Environmental protection has been an integral part of our company's culture since 1927 when the Van der Grinten brothers developed ammonia-free diazo technology. Over many decades, Océ has acquired a wealth of know-how in environmentally sound procedures. To extend our expertise in this area, Océ has representatives on leading advisory and control bodies that develop principles for national legislation, standardization and seals of approval.

Our product development reflects our commitment to the environment. For example:

• We have designed our copiers and printers so that ozone and dust emissions remain far below the industry standard --even during long copy runs. Our office and engineering equipment requires low energy consumption in standby mode. To further reduce energy costs, many of our machines require no warm-up time.
• Our commitment to environmentally friendly equipment has earned our products numerous awards and recognitions in the U.S. and around the world.
• Our manufacturing operations reflect our commitment to health, safety and the environment. We apply strict rules to ensure employee safety during every phase of the manufacturing process and systematically trace and reduce risks.
• We also have developed an operational control structure that minimizes the release of harmful substances; reduces, separates and recycles materials; and further reduces energy consumption.
• The durability of Océ-manufactured equipment is reflected in our machines' long lifetimes and high reliability, as well as in our economical use of materials. Since 1990, we have been cleaning and dismantling machines returned from the marketplace. Many components and materials are reused, or recycled to make raw materials, keeping waste to a minimum. The same applies to used supplies.
• The management of return flows ensures that customers are not left with waste materials from Océ equipment. In several cases, this has yielded sizable cost savings, proving that ecology and economy can be effectively combined.