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Kyocera Wireless Corp. and Kyocera America, Inc. Receive "Recycler of the Year" Awards from City of San Diego

[PHOTO: 50kW rooftop solar installation on Kyocera America, Inc. headquarters uses components made by Kyocera Corporation, a world-leading producer of solar photovoltaic modules.]
San Diego -- April 24, 2002 -- Kyocera International, Inc. announced that two of its wholly-owned subsidiaries received “Recycler of the Year” honors from the City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department today during a ceremony co-sponsored by the City and EarthWorks, the nonprofit sponsor of San Diego’s annual Earth Day celebration.

Kyocera Wireless Corp. received the award for recycling 63 percent of its waste materials in 2001, preventing about 2 million pounds of waste from entering landfills. In addition, the company reclaimed approximately 600,000 batteries from wireless phones, and reduced the size of its consumer packaging by 80 percent.

Kyocera America, Inc. received the award for recycling 68.2 percent of all waste generated in 2001, a total of 828,045 pounds of material that would have otherwise gone into landfills. The company also recycled more than 71 million gallons of water used in its manufacturing process last year, and generated virtually all of the electricity it consumed, using an on-site co-generation facility and rooftop solar panel array.

Together, the two companies saved more than $3.4 million during 2001 through the above efforts and other recycling of scrap metal, wastewater, cardboard, paper, office equipment, wood and plastics. Both are ISO-14001 and ISO-9001 certified; active in San Diego’s Industrial Environmental Association; and have received multiple environmental performance awards in past years.

The criteria upon which Mayor Dick Murphy’s Environmental Committee judges potential award recipients include an evaluation of recycling programs, improvement over previous recycling efforts, specific programs tailored to the company’s industrial niche, overall achievements and calculable results. A video documenting this year’s winners was shown at the ceremony and will also be viewable on the City of San Diego website (http://www.sandiego.gov), local cable television, and during related city events.

“Kyocera is honored that both of its San Diego manufacturing companies have received this prestigious award,” said Rodney N. Lanthorne, president of Kyocera International, Inc., the holding company for Kyocera’s wholly-owned subsidiaries headquartered in North America. “We believe that every business enterprise should be committed to environmental preservation.”

About Kyocera

San Diego-based Kyocera Wireless Corp. (http://www.kyocera-wireless.com) is a leading producer of innovative, feature-rich CDMA handsets and accessories for customers worldwide. The company has won city, state and federal awards for its environmentally friendly manufacturing and recycling practices, and is an active member of the City of San Diego Climate Wise/Energy Star Program.

San Diego-based Kyocera America, Inc. (http://www.kyocera.com/kai) designs, manufactures and assembles a broad range of electronic packaging solutions for the telecommunications and semiconductor markets based on advanced ceramic and plastic material technologies. The company’s products and services support broadband telecommunications, mobile and satellite communications, surveillance systems, sensors, automotive electronics, medical devices, computers and consumer electronic goods.

San Diego-based Kyocera International, Inc. (KII) is the holding company for seven wholly-owned subsidiaries headquartered in North America -- including Kyocera America, Inc., with manufacturing operations in San Diego since 1971, and Kyocera Wireless Corp., which was created after KII acquired QUALCOMM Incorporated's CDMA consumer wireless phone business in February 2000.

Kyoto, Japan-based Kyocera Corporation (NYSE: KYO), the group’s global parent, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, the company has become a leading supplier of telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages, electronic components, cameras, laser printers, copiers, solar energy systems and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2002, Kyocera Corporation's consolidated net sales totaled $7.8 billion with net income of $240 million. Kyocera has been recognized by IndustryWeek magazine as one of “The World's 100 Best-Managed Companies.”

In addition to traditional recycling efforts, Kyocera’s environmental commitment extends to the design and manufacture of products that actively reduce environmental problems. For example, Kyocera is a world leader in solar photovoltaic module technology, has won numerous awards for its patented Ecosys™ cartridge-free imaging system for copiers and printers, and is the world’s leading producer of pollution-reducing ceramic automotive engine components.