Tokyo (October 25, 2013) - Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta) is pleased to announce that the company has been recognized by the Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry (JEMAI) with an “Incentive Award” in “2013 Award for 3R (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle)-Oriented Sustainable Technology” in recognition of its initiative in recycling cerium oxide, a rare earth element used as polishing material for glass.

Along with sponsorship by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, JEMAI annually gives “Award for 3R-Oriented Sustainable Technology” to technologically advanced businesses and initiatives that contribute to reducing, reusing and recycling in society. The honor system of JEMAI encourages sustainable innovations and intends to promote resource-recirculation businesses across industries. “Incentive Awards” are given to businesses or initiatives, with less than three years of implementation, which have exhibited outstanding originality and great growth potential in terms of new business creation.

Cerium oxide used in polishing glass needs to be discarded and replaced with a fresh batch. Konica Minolta has developed an innovative technology to reclaim and reuse the used cerium oxide. In the award, this initiative has been highly recognized for promoting resource recirculation with high productivity and at low cost. Konica Minolta's innovation brings such benefits as ease of processing within the production site, significantly high recycle rate, retaining the same quality as new material after recycling, and no need for big-budget capital investment or running cost for implementation.

The recycling technology has now been introduced at Konica Minolta's optical device production sites in Japan and overseas, dramatically reducing the volume of waste generated within the process, with 95% recycling rate for the overall polishing process.

Konica Minolta was honored at the award ceremony in Tokyo on October 18, 2013.

Under the communication message “Giving Shape to Ideas,” Konica Minolta continues working on creation of groundbreaking innovations that contribute to the development of recycle-oriented society.

Award Ceremony (October 18, 2013)

For additional information on Konica Minolta's technology in recycling cerium oxide polishing material, please visit
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