Life cycle assessment (LCA) initiatives

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method to evaluate all types of environmental impact quantitatively, based on the amounts of resources and energy taken in and waste discharged at each stage of the product life cycle, from material procurement to production, logistics, consumption, recycling and disposal.
To promote determination and reduction of environmental impact, in fiscal 2007, the Group began considering effective application of LCA with the aim of calculating and applying LCA data in product planning discussions, design changes, production process improvement, and other areas.

Life cycle assessments (LCA) for LED lighting

At Citizen Electronics, we have conducted life cycle assessments (LCA) on our LED lighting products and determined their CO2 emissions in an effort to objectively quantify our products’ environmental credentials and map out future directions based on comparison with other company’s products. We collected data and carried out assessments at the manufacturing stage (from component production to LED assembly) and at the usage stage (lifetime usage: 40,000 hours).
The resulting CO2 emission data – 1.4g at the production stages and 46,500g at the usage stage – indicated that over 99% of the emissions produced over each product’s life cycle occurs during the usage stage. It is therefore evident that improving the luminous efficiency of LEDs (lm/W) is our top priority in order to reduce CO2 emissions during the usage stage.
Although there are still issues with LCA, in areas such as accuracy, accessibility and widespread market usage, publishing CO2 emissions and other environmental data still provides an invaluable source of information given the increasing focus on LED lighting as a means of saving energy. We will endeavor to provide more reliable data and supply environmentally friendly products in the future, taking into account compliance with incoming legislation (including the EuP Directive, which is set to impose eco-design requirements on energy using products in the EU).

CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPANResults of LCA Performed on Calculator Printer

PA600 calculator printer

In fiscal 2007, Citizen Systems Japan conducted LCA on the PA600 calculator printer, marking the first time the company performed LCA on a printer.
The chart below shows data on environmental impact calculated from the perspective of global warming, in each stage of the printer's life cycle from production to disposal.
The results of the analysis show that 93% of total CO2 emissions for the life cycle occur during use of the printer. We will work to mitigate the environmental impact of new products in the development stage under the theme of creating products that consume little electricity during use.

CO2 Emissions^*1

*1 Based on one million lines of print; disposal stage evaluated as land-filling

CITIZEN HOLDINGSResults of implementing LCA for Hydrogen Gas Sensor

Hydrogen Gas Sensor

LCA was implemented for a hydrogen gas sensor for newly developed fixed fuel battery to detect leakage of hydrogen gas.
The graph shows impact data of environmental burdens calculated from the viewpoint of global warming in each stage of the lifecycle from manufacturing to disposal.
As the result, it was found that there is a tendency that environmental burden of this product to monitor leakage of hydrogen gas at all times is higher at the stage of use.
Also in future, planning and design of new products and their production methods are reviewed, balancing the convenience of functions and the improvement in security with the extent of environmental burden.

Impacts of hydrogen gas sensor on global warming

*2 It was evaluated based on the assumption that it is continuously operated for 10 years at 5V-75mA and buried at the stage of disposal.

CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPANLCA Results of Thermometers

In order to investigate the extent of environmental impacts of products produced by Citizen Group, LCA was implemented for three different models of universal design thermometers.
The graph below show the LCA data on global warming impacts made in each stage of the lifecycle from manufacturing to disposal.
It has become clear that there is a tendency that as improvement of the function of products would increase the number of parts used and structural complexity, larger environmental impacts result.
Efforts are going to be made to look into the plan, design and production process, balancing the convenience of functions with the extent of environmental burden.

Estimation thermometers
CT786SP
The flexible tip can fit easily into the body part, and they are equipped with a 30-
seconds estimation function that contributes to the shortening of measurement time.

Vibration thermometers
CT785V
They are equipped with a large liquid crystal display, and an end of measurement is notified by vibration.

Measurement thermometers
CT782W
They are a standard model with finger knob.

Global Warming (CO2 equivalent)^*3

*3 Calculation based on the assumption that one measurement is conducted every 3 days for 5 years. Button battery is used.

CITIZEN WATCHLife-Cycle Assessment of Eco-Drive Watches

We used a preliminary LCA approach to consider the difference between stainless steel and titanium watch exteriors. In this case, we considered the differences starting from the materials production stage and ending at the product manufacturing stage. (Note that the "exterior" consists of the casing, the display, and the band, whereas the "interior" consists only of the movement.)
The graphs below show the impact data of a single watch on global warming, acidification, and energy use.
As we move ahead we shall expand our LCA to include product usage, recycling, and disposal stages, as we work to cover the entire life cycle.