Sharp hops on 'green' wagon with G-PAS

Sharp Corp. has introduced the Green-Product Assessment System (G-PAS), which is designed to enhance development efficiency and environmental performance simultaneously in areas such as energy consumption, use of resources, safety and product recycling.

Sharp launched G-PAS in its Japan design and production sites in 2006 and is scheduled to introduce it in 12 overseas design and production bases this fiscal year.

According to the company, G-PAS enables it to reduce the environmental impact and lead time throughout the entire life cycle—from manufacture to distribution, use and recycling—of all products in its domestic and overseas production bases.

The implementation of G-PAS also allows Sharp to respond to government initiatives around the world to strengthen environment regulations, such as the E.U. RoHS directive. In addition, with the 2008-2012 initial commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol commencing next year, environmental protection measures, including those to prevent global warming, are increasingly being undertaken on a global level.

In view of this, the challenge of reducing development lead times becomes one of having to research in advance the system of environmental laws and regulations and the environmental performance required of materials for each country, and incorporating the results into product design and development.

G-PAS uses a database system to consolidate the management of information about component materials, manufactured articles, and environmental laws and regulations, enabling real-time quantitative assessments of the environmental performance of potential products at development sites. Additionally, making this database accessible via a global network and promoting information sharing among Sharp bases enhances both product development efficiency and environmental performance.