Harmony with Nature
Earth-Friendly Manufacturing
It is becoming more common in the manufacturing industry to design products that generate little environmental impact throughout all lifecycle stages. Alps Electric has been carrying out product assessments (*A) for each type of product since 1995. Recently however, an increasing diversity of categories used in assessing environmental impact have made it necessary to respond with the appropriate product material and recycling methods. Correspondingly, we conduct our product assessment program in a flexible manner, allowing us timely response to any new requirements.
We adopted life cycle assessments (LCA) in fiscal 2005, where the environmental impacts of products at every stage of their life cycle (from procurement of parts, production, transportation, and final use, etc.) are identified, evaluated, and given an overall rating. At Alps Electric, this evaluation item is limited to CO2 emissions.
(*A) Product Assessment:An assessment process where the environmental impact of a product is assessed during its development stages, and methods to reduce the impacts are then identified and incorporated into its production.
In cooperation with Alps Logistics, a core company of the Alps Group, we have succeeded in reducing the environmental impact generated from the logistics process. For example, we have improved transportation efficiency by standardizing shipping packaging, and have saved energy and reduced waste by using returnable and reusable containers, and have discontinued the use of wrapping film previously used to prevent stacked loads from falling.
Modal Shift
In October 2006, we adopted a modal shift (*B) in delivering automotive components manufactured by Alps Electric Korea to customers in Japan. We substituted rail transportation and Japan Railways containers for road transportation, which has resulted in a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. Transportation time has also been reduced due to this initiative as the same container is used throughout the shipping process.
Before adopting the modal shift, products from Korea to Tokyo were transported by container ship, and then delivered by truck to customers across Japan. After introducing the modal shift however, products are now shipped from Korea to Hakata, and then delivered by railway to Tokyo, and by truck to customers in west Japan. We have also modified the means of sea transportation from container ship to ferry, which operate more frequently. In addition, total shipping times have been reduced by using the same container throughout the process, allowing less time spent on reloading.
(*B) Modal Shift:This refers to a transportation shift from truck to ship or rail, resulting in less CO2 emissions while enabling mass transportation at the same time.
