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Sustainability

Continuous Improvement of Responsible Care Activities

Reduction of Industrial Waste and Pollutant Emissions

Policy/Philosophy

With the development of socio-economics, there is a call to move away from the "mass production, mass consumption, mass disposal" system and reduce resource consumption by promoting efficient use and recycling of substances from production to distribution, consumption, and disposal to form a “recycling society” which will have less impact on the environment.

Therefore, our Group is further promoting the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) through responsible care activities, striving to reduce waste and make effective use of it.

Furthermore, with regard to the emission of chemical substances generated by production activities into the atmosphere, waters, and soil, appropriate management shall be conducted to comply with emission standards set forth by various laws and regulations as well as regulatory values based on local agreements to reduce the burden on people's health and the environment.

System

Indicators

Waste

Indicator Scope Unit FY2020 FY2021※1 FY2022※1 FY2023※1
Volume of waste generation non-consolidated 1000tons 38.0 38.2 39.6 30.1
Recycled volume non-consolidated 1000tons 8.7 7.1 8.1 6.8
Final disposal volume non-consolidated 1000tons 1.1 1.2 5.7 4.9
Final disposal ratio※2 non-consolidated % 14.3 6.0 22.6 22.8
  • 1 Waste soil from Toyama Plant was added to the calculation.
  • 2 Final disposal volume / Volume of waste discharged outside x 100

Plastic Waste

Indicator Scope Unit FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 Target
(Year)
Amount of plastic waste non-consolidated ton 795 830 592 -
Recycling rate of plastic waste non-consolidated % 44 55 53 50
(2027)

Emissions to Atmosphere

Indicator Scope Unit FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) non-consolidated ton 0.4 0.5 0.5 2.7
NOx non-consolidated ton 124 113 96 63
SOx non-consolidated ton 55 28 19 23
Dust non-consolidated ton 9 10 7 8
  • Including other than benzene and formaldehyde

Control of Waste Water

Indicator Scope Unit FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023
COD emissions non-consolidated ton 208 190 259 139
Total phosphorus emissions non-consolidated ton 14 38 13 7
Total nitrogen emissions non-consolidated ton 3059 2727 2413 1686

PRTR Substances

Indicator Scope Unit FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023
Emissions of
PRTR Substances
Atmosphere non-consolidated ton 0.4 0.5 1.3 2.7
Waters non-consolidated ton 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.4
Soil non-consolidated ton 0 0 0 0
Total non-consolidated ton 0.8 0.9 1.7 3.0
  • Due to rounding off figures, there are places where the sums for each item do not match the total.

Activities

Reduction of Waste

We thoroughly implement control measures to ensure the proper disposal of waste, while also are striving to reduce industrial waste. We also applied electronic manifests using legal compliance system for waste.

Waste water discharged in the manufacturing process accounts for the majority of our industrial waste. We treat this waste internally by means of combustion.

In FY2023, the volume of industrial waste generated decreased significantly to the lowest level in the past five years, and the recycled volume was the same as in previous years. The final disposal volume decreased from FY2022.

Waste volume [1,000 tons]

Recycled volume / Final disposal volume (1,000tons)

 

Efforts for Emission Reduction and Recycle of Plastic Waste

Based on the enforcement of the Act on Promotion of Resource Circulation for Plastics (effective date: April 1, 2022), we have disclose information on plastic waste as a large- amount waste-discharging enterprise. In addition, we have promoted efforts for emission reduction and recycle of plastic waste. The amount of plastic waste in FY2023 decreased compared to FY2021 and FY2022 due to reduction in the amount of plastic waste at plants and laboratories. We achieved our FY2027 recycling target of “50%” of plastic waste for two consecutive years. Going forward, we will continue to promote initiatives such as recycling.

Amount of
plastic waste
Recycling rate of
plastic waste
FY2021 795t 44%
FY2022 830t 55%
FY2023 592t 53%
 
  • Waste-discharging enterprise that generate 250 tons or more of plastic waste

Reduction of Emissions of VOCs

We regularly take initiatives to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which cause the formation of photochemical oxidants. Among the twelve substances of VOCs which were selected, formulated voluntary management plan, and worked on reduction by chemical industry, three (1,2-dichloroethane, benzene, and formaldehyde) were handled in the Company. As a result of measures such as the introduction of VOC removal equipment, emissions of these have been significantly reduced. Especially, emissions of benzene have been eliminated since FY2017 due to the conversion of naphtha to natural gas as a fuel and feedstock. We are also reducing emissions of formaldehyde through measures such as sealing facilities and combustion treatment of exhaust gases.

Emissions of organic air pollutants (ton)

 

Control of Exhaust Gas

We control exhaust gas by observing the discharge standards in the "Air Pollution Control Act" and regulatory values based on agreements with local communities. We maintain the proper conditions in our desulfurization facilities and denitrification facilities in an effort to control the emissions of air pollutants such as sulfur oxide (SOx) and nitrogen oxide (NOx). Since FY2017, the conversion of boiler fuel to natural gas has resulted in significant reduction in SOx emissions and dust emissions.

SOx emissions / NOx emissions (ton)

Dust emissions (ton)

 

Control of Waste Water

Our plants observe the discharge standards stipulated in the "Water Pollution Control Act" and regulatory values based on agreements with local communities. In addition, at the Onoda Plant, we have been taking measures to maintain the quality of waste water discharged from the plant in line with the "Act on Special Measures concerning Conservation of the Environment of the Seto Inland Sea". We monitor the chemical oxygen demand (COD), the total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentration in waste water of each plant on a regular basis and work to reduce these emissions.

COD (left axis) / Total phosphorus (left axis) / Total nitrogen (right axis) emissions (ton)

 

Reduction of Emissions of PRTR Substances

Every year, we use 50~60 chemical substances whose emissions must be registered in accordance with the “Act on Confirmation, etc. of Release Amounts of Specific Chemical Substances in the Environment and Promotion of Improvements to the Management Thereof (PRTR law)”. The main substances emitted were formaldehyde and n-hexane, which are used as a reaction solvent.

The total volume of emissions was 3.0 tons, including 2.7 tons to the atmosphere and 0.4 tons to the water. Since we significantly reduced emissions into the atmosphere in FY2017, we have maintained the emission amount into the atmosphere. In FY2023, emissions into the atmosphere were increased because it became difficult to maintain the treatment facilities due to unforeseen production adjustments and we were forced to temporarily release to the atmosphere.

We will continue to take steps to control the emissions. We did not emit these substances into the soil.

Emissions of PRTR substances [ton]

Breakdown of emissions of PRTR substances [ton]

 

Sustainability

 

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