MAHWAH, NJ, February 27, 2008 -- As part of its continuing commitment to preserving the environment and reducing landfill waste, Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) is enhancing its Copier Toner Recycling Program to encourage government and business customers to recycle Sharp toner cartridges from all Sharp models.

Beginning February 2008, every Sharp-branded copier, printer and multifunctional peripheral (MFP) toner cartridge sold in the U.S. can be easily recycled at no cost to the customer. Users can simply download pre-paid, pre-addressed UPS shipping labels from www.sharpusa.com/recycle to ship out used toner cartridges. To facilitate bulk shipments, help conserve resources and reduce energy use, users can also order recycled cardboard bulk cartons that hold up to ten used cartridges. These cartons arrive via UPS and can be conveniently placed in the customer’s mailroom or near the copiers for easy collection, and then shipped to one of three recycling centers nationwide.

“At Sharp, we are committed to maximizing energy resources while also maximizing product performance,” said Ed McLaughlin, president of SIICA. “This program formalizes our longstanding recycling efforts and makes the process easy and convenient for the customer.”

A History of Environmentally Sound Business Products
Sharp’s copiers and printers are among the industry’s most energy efficient and all current models are ENERGY STAR^® qualified. Sharp’s High-speed copier and printer products deliver energy efficiency and savings through external heat fusing technology that employs an external system to heat thin-walled steel fusing rollers. Sharp has further reduced waste by switching to reusable airbags for its packaging materials. As well, Sharp has eliminated the use of expanded polystyrene as a packaging material for all products under 11 lbs., and all service and owner’s manuals are printed on recycled paper.

The company was recently honored with the “Product Line of the Year” Award from Buyer’s Laboratory Inc., a tribute to the exceptional reliability and superior performance of its broad line of multifunction peripherals and copiers. “Achieving BLI’s ‘Product Line of the Year’ award underscores our business strategy of bringing to market superior products which meet the highest standards of reliability and advanced functionality,” said McLaughlin. “Our focus on industry-leading reliability provides the additional benefit of extending our MFPs’ productive life so their parts stay out of landfills. Additionally, fewer service calls mean less emissions from service vehicles.”

Global Commitment to the Environment
Sharp is committed to being a socially responsible company and helping preserve the environment. The company has long focused on designing environmentally-conscious products, reducing harmful emissions from its plants, and expanding the use of solar energy. In fact, Sharp aims to reduce its worldwide greenhouse gas emissions to the extent that, by fiscal 2010, the quantity of greenhouse gases emitted from its worldwide business activities that year will equal the quantity of greenhouse gases avoided through the use of Sharp energy-saving products and the use of the solar cells Sharp has sold during the previous 20 years.

The Sharp legacy of environmental responsibility was recently recognized by the U.S. Government’s General Services Administration (GSA) which awarded Sharp both its “Green Contractor Award” and its “Evergreen Award” in recognition of the company’s environmental leadership in manufacturing and sustainable business practices.

Sharp was also awarded the “SmartWay Excellence Award” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for conserving energy and lowering greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and freight activities. Sharp was one of the first members of the SmartWay Transport Partnership, which was created by the EPA in 2004 as a voluntary alliance that establishes incentives for fuel efficiency improvements and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. By 2012, this initiative aims to reduce between 33 and 66 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions and up to 200,000 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions per year.

In addition to the Copier Toner Recycling Program, Sharp is a key player in the Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Company (MRM). This newly formed joint venture between Sharp Electronics Corporation, Panasonic Corporation of North America and Toshiba America Consumer Products is designed to manage consumer electronics collection and recycling programs in the United States for manufacturers and others, including state and local governments.

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ENERGY STAR is a U.S. registered mark of the Environmental Protection Agency.