Brother Named a "Leader" for the Second Time in IDC MarketScape: Sustainability Programs and Services Hardcopy

Brother Industries, Ltd. (Head Office: Nagoya; President: Kazufumi Ikeda) today announced that it has been named a "Leader," the highest category, in "IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Sustainability Programs and Services Hardcopy 2026 Vendor Assessment^*1," the latest report by U.S.-based IT research firm IDC assessing companies from a sustainability perspective. This is the second time Brother has been named a "Leader," following its previous recognition in 2023.

The assessment evaluates the corporate strategies, business operations, products and services, and other aspects of 11 hardcopy vendors, including Brother, from a sustainability perspective. As addressing sustainability has become an urgent issue, we believe this assessment can serve as a useful reference for companies and other organizations when selecting manufacturers of printing products and services. Brother was also named a "Leader" in "IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Hardcopy Remanufacturing 2025 Vendor Assessment^*2," a report on printer remanufacturing published by IDC in 2025.

In the Brother Group Environmental Vision 2050^*3, formulated in 2018, the Brother Group, as a corporate group that uses energy and resources and provides products using bio-based items such as paper, thread, and cloth, recognizes key social issues such as climate change, resource depletion, environmental pollution, and destruction of the ecosystem as business risks and clearly states the group's continuous commitment toward solving these issues over the long term. In particular, the Group has designated "reduction of CO₂ emissions," "resource circulation," and "biodiversity conservation" as the three key issues to address. It has also established the 2050 Vision and set the medium-term target for FY2030 as a milestone toward achieving the vision, and is advancing a range of initiatives.

The Brother Group is also carrying out initiatives to reuse and remanufacture products and consumables that customers have finished using. As part of these efforts, since 2004 the Group has been collecting used toner cartridges from laser printers and All-in-Ones, remanufacturing them to the same quality as new cartridges^*4, and delivering them back to customers. As of March 31, 2026, the Group has remanufactured more than 45 million toner cartridges. It also began remanufacturing ink cartridges used in inkjet printers and All-in-Ones in 2024^*5 and drum units used in laser printers and All-in-Ones in 2026^*6.

In this assessment, IDC stated that Brother is "well suited for SMBs seeking printing solutions with robust sustainability credentials" and that its offerings "are aligned with organizations that prioritize circular economy practices, emissions reduction, and biodiversity." Brother was recognized for providing products and services that address the needs of customers who place a strong emphasis on sustainability. The Brother Group will continue to actively advance sustainability initiatives.

IDC MarketScape

IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of technology and service suppliers in a given market. The research utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each supplier's position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of technology suppliers can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective suppliers.

1. IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Sustainability Programs and Services Hardcopy 2026 Vendor Assessment, doc #US54139426, June 2026
2. IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Hardcopy Remanufacturing 2025 Vendor Assessment, doc #EUR153222025, March 2025
   June 18, 2025 IDC Remanufacturing Assessment | Brother
3. Partially revised in 2021, 2022, and 2025
4. Toner cartridge remanufacturing is conducted at manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom, Slovakia, the United States, and Japan
5. Ink cartridge remanufacturing is conducted at a manufacturing facility in the United Kingdom
   September 30, 2024 Remanufacturing Ink | Brother
6. Drum unit remanufacturing is conducted at a manufacturing facility in Slovakia
   August 24, 2026 Drum Remanufacturing Begins in Europe | Brother