Panasonic gains sustainability and efficiency with compliance software

Thomas Knopp, environmental project manager at the electronics manufacturing giant, says that, in addition to achieving compliance, the application is also helping Panasonic to be more efficient and reduce both recycling and operational costs. "With SAP Recycling Administration, we could improve the recycling data management process significantly – representing a 50% time savings across 18 countries and 50 different compliance schemes," comments Thomas Knopp, environmental project manager with Panasonic Europe. "The application also allows us to generate more accurate calculations of product net weight – the basis for recycling charges per the WEEE directive – and has consequently reduced recycling costs by 15%, which adds up to millions of dollars every year," he adds. Panasonic uses SAP Recycling Administration to classify recyclable materials by type, weight, usage, destination, brand and category. SAP's software is tightly integrated with its SAP ERP suite, and provides a central data repository for worldwide regulatory requirements. Panasonic is continuing to roll out the application throughout its European offices and is currently using it for 50 compliance schemes.