Sustainability ESG Management: The Environment / Environmental Considerations during Business Operations

Resource Recycling (Waste)

Initiatives to Reduce Waste

In order to build a recycling-oriented society, our Group is working to reduce waste emissions and improve recycling rates. Our medium- to long-term target for waste generation reduction is to achieve a “recycling rate of 96% or higher by FY2031 and a 92% reduction in final disposal by fiscal 2026.

Our main initiatives to help reach these targets are compressing scrap metals (grinding sludge) and reusing packaging materials in special boxes for transportation. Furthermore, we are implementing initiatives to minimize waste, such as reducing the use of plastic containers in factory cafeterias, discontinuing the use of plastic containers for beverages, employing options to decrease cushioning materials by reviewing our packaging materials, and promoting paperless environments by transitioning to digital technologies.

※The above are the totals from domestic production centers (Gifu and Kamakura areas).

Main Initiatives

Introduction of industrial waste recycling

Metal scrap (grinding sludge), a byproduct of the grinding process, is both highly moist and difficult to dispose of, so in the past it was sent to landfills by specialized companies. However, in light of our social role in building a recycling-oriented society, we are now compressing and reducing the volume of metal scrap (grinding sludge) in-house in order to recycle it.

Shipping with special reusable boxes to save resources

Special, strong cardboard boxes are used for packaging our products, which are precision parts.

Generally, these cardboard boxes are recycled after delivery. However, for some of our customers, we use special returnable boxes. The returnable boxes are collected and then reused for the next shipment.

This allows us to effectively utilize limited resources.

Reducing Environmentally Hazardous Substances

In 2003, our Group established the “Green Procurement Standard” and has been promoting green procurement with the understanding and cooperation of our business partners. Prohibited substances under international hazardous substance control laws, including the RoHS II Directive of Europe and the TSCA regulation of the United States, are restricted for intentional use. If there is a regulated value, it is necessary to ensure that the concentration is below the regulated value. In addition, we believe that it is important to know “whether or not a substance is used” and “what its concentration is,” and we provide this information upon request to our customers. One example of our hazardous substance management is that substances subject to notification under the PRTR Law are strictly controlled and reported annually to local governments.

Green Procurement

The Company Group is proactively working to help preserve the global environment.

Since the 1998 fiscal year, NIPPON THOMPSON has been engaging in corporate activities in harmony with our basic philosophy, which is “to accomplish environment-friendly corporate activities as corporate social responsibility, reduce our environmental loads, and contribute to fulfillment of rich global environment.”

We believe that delivering environmentally-friendly products to our customers will help to preserve the environment. In 2003, “Green Procurement Standard” were established for promoting green procurement based on the understanding and cooperation of our business partners.

Based on this standard, we investigate and assess the load placed on the environment by our business partners and procured goods, and endeavor to promote Green Procurement together with our business partners in order to help create a rich global environment.

Compliance with the EU’s RoHS Directive

All products (standard products) are in compliance with the EU’s RoHS10 Directive in accordance with our own environmental management standards

Our products (standard products) are produced at a quality level that has received ISO-14001 and ISO-9001 certification based on our management systems that reduce load on the global environment. All of our products are also in compliance with the EU’s RoHS10 Directive.

Water Resources

Initiatives for Water Resource Conservation

The Gifu factory complex, the Group's main domestic production base, is located next to the Nagara River, one of Japan's three cleanest rivers. As such, we believe that managing water resources is a key issue in terms of environmental conservation. The main water sources for our Group's business activities are city water and well water. Its main uses include fluid for grinding and cooling water in the production process. However, for these applications, we use a circulating system, and our facilities are designed to minimize water use, replenishing only the amount of water that decreases due to evaporation. In addition, we are promoting initiatives with plans to further reduce water consumption, including replacing hot water boilers and water-cooled cooling towers with air-cooled versions.