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| Reducing Environmental Impact of Products |
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| Sony continues to implement measures aimed at reducing the environmental impact of its products throughout their life cycles. These measures range from performing assessments at the planning, design and engineering stages, to setting targets for reducing power consumption. Sony also has deployed an advanced management system to facilitate the control, reduction or elimination of a range of hazardous chemical substances. |
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions Related to Product Use
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Sony products consume energy while in use, resulting in indirect emissions of CO2. In fiscal 2006, CO2 emissions from use over the lifetime of Sony products rose approximately 16% from fiscal 2005, to 17.83 million tons. Despite a decline in CO2 emissions from PCs due to the shift from desktop to notebook models, a significant increase in sales of flat-screen liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions and professional-use data projectors and the launch of PLAYSTATION®3 resulted in an overall increase in CO2 emissions.
In fiscal 2006, approximately 90% of Sony products achieved target reductions in power consumption. In terms of specific achievements, all of Sony's major television models for the Japanese market earned the five-star rating of the Energy-Saving Labeling Program, indicating the highest level of achievement of energy reduction standards set forth under Japan's Law concerning the Rational Use of Energy, while nearly all Sony PCs for the Japanese market met the Law's energy efficiency requirements (standards for fiscal 2007). |
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| Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Product Use |
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Reducing product operating power consumption
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BRAVIA LCD televisions
The BRAVIA J3000 series of LCD televisions feature the Live Color Creation backlight system, which widens the color gamut and creates high-purity primary colors (cyan, yellow and magenta), thereby enabling these televisions to deliver true-to-life color while keeping power consumption to a minimum. The BRAVIA J3000 series' televisions are also equipped with an Advanced Contrast Enhancer, which automatically adjusts backlight intensity in response to the brightness of the image, as well as a Light Sensor, which adjusts the screen brightness in response to ambient brightness. Thanks to such features, the KDL-40J3000 model has achieved 180% for the energy-conservation standard of the energy-saving laws in Japan, and has attained the industry's highest energy-saving performance.*1 |
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Terrestrial/BS/110°CS digital high-definition television
BRAVIA KDL-40J3000 |
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| *1 As of April 2007, comparison is with digital LCD televisions sold in the Japanese market and based on Sony data. |
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"VAIO" PCs
A mere 4.4mm in width and weighing an unrivaled 859 grams,*2 the 12.1 inch "VAIO type G" PC features a white LED backlight. The use of a slimmer, light guide panel and a compact, lightweight LCD system board have reduced display thickness by approximately 50% and weight by about 30% compared with conventional fluorescent tube LCDs. Low power consumption, facilitated by a white LED backlight, energy-saving hardware design and software control of the CPU, LCD backlight drive voltages, memory, graphic accelerator optical drive and other features, give this notebook PC an incredible 12 hours of continuous battery life.*3
60.8% of 380 new models of "VAIO" PCs launched during April to August 2008 meet the latest requirement of Energy Star program. Also, all AC adapters of "VAIO" PCs meet the requirement of California Energy Efficiency Regulations.
The list of each model's environmental attributes such as power consumption and ENERGY STAR qualification are available at "VAIO" web site for Europe and Japan.
> VAIO Environmental Attributes
> VAIO Environmental Activities in Japan (Japanese only) |
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PC "VAIO type G"
VGN-G1ABNS |
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*2 As of April 10, 2007, comparison is based on Sony data for a 12.1" PC with LCD for "VAIO Owner-Made Model," a customized model available in Japan, with no optical drive and with a small battery pack, 1GB memory (on board) and flash memory.
*3 The longest length of time within the specification of "VAIO Owner-Made Model" PC with large battery pack. |
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Reducing Environmental Impact through Product Life Cycle Assessment
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With the aim of identifying the environmental impact of products at all stages of their life cycles, Sony conducts product life cycle assessments (LCAs) that quantify the impact of materials and parts production, product assembly and transport, use and standby mode, and end of life (i.e., disposal and recycling). LCAs help us to clarify priorities for improvement and determine environmental impact reduction measures.
One of Sony's Green Management 2010 medium-term environmental targets is to conduct LCAs for all major products. In line with this target, in fiscal 2006 Sony conducted LCAs for numerous products, including LCD televisions, DVD recorders, camcorders and professional-use cameras. As an example of LCAs, the environmental impact of KDL-32J3000 LCD TVs was reduced by approximately 30% compared to the same inch LCD TVs launched in fiscal 2005 and approximately 51% compared to the CRT TVs launched in fiscal 2002.
Going forward, Sony will continue working to quantify environmental impact at each stage of its products' life cycles using LCAs and make appropriate modifications, thereby lowering the overall environmental impact of its products.
This section introduces trends in the environmental impact (CO2 emissions) of some products, and our efforts to reduce their environmental impact. |
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LCA Results for Liquid Crystal Display Televisions
TVs require large amount of operating power consumption and have greatest environmental impact when used. Therefore, reducing the operating power consumption enables effective reduction of the entire environmental impact. For example, the KDL-32S1000 LCD TVs (fiscal 2005 model) reduced the environmental impact by approximately 30% compared to the same inch of KD-32HD600VA CRT TVs (fiscal 2002 model).
The fiscal 2007 model of KDL-32J3000 reduced environmental impact by additional 30% by reductions in the operating energy consumption and number of components used compared to the fiscal 2005 model.
For TVs, use phase accounts for 87% of the total environmental impact in energy consumption. Sony will continue striving to promote reduction in the operating energy consumption actively. |
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| KDL-32J3000 |
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| Environmental Impact (CO2 Emissions) of TVs |
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Calculation Assumption:
Years of use: 10
Product transportation: 500 kilometers by truck in Japan |
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LCA Results for DVD Recorders
For DVD recorders, generally standby times are long and standby energy consumption has a great environmental impact. The RDR-HX65 (fiscal 2006 model) reduced the environmental impact by 92% from standby, 66% from materials and parts production and 69% throughout the products' life cycles by substantial lowering of the standby power consumption and reductions in the weight by aggregating components, compared to the RDR-HX8 (fiscal 2004 model).
Sony will continue striving to promote reduction in the operating power consumption from use, which newly became the major factor of environmental impact. |
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| RDR-HX65 |
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Calculations assume the following:
Years of use: 7
Product transportation: 500 kilometers by truck within Japan |
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LCA Results for Digital Cameras and Digital Video Camera Recorders
With digital cameras (DSC-T10) and digital video camera recorders (DCR-SR60), the environmental impact of materials and parts production and product assembly accounts for approximately 90% of the total. These products have less impact of energy consumption from use, compared to large products such as TVs.
Sony is working to reduce the environmental impact of the DSC-T10 and DCR-SR60 by reducing the weight of the product with replacing the booklet of instructions manual with a CD-ROM. Sony will continue working to reduce the weight of the products, accessories and packaging materials. |
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Calculation Assumption:
Years of use: 2.7 for DSC-T10 and 8 for DCR-SR60
Product transportation: 500 kilometers by truck in Japan |
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LCA Results for Business-Use Network Cameras
The results of the LCA for business-use network cameras show that their operating power consumption results in the most significant environmental impact since the cameras needs to be always on in applications such as monitoring, Therefore, reducing the product operating power consumption enables effective reduction of the entire environmental impact. As results of the LCA for the SNC-CS3N (fiscal 2003 model) and SNC-CS11 (fiscal 2006 model), the fiscal 2006 model reduced the environmental impact by approximately 44% of the entire life cycle by reduction in the operating power consumption and number of components used. |
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| SNC-CS11 |
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Calculation Assumption:
Years of use: 10
Product transportation: 500 kilometers by truck within Japan |
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Use of Resources in Products
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For products sold in fiscal 2006, Sony used approximately 1.23 million tons of resources, a decline of approximately 2% from fiscal 2005, and 130,000 tons of reused/recycled materials, down approximately 4% from fiscal 2005. In the area of televisions, resources used declined despite an increase in sales of televisions, due to a shift in demand for televisions from CRT models to lightweight, flat-panel models. Also, in the information and communications equipment, devices and others product categories, resources used fell sharply, reflecting a decline in sales of VHS tapes. In contrast, the launch of PLAYSTATION®3 prompted a sharp increase in resources used in the Game business, as a consequence of which the volume of resources used in products sold in fiscal 2006 remained largely level with the previous period. The 4% decline in reused/recycled materials used was due to efforts to trim the overall use of packaging materials, mainly for televisions, an area heavily reliant on recycled materials.
Under Green Management 2010, Sony is targeting an increase in its reused/recycled materials utilization rate to 12% or higher. Accordingly, Sony is promoting the use of both reused and recycled materials and the reduction of product weight. In fiscal 2006, Sony's reused/recycled materials utilization rate was approximately 10%, due to the introduction of recycled materials, primarily for audio products' bodies and components. |
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| Total Volume of Resources Used in Products |
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Using Recycled Plastics in Products
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Sony aims to minimize consumption of the earth's exhaustible resources by making concerted efforts to use recycled plastics in its products. The Sony Group currently uses approximately 10,000 tons or more of recycled plastics annually in various products, including televisions, recording media, audio products, PCs and digital video cameras. With the aim of further increasing use of these plastics, Sony has set its reused/recycled materials ratio targets at 12% or higher, established a project team to achieve this target and made active technological development efforts.
In fiscal 2006, Sony introduced a method for recycling CDs that have been disposed of into product components. CDs disposed of by optical disc manufacturer Sony Music Manufacturing Inc. in Japan are converted into recycled polycarbonate using a proprietary method developed by the Sony Group that removes the surface coating through crushing and chemical cleaning. The recycled polycarbonate is blended with additives by a resin manufacturer that is collaborating with Sony and it is converted back into plastics that can be used again in products. For use in components of LCD rear-projection televisions, a new environmentally conscious flame-retardant substance (bromine- and phosphorous-free) developed by Sony is blended with the recycled polycarbonate. |
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| Examples of Products and Parts Containing Recycled Plastics |
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Promoting Environmentally Conscious Packaging
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Because packaging materials are disposed of after products have been shipped and used, Sony has implemented several projects since 1989 in a concerted drive to promote environmentally conscious packaging as one of its key design objectives. Sony protects the products by not only using the minimum amount of materials but also using easily recyclable materials and materials for which well-ordered recycling systems exist worldwide, as well as recycled materials. Moreover, to make it easy for customers to separate packaging materials for recycling, Sony has adopted packaging that is easy-to-separate and clearly marked. Sony's activities are not limited to conserving resources and reducing packaging materials, but extend to efforts to promote recycling, which minimizes the incineration and landfilling of materials. This effort entails comprehensive measures, including the development of new technologies.
In addition, Sony takes precautions to ensure that hazardous substances, including heavy metals, are not mixed in with packaging materials by managing materials in line with its proprietary "Management Regulations for Environment-related Substances to be Controlled which are included in Parts and Materials" (SS-00259). These regulations are based on, among others, EU directives on packaging and packaging waste. Sony is also actively making use of inks that comply with voluntary restrictions put forward by the Japan Printing Ink Makers Association, as well as inks that do not contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs). |
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| Octagonal carton to reduce use of corrugated cardboard cushions for the BRAVIA J3000 series of LCD televisions |
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| Corrugated cardboard cushion with a folding structure devised for the shape of camera lens adapter HDLA1500 |
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Developing and Utilizing Vegetable-based Plastics
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Vegetable-based plastics are derived from corn and other biomass, (i.e., plant matter-based resources) and are therefore considerably more environmentally conscious than regular plastics in terms of reducing petroleum consumption, controlling greenhouse gas emissions,*4 and facilitating various after-use processes*5.
Sony has made extensive efforts to develop and utilize vegetable-based plastics. Sony began using these plastics in packaging materials in 2000 and in 2002 started using them in consumer products by utilizing them in Walkman© casings. Since then, the casings or parts of eight products in six categories and the packaging materials for two products have been made from these materials.
In 2004, Sony achieved a world first by developing a flame-retardant*6 vegetable-based plastic, which was used in DVD player front panels. This achievement enabled the use of these plastics in a broader range of products. In 2006, Sony succeeded in the practical application of vegetable-based plastics to FeliCa technology-installed cards—contactless integrated circuit (IC) cards used in e-money transactions. Also in 2006, vegetable-based plastics were used by Sony's health insurance union to produce 150,000 employee health insurance cards.
Sony has also developed and, with the cooperation of suppliers, succeeded in practically applying a new technology for accelerating the crystallization of polylactic acid (PLA), which makes it easier to produce vegetable-based plastic components. This technology enables the production of highly heat-resistant molded parts in a shorter time. |
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| FeliCa technology-installed contactless IC card made with vegetable-based plastics |
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*4 The use of vegetable-based plastics ensures much lower CO2 emissions over a product's life cycle - i.e., from the production of raw materials to the disposal of the finished product - because the plant matter from which the raw materials are derived absorbs CO2 through photosynthesis during cultivation.
*5 Material recycling, chemical recycling, incineration and other processes
*6 Certain plastic parts for electronic products must be flame retardant |
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| * "mova®" and "premini®" are registered trademarks of NTT DoCoMo, Inc. |
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Management of Chemical Substances in Products
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Globally Consistent Management of Chemical Substances
Many of Sony's electronics products contain between a few hundred and a few thousand parts that are made of a variety of chemical substances, some of which may be classified as hazardous and may harm the environment if they are not properly controlled prior to product disposal. To prevent such environmental harm, some countries and regions have introduced laws and directives—such as the European Union's Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directive*7—restricting specified chemical substances in products. In Japan, products containing specified chemical substances are required to carry the J-Moss mark*8.
In light of the global nature of its markets and supply chains, Sony observes certain standards, such as the RoHS Directive and the Management Methods on the Pollution Control of Electronic Information Products on a worldwide basis. Sony has also established its own global standards for management of chemical substances, titled "Management Regulations for Environment-related Substances to be Controlled which are included in Parts and Materials" (SS-00259)*9. These standards take into account applicable local and regional laws and regulations and the opinions of various stakeholders.
In line with these standards, Sony ensures globally consistent management of chemical substances in parts and materials. Sony has also taken steps to comply with the European Union's new REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) regulation. |
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*7 Directive limiting the use of specified chemical substances in electric and electronic products
*8 Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) for marking the presence of specified chemical substances in electrical and electronic equipment
*9 Standards for suppliers managing chemical substances for items procured by Sony (sixth edition published in March 2007). These standards classify chemical substances as those that must be banned immediately, those for which a period for phase-out is individually set and those for which no deadline is set for ban of use but phasing out is planned. |
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| System for Managing Chemical Substances in Products |
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*10 Companies that manufacture OEM (original equipment manufacturer) products on behalf of Sony
*11 Suppliers and OEM suppliers that had completed audits as of March 31, 2007
*12 For direct suppliers, the Green Book was made available via its electric procurement system in autumn 2003. |
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Outline of Management Methods on the Pollution Control of Electronic Information Products
On March 1, 2007, it was passed in China to regulate the use of six substances, including lead and mercury, in electronic products and components sold in the Chinese market. Currently, the following are required in labeling of products, among others:
• Environmental pollution control mark
• Information on chemical substances content
• Packaging materials recycling mark
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REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals)
On June 1, 2007, the EU implemented new regulations for chemical substances. Under the new rules, companies that produce or import more than one ton of chemical substances in any given year are obliged to, among other requirements, register and assess the safety of each substance. REACH also regulates their manufacture, import and use in products, as well as the import of products containing certain chemical substances that may be hazardous to human health or the environment.
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Three Core Principles for Managing Chemical Substances in Products
To guide its efforts to manage chemical substances in products in compliance with SS-00259 standards, Sony has established three core principles:
1. Upstream management: In 2002, Sony established the Green Partner Environmental Quality Approval Program, which outlines Sony's Green Partner Standards for chemical substance management. Sony audits suppliers based on these standards. Sony purchases electronic parts only from suppliers who have passed this audit and have been certified as Green Partners. Sony has also implemented thorough management of OEM suppliers, who make products for Sony specifications, by requesting them to introduce an identical system.
In fiscal 2006, approximately 3,500 suppliers and 200 OEM suppliers were certified as Green Partners.
To further enhance the efficiency of the system to manage chemical substances, in autumn 2003 Sony introduced the Green Book, a raw materials database, which was made available to Sony's direct suppliers via its electronic procurement system.
In the Green Book, Sony has registered only those materials that have been confirmed to comply with the SS-00259 standards for resins, inks, electric wires, printed wiring boards and other basic materials that are commonly used by multiple primary suppliers. Primary suppliers are not required to submit measurement data when they use materials registered in the Green Book. As of April 2006, the Green Book contained approximately 15,000 materials.
2. Management in Quality Control/Quality Assurance processes: New materials and parts are tested to ensure conformity with ordinary quality control standards, as well as with SS-00259 standards. At the mass production stage, products are sampled and inspected regularly, and in Europe, inspections are conducted in warehouses prior to shipment. By implementing these strict management procedures worldwide, any inappropriate products are prevented from entering the market.
3. Application of measurement rules: To prevent prohibited substances from accidentally entering products, suppliers are required to submit certificates of nonuse—attesting that the parts and materials they supply do not contain prohibited chemical substances—as well as measurement data for certain high-risk substances contained in products. For these substances Sony has also implemented internal control systems that involve using measurement devices distributed to Sony sites worldwide, to help confirm that prohibited substances are kept out of products. |
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| Substances Specified by Sony as Subject to Control |
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| * Level varies depending on application |
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Reducing Use of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) may pose a risk to the environment if disposed of improperly. Another concern is that PVC might contain various other chemical substances, including plasticizers and stabilizers, which could pose risks to the environment and human health.
While PVC currently is not regulated by any laws that apply to chemical substances used in electronics products, Sony is working to eliminate PVC wherever a viable alternative is available. For example, Sony has succeeded in eliminating PVC from the casing and packaging materials used for its products. In addition, Sony has switched to Polyolefin materials for certain power cables, AC adapter cords and electrical cords used in its products.
Sony plans to substitute PVC in all new models of Mobile products (excluding accessories) by the end of fiscal 2010, provided that the substitute meets all product quality and technical requirements.
Sony is also working to eliminate specific phthalates which are used as plasticizer in PVC and other applications. For example phthalates are not used in the body of "PlayStationPortable (PSP)". They are also not used in the AC adaptor packaged with "PSP" shipped to Europe region. |
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Examples of PVC-free products(*) - as of November 2007
Product Category |
Model Name |
| Personal Computer "VAIO" | type-T(TZ), type-S(SZ), type-G, type-U(UX) |
| "WALKMAN" | NW-603K |
| NW-A805/A806/A808, NW-A916/A918/A919 |
NW-E002/E002F/E003/E003F/E005/E005F,
NW-E013/E013F/E015/E015F/E016/E016F, |
NW-S615F/S616F,
NW-S703F/S705F/S706F/S203F/S205F/S202/S202F,
NW-S715F/S716F/S718F |
| NWD-B103/B103F/B105/B105F |
| NWZ-S515/S516, NWZ-S615F/S616F/S618F |
| NWZ-A815/A816/A818 |
| NWZ-B103F/B105F |
| Camcorder | HDR-FX7/FX7E, HDR-UX7/UX7E/UX5,
HDR-SR8/SR8E/SR7/SR7E, HDR-CX7/CX7K/CX7EK,
HDR-HC7/HC7E, |
DCR-DVD508/DVD508E/DVD408E/DVD308,
DCR-SR300/SR300E, DCR-SR82/SR82E/SR62,
DCR-HC48/HC48E/HC38E, DCR-VX2100, |
| CCD-TRV126, |
| DSR-PD170/250, |
| HVR-Z1J/V1J/A1J |
| Video Recorder | GV-HD700/D800/D200,
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| DSR-50/45A, |
| HVR-DR60/M25J/M15J |
| Digital Still Camera | DSC-W35, DSC-W200, DSC-T20, DSC-T100, DSC-H7,
DSC-G1, DSC-H3, DSC-T70, DSC-T200, DSC-T2 |
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* PVC-free products: No use of PVC in casing and cables for internal wiring of products. |
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Reducing Use of Brominated Flame Retardants(BFRs)
Sony is promoting the use of alternatives to brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which can generate harmful substances if treated improperly after disposal.
For example BFRs are not used in the cabinets of any models of the "VAIO" PC, as of November 2007, available in the market or in the printed wiring boards(PWBs) of any of B5-sized and smaller notebook PCs. Moreover, printed wiring boards in 91% of A4-sized Sony PCs also contain no BFRs.
Sony plans to substitute BFRs in the casing and main PWBs of all new models of Mobile products by the end of fiscal 2010, provided that the substitute meets all product quality and technical requirements.
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"VAIO" PC containing no brominated fire retardants in the main circuit board
"VAIO type A" VGN-AR72DB |
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Examples of BFR-free products(*) - as of November 2007
Product Category |
Model Name |
| Personal Computer "VAIO" | type-T(TZ), type-S(SZ), type-G, type-U(UX)
type-C(CR), type-N(NR), type-F(FE), type-F(FZ), type-A(AR),
type-L(LJ), type-L(LM), type-L(LT), type-R(RM), TV SidePC TP1 |
| "WALKMAN" | NW-603K |
| NW-A805/A806/A808, NW-A916/A918/A919 |
NW-E002/E002F/E003/E003F/E005/E005F,
NW-E013/E013F/E015/E015F/E016/E016F, |
NW-S615F/S616F,
NW-S703F/S705F/S706F/S203F/S205F/S202/S202F,
NW-S715F/S716F/S718F |
| NWD-B103/B103F/B105/B105F |
| NWZ-S515/S516, NWZ-S615F/S616F/S618F |
| NWZ-A815/A816/A818 |
| NWZ-B103F/B105F |
| Camcorder | HDR-FX7/FX7E, HDR-UX7/UX7E/UX5,
HDR-SR8/SR8E/SR7/SR7E, HDR-CX7/CX7K/CX7EK,
HDR-HC7/HC7E, |
DCR-DVD508/DVD508E/DVD408E/DVD308,
DCR-SR300/SR300E, DCR-SR82/SR82E/SR62,
DCR-HC48/HC48E/HC38E, |
| CCD-TRV126, |
| DSR-PD170/250, |
| HVR-Z1J/V1J/A1J |
| NSC-GC1 |
| Video Recorder | GV-HD700/D800/D200,
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| DSR-50/45A, |
| HVR-DR60/M25J/M15J |
| Digital Still Camera | DSC-W35, DSC-W200, DSC-T20, DSC-T100, DSC-H7,
DSC-G1, DSC-H3, DSC-T70, DSC-T200, DSC-T2 |
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* BFR-free products: No use of BFRs in casing and main PWBs of products. |
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