Fuji Xerox has started to incorporate nine types of recycled plastic parts (ABS plastics), jointly developed with UMG ABS, Ltd., in two of its desktop office laser printers. The process is employed at Fuji Xerox of Shenzhen Ltd. in China, making it the first time the Fuji Xerox has utilized recycled plastics in products manufactured overseas.
Previous to the switch, scrap plastics had been mixed with new plastic. The recycled plastics were first employed in the exterior covers of digital multifunction products in Japan about five years ago. Fuji Xerox began the export of recycled plastics in 2002 to a Korean molding manufacturer, which crafted the plastics into parts for copying machines before sending them back to Japan.
The recycled plastics are now also sent to China where they are transformed into parts by Japanese molding manufacturers and integrated into the DocuPrint 211 and the DocuPrint 181 laser printers. The plastics are used in nine different areas, including unit covers and stoppers.
The amount of recycled plastics used by Fuji Xerox in fiscal 2004 is forecast to reach 1,000 tons, through its introduction in China's manufacturing site and expanded usage to include pallets to transport products. The company expects to apply the method to a dozen parts by the end of this year. The company also announced that it plans on selling the method to other manufacturers.