtained on a sustainable basis of which influence on the ecological system is minimized and resources are used effectively.
2-4. Long-Term Use
Select products that have potential for extended use over a long period of time.
The products made using valuable resources and energy should be used over a long period of time wherever possible, not simply be disposed of as waste. Before purchasing durable goods, take notice of the use of replaceable parts and the ease of repair, including the length of the maintenance and repair period, and the options to extend those services. Model changes that entail frequent replacement should be avoided.
2-5. Design for Reuse
Select reusable products.
Select products that can be used repeatedly without reprocessing for the same application. Generally, compared to recycling, this reduces the environmental load considerably. For that reason, one should think about whether a product has been designed for reuse, and if there is a system in place for collection after final use.
2-6. Design for Recycling
Select products that are easily recycled.
When subsequent use is not an option, a valid alternative is recycling, in which goods are recycled as materials for various applications. Consumers should check whether easily recyclable materials have been used, and if components have been designed for simple disassembly and division into elemental parts. Likewise, one should make sure that accessible recovery and recycling systems are available for those materials.
2-7. Contains Recycled Materials
Select products containing recycled materials or reused parts.
Buying products that contain a high percentage of recycled material and reused parts generally contributes to saving resources, reducing waste generation, and promoting resource recovery. Some durable goods can be renewed by simply replacing some materials or damaged components. Furthermore, the purchase of such renewed products is recommended.
2-8. Reduce Disposal Waste
Select products that allow efficient treatment and disposal after they are discarded.
In spite of great efforts to extend the utilization of a product through repeated use and recycling, some will inevitably end up incinerated or buried. Purchasers should select products that minimize the load on incineration facilities or landfill sites by taking into account the ease of division combustible and noncombustible materials, and the segregation of harmful substances.
3. Consider Supplier Efforts
Select products and services offered by suppliers who make a conscious effort to reduce their environmental load.
In addition to assessing the products, purchasers should also assess the environmental activities of the suppliers with whom they do business. In other words, as a basis of one's selection of supplier, the following questions should be considered:
Has the enterprise has adopted environmental policies? Have they implemented proper environmental management? Do they disclose environmental information? Are they actively committed to environmental conservation? Have they met or surpassed the demands concerning the environment under laws and regulations?
3-1. Environmental Management System (EMS)
Select suppliers that have an environmental management system in place to continuously improve their performance.
To continuously reduce environmental load, enterprises should have a management system in place to set out environmental policies, create internal schemes that raise environmental awareness for employees and help to implement plans and goals in their policy. Lastly, they should be able to verify the outcomes and apply those toward continuous improvements.
3-2. Proactive Implementation
Select suppliers who proactively implement their management plan through various applications.
Once an environmental management system is established, enterprises should implement and carry out a number of actions that will reduce their negative impact on the environment. Suppliers should implement production and distribution of environment-conscious products, and coordinate physical distribution and packaging with minimal environmental load. They should practice green purchasing (for example, their acquisition of raw materials, component parts, etc), manage and reduce their use of chemical substances, and take steps to prevent waste or otherwise recycle waste. It is important that they take action to save resources, reduce energy consumption and use more green energy, taking steps to conserve the ecosystem around factories, and contribute to environmental activities, including pollution and disaster prevention.
3-3. Transparency
Select suppliers that proactively disclose environmental information.
Enterprises should disclose environment-related information such as environmental policies, plans, activities, and performance, in addition to the environmental attributes of products. This can be done through various mediums such as corporate brochures, environment reports, an Internet homepage and product brochures. Moreover, they should make an distinctive effort to communicate with purchasers.
4. Acquire Environmental Information
Actively gather information on products, services and their respective suppliers, and employ that information when making purchasing decisions.
In determining which products to buy, purchasers have various means by which they can acquire environmental information, such as environmental labeling, databases offered by public institutions or Green Purchasing Network, as well as self-declared information by enterprises shown on their products, brochures, or website. When purchasing products, purchasers should collect and utilize this information and request suppliers to provide extensive environmental specifics.
Established on November 7, 1996
Revised on June 6, 2001
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| Organizational Structure |  Contact us |