Harmony with Nature
Minimizing Environmental Risk
Our environmental management system facilitates countermeasures that minimize pollution risks in the event of crises such as accidents and disasters. Risk maps for each plant have been prepared to address pollution risk due to chemicals. Facilities and workplaces that handle chemical substances have been clearly identified and recorded, along with previous crises.
We are currently using anaerobic bioremediation to treat polluted soil and groundwater caused by organochlorine compounds discovered at some domestic plants in 1999. The pollutant concentrations continue to decline gradually.
Active carbon tower to absorb VOCs
(Alps Electric Korea)
To prevent environmental pollution due to leakage of chemical substances, we implement a range of measures that include formulating emergency response plans, and replacing underground pipelines with aboveground, double-walled pipelines. We also take a range of measures to reduce VOC (*A) emissions into the atmosphere, including switching from chemical paints to water-based paints, improving the management of paints, and using cleaning apparatus for print masks. Our target is to reduce VOC emissions by 30% of 2000 figures by 2010. In fiscal 2006, we were able to reduce VOC emissions by 51.5% over the 2000 figures.
Our use of lead and its compounds has actually increased, but this is due to a rise in manufacture of products that utilize these substances, which are controlled by the PRTR Law (*B) .
(*A) VOC: Volatile Organic Compounds are organic compounds that easily vaporize into the atmosphere at normal temperatures under normal atmospheric pressure. They are used, for example, in paints and for cleaning parts. It is known that once discharged into the atmosphere and exposed to sunlight, they undergo a chemical transformation where hazardous substances are generated. Japan’s Air Pollution Control Act revised in 2004 regulates VOC emissions.
(*B) PRTR Law: The Pollutant Release and Transfer Register Law was established in 1999 in Japan to encourage business entities to voluntarily manage chemical substances by quantifying the substances they have emitted into the atmosphere. Business entities are required to submit a report on emissions of specified chemical substances, which is used by the central government to publish overall emission levels for the specified substances.
| Substance | Volume Used | Volume Emitted | Volume Transferred | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air | Water | Sewage | Transferred to Subcontractors |
|||||||
| '05 | '06 | '05 | '06 | '05 | '06 | '05 | '06 | '05 | '06 | |
| Inorganic cyanide compounds | 6.1 | 6.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Nickel | 6.5 | 6.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Nickel compounds | 5.8 | 5.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 1.8 |
| Silver and its water-soluble compounds | 9.1 | 9.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Lead and its compounds | 0.1 | 5.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| Ethylene glycol | 6.3 | 4.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.3 | 4.2 |
| Xylene | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Toluene | 11.2 | 11.0 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.6 | 6.4 |
* Data include domestic production subsidiaries.
Mechatronic Devices Division, Furukawa Plant
We discontinued using an incinerator that had previously been used for incinerating spent plating solution. As a result, dioxin emissions have been eliminated, and noise level standards have simultaneously been satisfied.
Peripheral Products Division, Onahama Plant
We were able to reduce VOC emissions by 61% of fiscal 2004 levels due to the introduction of cleaning apparatus for printing plates that had previously been cleaned manually, along with the adoption of automated cleaning apparatus for print masks, etc. Introduction of this equipment has also led to a reduction in the quantity of paper wipes used for cleaning.
Alps Electric Korea
VOCs generate offensive odors during the painting process, and we remove these compounds by absorbing them in an active carbon tower. As a result, we have reduced total hydrocarbon concentration (THC) from more than 50ppm to 43ppm.
