The reduction target of the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association is "to reduce the final disposal volume by 95% or more compared to the FY2001 level by FY2025. However, since we started aggregating our industrial waste in FY2005, we have set a target of "reducing final disposal volume by 95% or more compared to FY2005 by FY2025" with the approval of the association. The actual result in FY2023 was a 98.7% reduction against this reduction target, reaching the target compared to FY2005. On the other hand, the final disposal volume of this fiscal year exceeded the target we set for each year because it was higher than anticipated at the beginning of the fiscal year. In addition, we slightly exceeded the target for the ratio of final disposal volume to total waste volume (final disposal ratio), which we set voluntarily, at 1.01% against the target of 1.0% or less. As part of our ongoing 3R efforts, in FY2023, we sorted used rubber and turned it from flammable to recyclable materials. We will continue our efforts to reduce the final disposal volume and promote recycling.　

We use an organic solvent to dissolve the rubber for the rubber glue we use in the manufacturing process, and we remove this organic solvent before the final product is produced. During the removal process, we utilize solvent recovery facilities to liquefy and recover the gases to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are released as gases into the atmosphere. Furthermore, we reuse recovered organic solvents as raw materials, helping to reduce the amount of raw materials we purchase. In addition, in aggregating the amount of VOC emissions, we monitor and control the amount of organic solvents used and stocked and the amount of waste liquids transferred. In FY2022, our VOC emissions reduction rate was 78.4%, meeting the target of a "50% or more reduction compared to the FY2000 level." In FY2023, we used a smaller amount of organic solvent due to the discontinuation of some products made with them during the term. As a result, we continued to achieve our VOC emissions reduction rate target in FY2023.

Recovery of organic solvents

The company is committed to reducing its environmental impact based on an ISO 14001:2015 environmental management system and focuses on recovering and recycling organic solvents. We operate organic solvent recovery facilities and reuse some organic solvents as raw materials. Since the organic solvent recovery facilities involve operations such as adsorption and desorption by steam and heat exchange by cooling water, temperature control is a critical point to monitor. We perform inspections and record-keeping required by laws and regulations, as well as daily inspections and periodic maintenance of facilities. Further, we collect and monitor various types of operational data to ensure the stable operation of our recovery facilities.

Management of chemical substances and environmentally hazardous substances

Since FY2022, the ministerial ordinances related to the Industrial Safety and Health Act have been revised as new chemical substance regulations. As a result, additional substances have been sequentially included, requiring labeling, SDS notification, and risk assessment implementation. To address these changes in the future, we will evaluate the standard concentration values of relevant substances and appoint a chemical substance manager.

In our plants in Japan, we use potable water and groundwater. We use potable water in plants for both domestic purposes and production processes. Regular management of its usage enables early detection of abnormalities and prevents wasteful water use. For groundwater, we strive to reduce the intake because we recognize that it is a valuable resource in all locations of our production sites. Specifically, we recycle groundwater that is cooled in the manufacturing process and reuse it as circulating water in our plants. However, since the water temperature rises when left as it is, we use it after it has cooled in the cooling tower. In addition, some production facilities are equipped with chiller systems, which function as closed cooling water circulation lines without requiring refilling or draining of cooled chiller water. As for drainage, we analyze sewage and wastewater on a regular basis. Our contractor analyzes collected wastewater and provides measurement certificates containing the analysis results, including pH, COD, BOD, SS, and nitrogen and phosphorus content. Waste liquids discharged from other manufacturing processes are placed in containers and are disposed of as industrial waste by a contractor qualified to dispose of waste liquids. In FY2023, we answered the CDP questionnaire about water risks and climate change. Although we did not receive a score, we intend to enhance the content of our CDP answers by elevating our environmental efforts.

We held an Environmental Communication session at our Iwatsuki Plant in March 2023. In this session, we provided information on the chemical substances we handle, the business activities of the Iwatsuki Plant, and the status of our environmental initiatives, while giving a tour of the plant. As for our environmental initiatives, we talked about our trends in VOC (volatile organic compound) and CO2 emissions, the status of industrial waste segregation and the reduction of final disposal volume, and specific energy conservation initiatives, and explained the progress made toward the targets for these initiatives. We also explained that we comply with regulatory standards in various measurements required by laws and regulations and gave an update on our activities to reduce environmental impact and preserve the local environment. The session was concluded with exchanges of opinions, which helped the local community better understand our company's environmental initiatives. We will continue to position Environmental Communication as an opportunity to communicate our plants' environmental initiatives and to disclose information.