Effective Utilization of Resources and Reduction of Waste
We are continually striving to reduce waste in every area of the workplace, from the factory floor to offices and employee cafeterias, and are also working to improve recycling so as to help create a recycling-based society.
Promoting Waste Reduction Activities
Our initiatives aim at eliminating rather than disposing of waste, in an effort to help build a recycling-based society. In fiscal 2010 we met our target of achieving a Group-wide recycling rate of 99% and completely eliminated garbage (a recycling rate of 99% or higher) at 17 domestic premises. The volume of waste*1 increased around 1,023 tons. For fiscal 2011, we will strive to achieve a goal of maintaining a recycling rate of 99% or higher (zero waste) on a Group-wide basis.
Group-wide Waste Production*2
*1:Volume of waste = industrial waste + general waste
*2:Waste production = industrial waste + general waste + valuable resources
Example Initiative
CITIZEN SEIMITSU
The Environmental Three-R's and Improvement Management Systems
Under a medium-term environmental target for fiscal 2010-2012 of generating 500 million yen in profit from the Three-R initiative, Citizen Seimitsu in fiscal 2010 undertook a number of environmental improvement activities in its manufacturing process and constructed a management system. To begin with, it erected an environmental three-R management system for monitoring the environmental impact of its business activities. This system computes the volumes and values of procured goods (or inputs) and of finished products (or outputs). Environmental improvement objectives are registered in the environmental improvement management system to tally the effect of the efforts to improve the environment in terms of reduction volume and amount.
During fiscal 2010, 98 objectives were registered in the system and the effect amounted to 67.8 million yen. Going forward, the environmental three-R and improvement management system will be effectively used to step up environmental improvement efforts. To meet the target, the activities will be extended to encompass the company’s three subsidiaries.
Example Initiative
ASTAR PRECISION
Participating in “Conserve Energy, Reduce Waste” and “Clean Production” activities in Shenzhen City
At Astar Precision Co., Ltd., a China-based subsidiary of Citizen Tohoku Co., Ltd., we participated in the “Conserve Energy, Reduce Waste” campaign promoted by Shenzhen City in 2010, and earned a Phoenix Urban Waste Reduction commendation as a leading company for our efforts. This is a program aimed at decreasing waste and reducing environmental pollution by recognizing companies engaging in clean manufacturing that takes waste reduction and recycling into account. We continue to actively participate in clean production activities and are now undertaking improvement work on recycling facilities aimed at reducing the volume of wastewater from surface treatment by 50%. Through such environment-responsive measures we are striving to make clean product manufacturing a reality in China.
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| Manufacturing equipment for clean production activities | Certificate of commendation as a leading company as part of the Phoenix Urban Waste Reduction program |
Example Initiative
CITIZEN MICRO
Promoting the recycling of materials
Recycling oil waste
At Citizen Micro Co., Ltd. we actively engage in information exchanges between the Sayama Works and Yoshimi Works and promote waste reduction activities. To reduce waste, we examined changes to the recycling methods for each type of waste and gathered information on new waste processors. Until 2009, we had been using paid thermal recycling for PET bottles and waste oils. We changed these into a valuable resource by switching to material recycling. We held a series of talks with the processor on separation methods, packaging at the time of disposal and other issues. In terms of results for the second half of fiscal 2010, we achieved a reduction effect of 109,000 yen in disposal fees (down 6% from the previous fiscal year) with total waste coming in at 6,433 kg (down 11%). Looking to the future, we will continue to promote material recycling while seeking to reduce disposal costs with the aim of preventing resource depletion.
Example Initiative
CITIZEN MACHINERY
Switching to forged materials
As part of the turning process used to manufacture components for our Cincom NC automatic lathes, we have started to forge processed materials (heating and press casting metal) in an effort to shorten processing times and reduce chips.
As we previously used round steel bars, half of the total weight was wasted in the form of chips. The introduction of forged materials however has enabled us to process materials that are closer in shape to the finished product. As a result, we have managed to reduce the weight of materials purchased from 6.3kg to 3.7kg (a reduction of 41%) and cut processing times by four minutes per item.
Although we had previously envisioned using forged materials, the processing costs involved always meant that it was unfeasible. As material costs have soared recently however, it is now possible to forge materials for roughly the same cost as using steel bars. With 400 items being used per month, due in part to the crossover of components with different models, we have effectively reduced chips by approximately one ton and processing times by 26 hours a month.
