Fuji Xerox Co., a joint venture of Xerox Corp. and FujiFilm Holdings Corp., has joined Eco-Patent Commons, a business effort coordinated by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development to pledge environmentally beneficial patents to the public domain.
“By making available their patents in this way, by sharing the results of their investment in research and development, companies are showing real leadership in sustainable development,” said Bjorn Stigson, president of the council. “Eco-Patent Commons continues to grow, and added together, the available patents make up a valuable resource for those individuals and companies working in areas such as energy efficiency, water treatment and waste reduction.”
Fuji Xerox Co. has pledged two patents to effectively treat wastewater. According to Norwalk-based Xerox, the processes enable efficient treatment of wastewater discharged from factories by coagulation and separation of specific chemical substances, and reduce quantities of the coagulant and the resulted sludge without harming the environment.
Xerox became a separate member of the Eco-Patent Commons last year and at the time pledged 11 patents that cover a process that reduces from years to months the time it takes to remove toxic waste from soil and water. The company pledged an additional patent that covers technology it said makes magnetic refrigeration less harmful to the environment.
