Pollution Prevention and Resource Recycling
Basic Approach
The management of hazardous chemicals, waste, and wastewater must be reliably handled in accordance with laws and regulations. The Daifuku Group has been working to reduce the burden on the global environment, including local communities, through the prevention of environmental pollution and resource conservation. We have also set building a foundation to promote the resource recycling as a critical issue area in the Daifuku Environmental Vision 2050, and we are working on improving the recyclability rate of our products and establishing a system for resource recycling at our production sites.
Green procurement
We believe that it is our mission to manufacture environmentally friendly products as we expand our business globally. Under the motto, “We will not buy, use, or sell any hazardous materials,” we formulated our Green Procurement Guidelines in November 2005 to eliminate certain hazardous chemical substances and prioritize the purchase of materials and products that are resource- and energy-saving and reusable.
Major Initiatives
Resource saving
We are committed to reducing defective products from our manufacturing processes, reducing packaging materials, and conserving water at our production sites and offices.
Waste generated (Japan) *Including valuable wastes
Recycling rate of waste (Japan) *Including valuable wastes
Water consumption (Japan)
Water consumption (Non-Japan)
Ensuring appropriate waste disposal
Waste generated by business activities is processed appropriately in accordance with laws and regulations. Even when waste processing is outsourced to a subcontractor, meaning that the outsourcing operator takes responsibility for proper processing, Daifuku carefully chooses the best outsourcing companies and visits their facilities annually to ensure that waste is handled properly.
Pollutant reduction
Management of chemicals
Paints and organic solvents are the primary chemical substances used by Daifuku in its production facilities. The Company manages and controls the usage amounts of special chemical substances on-site as designated under the PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) Law.*
- *A law that requires enterprises to submit a report to their national governing authority specifying the number and volume of chemical substances they are releasing into the environment. This is aimed at voluntary management of chemical substances and the prevention of environmental pollution.
Emission and transfer volume of chemical substances related to PRTR Law
Shiga Works
| FY2018 | FY2019 | FY2020 | FY2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emission and transfer (kg) | 23,765 | 18,531 | 16,880 | 20,542 |
Amount of PRTR-related chemical substances handled in FY2021
Shiga Works
(kg)
| Control No. | Chemicals | Transaction Volume | Emission to | Transfer to | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air | Public water | Soil | Land | Total emissions | Sewage | Misc | Total transfer | |||
| 37 | Bisphenol A | 1,247.40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24.95 | 24.95 |
| 53 | Ethylbenzene | 5,014.59 | 5,014.59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5,014.59 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 80 | Xylene | 6,219.47 | 6,219.47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6,219.47 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 296 | 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene | 589.10 | 589.10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 589.10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 297 | 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene | 222.09 | 222.09 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 222.09 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 300 | Toluene | 8,059.42 | 8,059.42 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8,059.42 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Note:Chemical substances of which less than 100 kg is handled are omitted as the amounts are negligible.
Compliance with European harmful substance regulations
The entire Daifuku Group focuses on the European REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) regulations,* and goes to great lengths to visualize and remove any harmful chemicals in its products. The Company continues to offer environmentally friendly products through implementation of Green Procurement Guidelines by looking at its entire supply chain.
- *Companies must register and evaluate the safety of chemical substances contained in the products they manufacture and sell in Europe.
Air pollution prevention
Based on Ordinance 25, Clause 1 of the Ordinance Concerning the Reduction of Impact on the Air Environment of Shiga Prefecture, the Shiga Works is designated as a "place of business subject to a plan to reduce its environmental impact on the air." We are striving to control and reduce smoke-related air pollutants.
Result of final air pollutant measurements in FY2021
Shiga Works (according to the Hino Town environmental pollution control agreement)
| Material | Facility | Regulation value | Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max | Min | Avg | |||
| Dust (g/m3N) | Dynamos | 0.1 | 0.006 | 0.004 | 0.006 |
| Sulfur oxide (SOx) (m3N/h) | Dynamos | 2.31 | 0.060 | 0.050 | 0.057 |
| Nitrogen oxide (NOx) (ppm) | Dynamos | 950 | 920 | 750 | 825 |
Preventing water pollution
The Shiga Works, which accounts for approximately 80% of Daifuku’s water consumption in Japan, maintains a 24-hour continuous monitoring system with three wastewater treatment facilities that ensure water quality on par with agricultural water by thoroughly complying with drainage standards established by the Shiga Prefecture Ordinance and Pollution Control Agreement with Hino Town. In addition, we invite neighboring residents and provide opportunities to visit our wastewater treatment facilities and see our thorough water quality management systems, which facilitates good relationships with stakeholders.
We recognize that water pollution is an important issue that broadly affects soil, agricultural produce, living environments, and more. We not only comply with laws and regulations, but also make meticulous efforts to manage and reduce wastewater.
Result of final effluent quality measurements in FY2021
Shiga Works (in accordance with the Water Pollution Prevention Act, prefectural ordinances, and the Hino Town pollution control agreement)
| Measurement item | Regulation value | Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max | Min | Avg | ||
| Amount of drainage (m3/day) | - | 443.3 | 73 | 307.7 |
| pH | 6.0～8.5 | 7.4 | 6.7 | 7.1 |
| SS (mg/ℓ) | 20 or less | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| COD (mg/ℓ) | 20 or less | 2.4 | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| BOD (mg/ℓ) | 20 or less | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.4 |
| Total phosphorus (mg/ℓ) | 1 or less | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Total nitrogen (mg/ℓ) | 10 or less | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
- Note:The average value is the weighted average.
Effluent treatment facilities
Effluent before (left) and after (right) treatment
Recycling sludge into cement materials
At the Shiga Works' wastewater treatment facility, it is necessary to treat the sludge produced to maintain stable water treatment. The dewatered sludge withdrawn from the facility is treated using a dryer and is turned into dried sludge with 20% water content. This has led to a large reduction in excess sludge as well as a reduction in waste treatment cost. Furthermore, dried sludge is put to good use as a raw material for cement.
Sludge recycling facility
Dried sludge
Resource recyclingKPI
We offer a large-scale material handling system consisting of many parts and materials. Daifuku Environmental Vision 2050 aims to circulate resources not only when waste is generated from business activities but also when equipment delivered to customers is removed. From that point of view, we will review the product materials and improve the ease of disassembly from the design stage.
In addition, we have positioned the stable operation of the system for a long period of time and delaying the timing of disposal as an important initiative, and will enhance after-sales services such as maintenance.
Daifuku Environmental Vision 2050
| Scope | FY2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Recycling rate of waste | Global | 99% |
| Recyclability rate for new products | Global | 86% |