Adoption of Environmental Management Practices

The document details Epson (China) Co., Ltd.'s efforts to adopt environmental management systems under the direction of Vincent Leung. Key initiatives included achieving ISO 14001 certification in September 2000, reducing office energy and paper consumption, and attempting to establish a printer cartridge take-back system. While the company saw success in office-level reductions—such as an 11% drop in electricity consumption in 2001—it faced challenges in maintaining standards across regional branches and achieving high volume in its recycling programs. The case highlights the tension between corporate global policies and local operational realities in China.

• Epson (China) Co., Ltd. achieved ISO 14001 certification in September 2000, following a process that involved researching local legal requirements, forming a cross-departmental project committee, and hiring an outside consultant.
• The company implemented office-level environmental improvements that led to measurable reductions in resource use: paper usage decreased by 20% through reuse and double-sided copying, and electricity consumption dropped by 11% in 2001 compared to the previous year.
• Seiko Epson Corporation, the parent company in Japan, successfully eliminated lead from its electronic component soldering processes worldwide between fiscal 1999 and 2002, reducing usage from 12 tons to zero.
• Epson (China) faced significant difficulties in standardizing environmental practices across its regional branches, specifically in Chengdu and Guangzhou, where managers prioritized marketing activities over environmental programs.
• A printer cartridge take-back system was launched in China, expanding to 99 locations by December 1, 2001, and collecting 2,500 cartridges by January 2002; however, unlike the Japanese system which reused parts, the Chinese recycling center simply compressed and buried the materials.
• The motivation for Epson (China)'s environmental initiatives included corporate social responsibility, a desire to be proactive against future regulatory risks in China, and the pursuit of strategic advantages through energy-efficient product innovation.

APA

Diener, B., & Ming, C. (n.d.). Adoption of Environmental Management Practices. World Resources Institute. https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-512-3_full_version_english.pdf

Chicago

Diener, Betty, and Cheng Ming. Adoption of Environmental Management Practices. World Resources Institute, n.d. https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-512-3_full_version_english.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Diener |first1=Betty |last2=Ming |first2=Cheng |title=Adoption of Environmental Management Practices |publisher=World Resources Institute |url=https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-512-3_full_version_english.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dienerndadoption, author = {Diener, Betty and Ming, Cheng}, title = {{Adoption of Environmental Management Practices}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-512-3_full_version_english.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }