40 Years of Sustainability: Doing Business the Kyosei Way

Sustainability has been a key buzzword for both consumers and businesses alike in the past few years. Customers are increasingly interested in finding out whether a brand is a responsible corporate citizen engaging in sustainable practices, especially the younger generation. Every year, Canon publishes annual sustainability reports for all our stakeholders, investors and customers. This also ties in with our corporate philosophy that has been a guiding principle for the way we do business as we celebrate our 4th decade in Singapore.

Here at Canon, we practice kyosei, a term that means “living and working together for the common good”. This is a promise to take care of our society and give back to the community, while also running our business in a sustainable way. And we have been doing so for 40 years in Singapore.

Kyosei isn’t just a pretext for corporate social responsibility, it’s a commitment. When you work with Canon, rest assured that you’re working with a sustainable partner who always puts this philosophy in mind.

Going Green

With global warming and climate change affecting tangible differences in today’s world, Canon acknowledges that businesses have to do their part for the environment too. Let’s take a look at some of our eco-friendly initiatives:

Life Cycle Assessment

The Life Cycle Assessment initiative aims to reduce environmental impact throughout a product’s lifecycle. Using a quantitative evaluation throughout the product lifecycle from material procurement to manufacturing, distribution and disposal or recycling, this initiative promotes a greater sense of environmental awareness, implementing an environmentally-conscious design at every phase.

Sustainability in Print Consumables

As a company whose business is in printing, we hold a stake in our customer’s printing habits. We came up with a few ways to foster an eco-friendly consumption of our printer consumables. Our toner cartridge recycling initiative maximises resource recovery, giving old plastic and metal components new life. Our customers return empty Canon cartridges when placing orders for new ones, with the collection of these used cartridges coming at no additional costs or effort to them. Canon-branded paper is also responsibly sourced, with 100% of our raw materials retrieved from a sustainable forest.

Taking a Stand for the Environment

Change starts from within - at Canon, we make it a point to cultivate environmental awareness and eco-habits in our company. From participating in the worldwide Earth Hour movement to holding Clean & Green initiatives such as our beach clean-up activity, we recognise that doing our part for the environment is our responsibility and are actively finding ways to go green together as a Canon family.

Supporting our Community

Sustainability is more than recycling and caring for the environment - it is also ensuring society and its community can co-exist and thrive. For Canon, this idea is the essence of kyosei: giving back to our community.

Photography-related programmes

As a global leader in the photography and digital imaging, we wanted to share our knowledge and love for this craft to our community. The Canon Imaging Academy (CIA) was set up to help both amateur and professional photographers alike capture their best shot. Teaming up with SkillsFuture and with various programmes and courses available, students can enrol in the CIA to further hone their photography skills.

We are also host to one of Asia’s largest and most creative photo events - the Canon PhotoMarathon! This year, we partnered with heartland charity Our Tampines Hub Gives Back, donating all registration fees towards this charity to help lower-income families living within the Tampines GRC.

Sports partnerships and sponsorships

Here at Canon, we are also avid supporters of our local sports scene. As the proud sponsors of the Singapore Bowling Federation and Singapore’s first Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling, our company is committed to nurturing talented sportspersons in Singapore, inspiring youths and promoting sports in the community.

Forbes claims that 2020 will be the “Year of Sustainable Business”, but let’s not forget that sustainability extends beyond business models and operations - sustainability stems from protecting and caring for our environment, society and community. Let’s embody the kyosei spirit and strive towards a sustainable decade ahead!

40 Years of Sustainability: Doing Business the Kyosei Way - Business Insight - Canon Singapore