In an effort to promote resource recycling, Hitachi Cable is working to reduce waste generation, increase the volume
of recycling and cut down the volume of final disposal. More specifically, the Company is striving to improve
the yield of each production stage, expand the volume of materials reused and reduce the use of lubricants and
cleaning solutions. In addition, to reduce the final disposal volume, we conduct stringent sorting of waste through
rigorous waste monitoring activities.
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Reducing Waste Generation and Final Disposal Rate |
Hitachi Cable is stepping up efforts to achieve the target
of reducing the volume of waste and recyclable waste
generated at its domestic production sites by 29% (compared
with the FY2001 level) in FY2011. For FY2010, the
volume of waste and recyclable waste generated at
domestic production sites totaled 34,258 tons, down 38%
compared with FY2001. With this decrease, we outperformed
our FY2010 target of a 26.2% reduction. Also, in
comparison with FY2009, we achieved an 8% reduction.
Meanwhile, for the period under review, the Company
reduced the volume of final disposal down to 70 tons, for
a final disposal rate (the ratio of the final disposal volume
to total waste generation) of 0.2%. These achievements
were due to the Company's pioneering of new recycling
applications for adhesive-attached waste plastics and
other wastes that were previously difficult to recycle.
Through this success, we have substantially reduced the
volume of final disposal of waste plastics, which previously
had accounted for the majority of the final disposal
volume.
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Increasing the Resource Recycling Rate |
In an effort to advance recycling, the Hitachi Group
employs a "3R load" concept as an indicator to evaluate
the effectiveness of every waste treatment and disposal
option. In view of the reduction of 3R load directly leading
to the improvement of the resource recycling rate, the
Hitachi Group is promoting related activities. More specifically,
under the 3R load concept, the 3R load calculation
formula has been defined so that improvements in
waste treatment processes used—namely, final disposal
as the most undesirable, simple incineration, heat recovery,
recycling and reuse as the most desirable—result in
a lower 3R load value. The 3R load value obtained
through calculation is then used for comparison with a
load value in a reference year. The Hitachi Cable Group
uses the same system. Under this system, Hitachi Cable
aims to improve its resource recycling rate by 10% (compared
with the FY2006 level) in FY2011.
For FY2010, Hitachi Cable's 3R load value stood at
291 terajoule (TJ). The resource recycling rate showed a
substantial 23% improvement, far beyond the Hitachi
Cable Group's target of an 8% improvement under the
Environmental Action Plan. This achievement was attributable
to the Company's efforts to cultivate new recycling
applications with the aim of reducing the volume of final
disposal.
Reducing Waste Generation
Hitachi Cable's Densen Works treats most of the waste solution discharged in its semiconductor parts manufacturing
processes in-house at its water treatment plant. However, due to difficulties attributable to process arrangements, certain
waste acids and alkalis were previously drained into the same tank through a combined drainage system. Since the mixture
of waste acid and alkali cannot be treated in-house, the Densen Works had used an external treatment specialist.
This has been a pending issue in Hitachi Cable's activities, which are aimed at reducing the volume of waste treatment
outsourcing.
In response to this situation, the Company conducted a thorough examination of the mixture's content and concluded
that if it collects waste acid and alkali separately, their in-house treatment can be performed. Accordingly, prior to modifying
the drainage system, we tested the viability of the in-house-treatment of the waste solutions. Through these tests, we
confirmed that post-treatment drainage was of a satisfactory quality. We then modified the drainage system and began
the in-house treatment of the acid and alkali waste solutions. This improvement has led to the significant achievement of
the Densen Works in reducing the volume of waste solution treated by external specialists by 100 tons annually.
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