Sony Corporation Global Headquarters
Sony sites worldwide are taking steps towards a zero environmental footprint from the four perspectives in our Road to Zero environmental plan. Environmental performance of business operations is also carefully evaluated in the Sony Green Star Program.
Each day, Sony plants around the world receive shipments of many parts and products. Distribution is another area where innovation helps us reduce resource consumption. One example of this is returnable containers.
To ship parts and products, Sony has adopted reusable, returnable containers, which has reduced packaging material considerably. In Japan, we introduced returnable containers for distribution in 2005. As manufacturing started shifting from Japan to overseas sites around 2009, we have expanded this approach throughout Asia. As of fiscal 2011, nearly 31,000 sets of returnable containers were in use globally, saving some 312 tons of packaging material annually that would otherwise be used with conventional, one-way pallets.
How modular boxes are loaded in a returnable container, and in turn, how returnable containers are loaded in a sea freight container
Convenient, reusable Sony containers are also designed to make the most of the space in sea freight containers. Modular boxes in standard sizes are loaded in returnable containers. More efficient loading is possible with modular boxes that match the size of the parts shipped, which enables an optimal shipping volume per container.
