Within the Sony Group, departments of product design, procurement, manufacturing and logistics are working together to promote a packaging improvement initiative to realize optimization of total costs-i.e., costs for design, procurement, manufacturing and logistics-for products and components, and concurrently to reduce environmental impact of CO2 emissions and packaging materials used.

In improving product packaging, Sony seeks to increase product packaging efficiency by shrinking package sizes, as well as to optimize loading efficiency for each transportation mode, thereby helping to reduce environmental impact. For example, since 2008 (2009 models) Sony has sought to reduce packaging volume for LCD televisions. Thanks to a lighter product weight and the use of air cushions, the KDL-32W600A and KDL-42W650A BRAVIA™ LCD television models, released in May 2013, used 70% less^*1 packaging by volume than previous BRAVIA™ models, enabling Sony to achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions generated in transportation by 57%^*2 per unit compared with the previous series.

Sony uses returnable containers, which can be reused repeatedly, for products and parts transportation, in order to facilitate the reuse of packaging materials and reducing waste. Sony has been using returnable containers in Japan since 2005, and is currently promoting the use in Asia as well in accordance with the shift of production to sites outside of Japan.

In fiscal year 2011, Sony used approximately 31,000 returnable containers worldwide, thereby contributing to approximately 312-ton reduction in the use of packaging materials and one-way pallets.

Sony's returnable containers are designed to enable efficient loading onto sea freight containers. Since 2009, Sony has introduced modular size (standardized) cartons, which fit efficiently into returnable containers. By using modular cartons that match the storage requirements of each part, Sony has increased parts storage efficiency and optimized the number of units shipped in each container.