Eco Manufacturing, A Green Process : Sony

Long before a product is built we’ve thought through the process from beginning to end, so we can incorporate eco thinking at every stage. Among hundreds of other initiatives we use recycled materials where possible, renewable energy in the factories and we work towards zero waste at all times.

Our processes

Designing in a more eco friendly way

Sony designers build in eco thinking from the earliest stages of design. This includes ensuring products can be manufactured using as many recycled materials as possible, and always looking for ways to reduce the energy consumption of each product.

Our suppliers

Before we start production we make sure our suppliers share our environmental outlook. In fact you can’t supply Sony until you’ve passed an audit and have been certified as a Green Partner.

Raw materials

We use recycled materials wherever possible, and always work to reduce the amount of material needed. For example, 80% of the plastics parts of the new VAIO W-Series are now made out of recycled plastics enabling us to cut CO2 emissions by 10% compared to the previous model.

Factories and buildings

Our buildings are an important part of our eco initiatives. 32 of our buildings in Europe are powered by 100% renewable energy, and in Austria we have two buildings powered entirely by hydro-electricity. The Sony USA Headquarters has its own solar power station, drought resistant landscaping and interior fittings made from recycled material.

Packaging

Sony is dramatically reducing packaging across the entire range of products – for example the VAIO NW series box dimensions are now 20% less than the prior model. The VAIO W Series eco edition goes a step further by replacing the carton box with a carry case.

Distribution

With less packaging we can load more products in each truck, and with improvement in distribution management we load bigger trucks for less frequent trips.

Related content

Recycling

Find out how Sony Europe takes full responsibility for its’ take-back obligations. Set by the EU, the take-back legislation requires manufactures in Europe to organise and finance the collection and recycling of end-of-life products and packaging.

Find out more

Our corporate responsibility report

We take our corporate and social responsibilities seriously and publish an annual report to communicate the work that has been done in the previous year.

Download the latest CSR report

A green process