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 is working to reduce the burden on the global environment, including local communities, through initiatives to prevent environmental pollution and reduce the use of water and other resources. The Daifuku Environmental Vision 2050 (revised in May 2023) establishes the promotion of resource recycling as one of our critical issue areas, and we are working to extend the service life of our products, minimize the amount of waste generated at our production sites, and increase recycling of used products and parts.
Green procurement
At Daifuku, it is our mission to manufacture environmentally friendly products as we expand our business globally. Under the commitment that 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-saving, energy-saving, and reusable. In recent years, regulations regarding the management of hazardous chemical substances have been tightened, and in fiscal 2022 we began revising our Green Procurement Guidelines to meet growing demand. In fiscal 2023, the Environmental Management Subcommittee, under the jurisdiction of the Sustainability Committee, launched the Green Procurement Project, which is an initiative toward building an internal system and framework to implement the new Green Procurement Guidelines.
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. In fiscal 2022, we installed meters on hydraulic equipment in the plant building with the highest water consumption at Shiga Works to visualize water consumption. Hydraulic equipment uses water for cooling, but it was found that a large amount of water was being consumed even when the equipment was not in operation. Therefore, a temperature sensor was installed in the piping of the hydraulic tank, and a cooling system was introduced to cool the oil only at a certain temperature. This initiative is expected to reduce the annual water consumption of the facility by approximately 75%. Meanwhile, water consumption in North America is increasing, and we will continue by assessing the circumstances behind this and taking appropriate action.
Waste generated (Japan) *Including valuable waste
Waste recycling rate (Japan) *Including valuable waste
Water consumption (Japan)
Water consumption (outside of Japan)
Ensuring appropriate waste disposal
Waste generated by business activities must be properly processed in accordance with laws and regulations. In the event that waste processing is outsourced to a licensed subcontractor, the business that generated the waste is still responsible for its disposal. At Daifuku, we choose our contractors after strict screening according to our internal waste management regulations. We also dispatch employees to each facility annually to check the status of waste processing in accordance with the ordinances of each municipality.
Pollutant reduction
Management of chemicals
Paints and organic solvents are the primary chemical substances used by Daifuku in its production facilities. The Group manages and controls the usage amounts of special chemical substances 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
| FY2019 | FY2020 | FY2021 | FY2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emission and transfer (kg) | 18,531 | 16,880 | 20,542 | 24,837 |
Amount of PRTR-related chemical substances handled in FY2022
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 | 1,263.00 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 25.26 | 25.26 |
| 53 | Ethylbenzene | 5,663.57 | 5,663.57 | - | - | - | 5,663.57 | - | - | - |
| 80 | Xylene | 7,033.62 | 7,033.62 | - | - | - | 7,033.62 | - | - | - |
| 296 | 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene | 1,082.02 | 1,072.58 | - | - | - | 1,072.58 | - | - | - |
| 297 | 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene | 374.45 | 374.45 | - | - | - | 374.45 | - | - | - |
| 300 | Toluene | 10,577.43 | 10,577.43 | - | - | - | 10,577.43 | - | - | - |
- 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 Group 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 Shiga Prefecture's Ordinance 25, Clause 1; Concerning the Reduction of Impact on the Air Environment of Shiga Prefecture, Shiga Works requested and was awarded the designation of a place of business working to reduce its environmental impact on the air. We are striving to control and reduce smoke-related air pollutants.
Result of air pollutant measurements in FY2022
Shiga Works (according to the Hino environmental pollution control agreement)
| Material | Facility | Regulation value | Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max. | Min. | Avg. | |||
| Dust (g/m3N) | Dynamos | 0.1 | 0.006 | 0.005 | 0.006 |
| Sulfur oxide (SOx) (m3N/h) | Dynamos | 2.31 | 0.08 | 0.03 | 0.053 |
| Nitrogen oxide (NOx) (ppm) | Dynamos | 950 | 870 | 750 | 818 |
Preventing water pollution
Shiga Works, which accounts for approximately 70% of our domestic water consumption, had been managing and treating wastewater using three wastewater treatment facilities owned by the company. However, in fiscal 2022, we began sequential transitioning to public sewage, which was completed in March 2023. This decision was made based on the comprehensive consideration of the risk of abnormal wastewater being discharged due to failure of proper treatment, the impact on the lives and health of employees from handling medical agents, and the cost of wastewater treatment. With this change in treatment method, we are in compliance with the water quality standards set forth in the Sewerage Act.
Result of final effluent quality measurements in FY2022
Shiga Works (in accordance with the Water Pollution Prevention Act, prefectural ordinances, and the Hino pollution control agreement)
| Measurement item | Regulation value | Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max. | Min. | Avg. | ||
| Amount of drainage (m3/day) | - | 454.5 | 13.0 | 249.7 |
| pH | 6.0-8.5 | 7.3 | 6.7 | 7.0 |
| SS (mg/ℓ) | 20 or less | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| COD (mg/ℓ) | 20 or less | 3.2 | 0.1 | 1.2 |
| BOD (mg/ℓ) | 20 or less | 4.0 | 1.0 | 1.7 |
| Total phosphorus (mg/ℓ) | 1 or less | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Total nitrogen (mg/ℓ) | 10 or less | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
- Note: The average value is the weighted average.
Resource recyclingKPI
At Daifuku, we offer large-scale material handling systems consisting of many parts and materials. Under the Daifuku Environmental Vision 2050, we aim to recycle resources not only limited to when waste is generated from business activities, but also when equipment delivered to customers is removed. In this regard, we are continuing to review product materials and improve the ease of disassembly. In addition, we have positioned stable, long-term operation and delaying disposal timing as important initiatives, and as such we are working to enhance after-sales services such as maintenance and upkeep.
Daifuku Environmental Vision 2050
| Scope | FY2021 | FY2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recycling rate of waste* | Global | 97% | 95% |
| Recyclability rate for new products | Global | 86% | 86% |
- * Excluding North American locations
Furthermore, the KPIs related to resource recycling have been changed in accordance with the revision of the Daifuku Environmental Vision 2050. From fiscal 2023 onward, we will disclose results based on the following KPIs.
| Scope | FY2023 (target) | FY2030 (target) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landfill disposal rate | Global | Japan: less than 1% Global: less than 5% |
Less than 1% |
| Water use intensity* | Global | 12.5% reduction (compared to FY2018) | 30% reduction (compared to FY2018) |
- * Water consumption (1,000 m3) divided by net sales (100 million yen)