Konica Minolta Printing Solutions Europe announced today that it has extended its return cartridge recycling programme - the Clean Planet Program - to include additional countries in Europe and to improve the way of recycling.

Since the programme’s inception in 2001, Konica Minolta has offered free cartridge return service in 16 European countries. In the second half of 2006, the programme will be expanded to cover the following additional EU
countries: Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Clean Planet Program encourages customers to return free of charge their used toner cartridges by accessing the Clean Planet website, printing out a return label and mailing the cartridge to the Cartridge Collection Centre.

Konica Minolta is one of the first vendors to implement cartridge shredding as a part of their environmental recycling policy. Plastic parts extracted from toner cartridges are first pulverized, then melted, and molded into new plastic parts for reuse. This not only eliminates the traditional landfill method, but it is one of the most effective recycling measures to help reduce waste whilst helping conserve natural resources. Konica Minolta anticipates recycling more than 150,000kg of toner cartridges in 2006.

In addition, Konica Minolta printers are fully WEEE (Waste, Electronic and Electric Equipment) compliant, a legislative directive that makes suppliers responsible for the safe and environmentally sound disposal of end of life equipment.

“The expansion of the Clean Planet Program not only brings our environmental policies to additional countries in Europe, but also encourages customers to recycle our cartridges in the most ecologically-friendly way so they don’t end up in a landfill. Konica Minolta’s corporate policy is to take every step to minimise the environmental impact throughout the entire product life cycle. We achieve this by continually investing in sustainable ways to lessen the effect of our products on the planet – from product design to green procurement” said Mark Lloyd, Managing Director of Konica Minolta Printing Solutions UK.

KONICA MINOLTA PRINTING SOLUTIONS EUROPE BV

Konica Minolta Printing Solutions Europe BV is an innovative developer, manufacturer and supplier of document printing solutions. The product line includes color and monochrome laser printers, and associated supplies, consumables and accessories for general office, electronic publishing, graphics, design, advanced imaging and home office applications. Konica Minolta Printing Solutions Europe BV – with headquarters in Nieuwegein, The Netherlands – distributes its products through a broad network of e-commerce, retail, reseller and distribution partners.