Panasonic joins the circular economy with new sustainability initiative
Panasonic TOUGHBOOK Europe updates on latest wide ranging sustainability initiatives.
As a leading European rugged mobile computing manufacturer, the Panasonic TOUGHBOOK team has been focusing on the major challenging aspects of sustainability for the industry. Today it is announcing a number of initiatives as part of its corporate GREEN IMPACT strategy to reduce the impact of production and consumption by extending the life of its products.
Extending device life
TOUGHBOOK Revive is a new not-for-profit sustainability programme giving European customers the opportunity to donate retired TOUGHBOOK devices to be revived or responsibly recycled. TOUGHBOOK devices that can be refurbished at the European Service Centre in Cardiff will be donated to charitable causes or resold on the second-hand market to support organisations working towards their sustainability goals. Any revenues from the scheme will go towards supporting the costs of device refurbishment.
Organisations taking advantage of TOUGHBOOK Revive will be contributing to a circular economy by helping to meet zero waste targets, supporting charitable giving and demonstrating sustainable recycling practices to customers and staff. Organisations participating will receive a certificate of donation.
Sustainability by design
Panasonic is also continuing to invest heavily in the sustainable design of TOUGHBOOK products. The introduction of modular design rugged devices, such as the TOUGHBOOK 40, 55 and G2, extend the life and use of the notebooks and tablets by allowing users to modify the device quickly and easily for different challenges by equipping different expansion areas. To complement this approach, the company has focused on backward compatible accessories which means that essential elements of the TOUGHBOOK ecosystem, such as power adapters, docks and battery packs, do not have to be replaced when devices are upgraded.
In addition, TOUGHBOOK devices ship in plastic-free packaging and all precious metals within the devices are recovered at end of life as part of The Royal Mint programme in the UK. The Royal Mint has signed an agreement with Canadian clean tech start up Excir to introduce a world first technology to the UK, which will enable it to safely retrieve and recycle gold and other precious metals from electronic waste.
Net Zero Goals
All these initiatives are underpinned by Panasonic’s “GREEN IMPACT” sustainability programme at global group level. Here Panasonic has committed to achieve net zero carbon emissions for its own business operations by 2030 and across its entire value chain by 2050. It is delivering on these goals by scaling-up clean energy generation and utilisation of renewable energy, reducing energy consumption through optimised energy efficiency and reducing resource consumption and waste through circular economic practices.
Growing towards sustainability
Away from its own operations, Panasonic TOUGHBOOK is supporting the Bavarian State Forests in Germany with climate resistant tree planting. Under the TOUGH Trees programme, 1,000 seedlings will be planted to help transform the woodlands into climate-resistant forests.
“There are no quick fixes but we are determined to continue putting sustainability at the heart of everything we do,” said Daichi Kato, Head of Mobile Solutions Division at Panasonic Connect Europe. “This starts with our global commitments to net zero and extends through the entire circularity of our products with the commitment to improving the environment we live in. I’m sure that our customers will embrace programmes like TOUGHBOOK Revive to help create a more sustainable future with us.”
