Four approaches on environmental preservation
Sony Chemical & Information Device has organized an Environment Specialists Committee for continuously advancing improvements by the PDCA activities in four fields: energy saving, water saving and recycling, recycling of industrial wastes, and chemical substance management.
Energy saving (reduction of CO2 emission)
35% Reduction (Reduction of 60,000 t -CO2 ) achieved, compared with the target of 7% or more
While our production activities have to generate a fair amount of greenhouse gases, we have been actively promoting CO2 emission reduction by group-wide efforts including plant renovation to reduce fuel consumption, reuse of waste heat, search for new clean energy sources (such as wind, water or solar power generation), and electricity exchange.
- - CO2 emissions have been reduced by introducing a process in which driers can be stopped to coordinate with the line operating status in part of the magnetic tape manufacturing process. (Tagajo Plant)
- - CO2 emissions have been reduced by changing the fuel for boilers and the deodorization system (Voc oxidizers) from heavy oil to LNG and by introducing (centrifugal liquid chiller). (Kanuma Plant)
- - CO2 emissions have been reduced by switching fuels from kerosene to LNG. (Neagari Plant)
- - Electricity savings through facility improvements; for example, introducing energy-saving equipment for mercury-arc lighting, improving no-load running times, and introducing more efficient transformers. (Tome Plant)
- - Strengthen the activities of Energy Conservation in the Workplaces.
- - Introduction of an Air-Conditioning Control System (Neagari Plant)
- - Switch to Energy Saving Freon (Sony Chemicals (Suzhou))
- - Operation Activities for Equipment and Devices (All Plants)
- - Eco Attack 30 energy-conservation activities starting from alertness (All Domestic Plants) [NEW]
- - Reduction Activity for all Utilities: “U-reduction Implementation Project” (All Plants) [NEW]
- - “ONE PIECE Project”worked on by the entire plant (Tome Plant) [NEW]
Water saving and recycling (reduction of water consumption)
62% Reduction (Reduction of 1,510,000 t) achieved, compared with the target of 20% or more
Water-saving initiatives and recycling efforts have been promoted aggressively in response to land subsidence due to overuse of groundwater and increased environmental burdens imposed on rivers by factory effluent.In fiscal 2010, the site used 920,000 tons of water, 32% of which was recycled.
- - The quality of water to be supplied to the once-through boilers can be improved through chemical treatment of water, reducing factory effluent. (Tagajo Plant)
- - Recycling through the introduction and use of effluent-recycling facilities. (Neagari Plant)
- - Conserving water by switching the cleaning process from chemical cleaning to pure water cleaning and through process improvements. (Tome Plant)
- - Introduction of water purification equipment that enables use of groundwater as primary pure water for industrial use (Tome Plant)
- - Recycling Roughly 50% by Introducing an Effluent Recycling System (Sony Chemicals (Suzhou))
- - Reducing volume of groundwater use through proper operation of wastewater-recycling equipment (Neagari Plant)
- - Review of Pure Water Production Units (Tome Plant) [NEW]
- - Use of Waste-water Recycling System (Sony Chemicals (Suzhou) Co.,Ltd) [NEW]
- - Early response to problems through attentive control of volumes used (Tome Plant) [NEW]
Reuse, recycling and reduction of industrial wastes (resources regeneration)
50% Reduction (Reduction of 11,000 t) achieved, compared with the target of 40% or more
We are making efforts to recycle industrial wastes by promoting the reuse and recycling of industrial wastes disposed at each plant. More than 99% of wastes generated in domestic manufacturing sites are now reused or recycled, practically achieving the "zero waste" goal. Reduction of industrial wastes by improvements in manufacturing processes is also emphasized.
- Reuse
- -- Recovery and use of solvents from waste solvents
- -- Reuse of packaging materials
- -- Recovery and reuse of valuable metals
- -- Reducing Packing Materials through the Introduction of Returnable Containers (Tagajo Plant)
- -- Reducing volume of waste fluid from surface roughing processes (Neagari Plant)
- -- Introduction of Reusable Shipping Cartons (Tome Plant/Sony Chemicals (Suzhou)Co.,Ltd) [NEW]
-Recycling
- -- Use of inorganic sludge, plastics wastes, incineration ash, and acid/alkali wastes as starting materials of fertilizers and cement
- -- Recovery of metallic wastes by re-melting
- -- Development and In-Process Recycling of a Recyclable Cover Resin for Blu-ray Discs (Tagajo Plant)
- -- Establishing a Cyclical Recycling Route for Aluminum Raw Materials within the Sony Group (Neagari Plant)
- -- Recycling of copper foil and aluminum foil (Tagajo Plant)
- -- Recycling of waste plastics (Neagari Plant)
- -- Cardboard Recycling (All Domestic Plants) [NEW]
-Reduction
- -- Reduction of industrial wastes by improvements in manufacturing processes
- -- Recycling of sludge as roadbed material
- -- Measures to reduce solvent effluent. (Tagajo Plant)
- -- Implementing a joint across-the-board waste reduction project with Sony Sendai Technology Center to reduce general waste other than industrial waste (e.g. paper and household-type waste). (Tagajo Plant)
- -- Implementation of "530 (zero-waste) Campaign". (Tome Plant)
- -- Reducing Waste via Sludge Dehydration during Effluent Pre-Treatment (Sony Chemicals (Suzhou)
- -- Reducing Waste in the Manufacturing Process for Coated Tapes (Tagajo Plant)
- Introduction of MFCA (Material Flow Cost Accounting) (Tagajo, Kanuma, Neagari Plants) [NEW]
- Polycarbonate Recycling – Reuse in Processes and Reprocessing into High-quality Resource Circulation Materials – (Tagajo/Tome Plants) [NEW]
Chemical substance management (reducing Volatile Organic Compounds
(VOC) emissions into the atmosphere)
Actual reductions of 74% (reduction of 227 tons) have been achieved, compared to the target
of 40% or more.
The Sony Group has consistently worked to prevent use of prohibited chemical substances and to manage those to be reduced under GM2010 as well as legally-regulated chemical substances.
- - An organic solvent emission decontamination process was recently introduced at No.3 Kanuma Plant. (Kanuma Plant)
- - Reducing VOC substances through process improvements and studying replacements. (Tome Plant)
- - Complies with PRTR* Law (corporate-wide initiative)
- - NOx and SOx reductions (Tagajo, Kanuma, and Neagari Plants)
- - Implementation of strict control of chemicals to prevent theft and leakage (Kanuma Plant)
- - Activities to Reduce Chemical Substances by Improving the Collection Rate for Organic Solvents (NMP) (Tagajo Plant)
- Solvent Stain Zero Activities (Tagajo Plant) [NEW]
- Checks of Protection when using Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) (Tome Plant) [NEW]
Sony Chemical & Information Devices implements its Chemical Substance Management System based on the PRTR Law to obtain monthly quantitative data on release/transfer of substances. The actual figures for 2010 have been reported to suitable prefectural authorities.
Substances released or transferred in quantities of 0.1t or more at each plant are listed below.
| Plant | Chemical Substance | Released/Transferred Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Kanuma Plant | Acrylic acid and its water-soluble salts | 5.81 |
| 2-Hydroxyethyl acrylate | 0.04 | |
| n-Butyl acrylate | 5.62 | |
| Antimony and compounds | 0.32 | |
| Ethylbenzene | 0.78 | |
| Xylene | 0.36 | |
| Vinyl acetate | 0.17 | |
| Decabromodiphenylether | 1.20 | |
| Toluene | 35.40 | |
| Hexamethylene diacrylate | 0.79 | |
| Nickel | 0.04 | |
| n-Hexane | 7.79 | |
| Neagari Plant | Ferric chloride | 0.00 |
| Copper salts (water-soluble, except complex salts) | 2.50 | |
| Formaldehyde | 4.54 | |
| Tome Plant (Toyosato Site) |
Bisphenol A epoxy resin (liquid) | 0.04 |
| Tome Plant (Nakada Site) |
Manganese and compounds | 0.90 |
* Tagajo Plant's data don't include in this report due to the damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
