How Does Ricoh’s Circular New Aim to Scale Remanufacturing?
IDC ·
Ricoh and ETRIA (a manufacturer built on Ricoh, Toshiba Tec and OKI technologies) announced Circular New on October 6, 2026, to build new A3 multifunction printers (MFPs) partly from components recovered from devices in the market. Ricoh and ETRIA aim to scale it by combining local collection, a common platform and component data, as demand […] The post How Does Ricoh’s Circular New Aim to Scale Remanufacturing? appeared first on IDC .
Ricoh and ETRIA (a manufacturer built on Ricoh, Toshiba Tec and OKI technologies) announced Circular New on October 6, 2026 , to build new A3 multifunction printers (MFPs) partly from components recovered from devices in the market. Ricoh and ETRIA aim to scale it by combining local collection, a common platform and component data, as demand for sustainable devices grows. Ricoh says newly sourced material can fall from about 76% to as low as about 21% by weight compared with conventional centralized production at major manufacturing sites in Asia.
A substantial number of tenders already require a share of remanufactured goods ( IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Hardcopy Remanufacturing 2025 Vendor Assessment, March 2025 ), and IDC expects this to grow as new legislation comes into force. Buyers who must meet that requirement could use a refurbished or remanufactured device, but with limits, such as a narrower choice of models. Circular New lets them meet it while still buying the latest-generation model, which Ricoh says has quality and warranty consistent with a conventional new build.
Circular New mixes recovered and new parts in a newly built model, and the process is designed to replace only what needs replacing. Ricoh says localized production can reduce the product carbon footprint by up to 25% on a life-cycle basis, compared with centralized manufacturing of the same RICOH IM 6010 model at designated Asian production sites.
The signal for the market is that Ricoh is changing its manufacturing process and supply chain. This is to meet its own ESG targets (Ricoh aims to cut newly sourced material in its products to 60% by 2030 and 12% by 2050) and to offer a new category of products aimed at sustainability-driven tech buyers.
Remanufacturing is not new, and remanufactured-to-new products offered by vendors such as Canon and Fujifilm have been in the market for over a decade and are captured as a separate category in the IDC Worldwide Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker . Ricoh has its own line of remanufactured and refurbished products, and its CE and Greenline series are already available in certain regions. However, Circular New aims for scale, and three elements work together:
In IDC’s assessment, vendors and the channel today do one or two of these things. The combination could let remanufacturing reach new-product scale.
Regulation and pricing will shape how far Circular New spreads.
Despite the absence of global sustainability legislation, EU frameworks give an indication of the direction of the trends that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will need to follow. Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR) defines remanufacturing as producing a new product from waste, products or components, with at least one change that substantially affects safety, performance, purpose or type. ESPR treats remanufactured products as new products, subject to “Ecodesign” requirements. Tech buyers should not see a difference in quality of the device itself. OEMs will need to provide auditable sustainability credentials.
IDC understands Circular New will be priced in line with an existing Ricoh new device. Tender and sustainability-led buyers should not find it hard to justify paying that price for a device that meets their sustainability requirements. For everyone else, Ricoh will have to show that this is the same latest-generation model.
The material and carbon figures are Ricoh claims. IDC has not independently verified them.
What happens next? The first machines launch in the first half of 2027, so no customer feedback exists yet. Competitors would need to put local collection, a common platform and component data in place together before they can offer remanufactured content on a similar scale.
What could accelerate adoption? Tender requirements for locally remanufactured content set by national or regional legislation, and tighter ESPR delegated acts that cover print devices.
What could slow it down? Buyer perception.
What should readers watch for next? Launch pricing and warranty terms. Also watch the first tenders that name the product, and whether Canon or other vendors respond with their own local circular tier. The release says Ricoh and ETRIA will explore collaboration with brand owners and OEM partners, so watch whether the concept extends beyond Ricoh-branded products.
Read more in IDC’s research on this market:
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