Dublin, June 17, 2014 - Ricoh Ireland is today announcing a new partnership with ReCreate, a social enterprise which diverts end of line and surplus stock from businesses in Ireland and reuses them as arts materials at its Creative Resource Centre in Ballymount, Dublin.
ReCreate encourages children to engage in open-ended play through creating art from end of line , surplus or excess materials from businesses . Its educational mission is to increase creativity, curiousity and lateral thinking, while simultaneously raising awareness of sustainability and reuse. The holistic philosophy of the project means that there are benefits for everyone; schools save money on art materials, businesses save money on disposal of materials, landfill is reduced, while stimulating creativeness and resourcefulness at the same time.
Since opening its doors in November 2013, more than 15,000 children, parents and teachers have participated in art projects using materials from ReCreate, either at their schools, youth centres or onsite in ReCreate’s Creative Resource Centre called the ‘Warehouse of Wonders’. In its first year, ReCreate estimates that it will save 150 tonnes of material from being thrown into landfill by Irish businesses.
Through this new partnership, Ricoh will work closely with ReCreate to increase the quantity and quality of re-usable materials that can be used by children for art projects. This includes cardboard, paper, posters, cylinders, spools, fabrics, mounting board and a whole host of other materials. Ricoh will divert surplus materials from its own production print facility in Park West, Dublin and will also encourage its partner network and customer base to do the same.
In addition, Ricoh will be donating one of its Eco-line multi-functional print devices to ReCreate and will also take on the production and printing of promotional and educational collateral for ReCreate from its production print facility.
This partnership coincides with Ricoh's Global Eco Action Month which aims at improving environmental awareness and understanding and engaging in environmental activities. Ricoh has set aggressive long term targets to cut CO2 emissions by 87.5% by 2050. In addition, its approach to lifecycle management considers all aspects of product and business activities. This, in turn, minimises resource use and maximises the reuse, recycle and reduction of raw materials.
Gary Hopwood, general manager, Ricoh Ireland, said, “We have been hugely impressed by ReCreate’s passion and ability to make such a positive creative impact on school children in Ireland. At Ricoh, we also have a zero waste to landfill policy so this perfectly complements our requirements. We are delighted that some of our surplus materials can now also be used for educational purposes. We would encourage all Irish businesses to look at engaging with ReCreate, or similar initiatives, so that we’re all working together to create a more sustainable future for younger generations.”
Dara Connolly, executive director, ReCreate, said, “Our mission is to not only further the educational experience and imaginations of children but also to promote environmental awareness and the reuse of materials. Ricoh is a fantastic partner for us because they share our beliefs about the environment and about education.
“We’re committed to growing ReCreate significantly in the coming years by expanding our membership to pre-schools, schools and all kinds of community groups and individuals. We aim to influence everybody from pre-schoolers to university students and everybody in between to engage in creative re-use. We hope that more forward thinking organisations like Ricoh will join us on our exciting mission.”
Ricoh’s environmental credentials have seen it being named in many credible sustainability global indexes such as the Global 100 most sustainable corporations in the world and the FTSE4Good index series. In Ireland, Ricoh has held certification for ISO 14001 for effective environmental management since 2001.
| About Ricoh |
Ricoh is a global technology company specialising in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and IT services. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in about 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ending March 2014, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,236 billion yen (approx. 21.7 billion USD).
The majority of the company's revenue comes from products, solutions and services that improve the interaction between people and information. Ricoh also produces award-winning digital cameras and specialized industrial products. It is known for the quality of its technology, the exceptional standard of its customer service and sustainability initiatives.
Under its corporate tagline, imagine. change. Ricoh helps companies transform the way they work and harness the collective imagination of their employees.
For further information, please visit www.ricoh.ie
| About ReCreate |
ReCreate is a national social enterprise that looks to take end of line and surplus stock from businesses and reuses them as arts materials. Its warehouse is full to the brim with all types of arts materials such as paper, wool, plastics, fabric, tubing, foam and many other unusual and unexpected surprises.
Distribution of the materials is on a membership basis which will be at a nominal cost as Recreate are looking to drastically reduce the expenditure on arts materials of schools, community groups, preschools and crÈches and representative organisations. Members can come as often as they like and take away as much as they want. Additionally tonnes of materials are diverted annually from landfill as well as saving businesses on their disposal costs, everybody wins.