Sharp is working to develop unique environmental technologies to raise the environmental performance of its products and devices, and to lower the environmental impacts of its production facilities.

Sharp is advancing research and development of people-friendly and environmentally friendly technologies covering four areas—energy saving and energy creation, effective use of resources, safety and peace of mind, and health and comfort.

In fiscal 2010, the volume of plastic derived from closed-loop plastic material recycling technology^*1 that was recycled and reused in new products increased to 1,300 tons. This technology represents an example of a unique environmental technology that helps reduce the consumption of fossil-based resources and contributes to the effective use of resources. Sharp also continued to work on the development of recycling technologies for LCD TVs and technologies for using biomass materials.

Sharp also developed four-color technology^*2 that combines rich color rendering and energy efficiency in LCDs, as well as a proprietary airflow control technology that increases the efficiency of air conditioners and new high-efficiency monocrystalline solar cells. Also, total sales of products equipped with Plasmacluster Ion technology, Sharp’s unique air purification technology, reached 30 million units worldwide, and Sharp continued to pursue new instances where the effectiveness of this technology has been proven.

In addition, as initiatives looking to the future, Sharp is conducting joint research with Osaka Prefecture University on plant cultivation and recovering resources from waste at GREEN FRONT SAKAI, Sharp’s base in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.

Sharp will continue to work to improve the environmental performance of its products and devices, as well as develop and put into practical use unique environmental technologies to reduce the level of environmental impact at its production facilities.

*1

Recycling technology for repeatedly recovering plastic from used consumer electronics and reusing it in parts of new consumer electronics.

*2

Sharp’s four-primary-color concept was designed for use with LCDs; it differs from the conventional three-primary-color concept of light and color.

• Closed-loop plastic material recycling technology
• Recycling technology for LCD TVs and LCD panels
• Technology for utilizing biomass materials
• Energy-saving technology for LCD TVs
• Energy-saving technology for air conditioners
• Development of high-efficiency single-crystal solar modules
• Eco House experiments