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At the Yokkaichi Plant, which generates its own power, we installed flue gas desulfurization Equipment to reduce emissions of sulfur oxides (SOx). We also substantially cut emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) by installing burners with low NOx emissions and denitrification equipment. In FY2013, the fuel conversion (from heavy oil to public utility gas) change implemented at the Kashima Plant (Kashima Joint Power Generator) resulted in a reduction of both SOx and NOx emissions, an achievement that was maintained in FY2017.
JSR will continue to adopt the best emissions reduction technologies, and will continue to make improvements.
Having set a high voluntary goal for the reduction of emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 75% from FY2000 levels, JSR undertook large-scale investment between FY2006 and FY2009 to install five dried-synthetic rubber waste incinerators in three plants. We also carried out meticulous maintenance and management activities, including enhancing the airtightness of release points, improving the working method by adopting a closed system for chemical sampling and preventing leakage from bulbs. As a result, our VOCs emissions in FY2017 were 912 tons (78% reduction as compared to FY2000), in so doing, we reached our internal target. As we ramp up our production volume, we will maintain the level of the current voluntary goal (75% reduction from FY2000) without large-scale investment by ensuring the proper operation of dried-synthetic rubber waste incinerators and finely tuned maintenance and management.
*1 VOCs = Volatile Organic Compounds.
(Includes Techno Polymer Co., Ltd., Kraton JSR Elastomers K.K., and Japan Butyl Co., Ltd. Kashima Plant)
*Techno Polymer Co., Ltd. merged with UMG ABS, Ltd. and became Techno-UMG Co., Ltd. on April 1, 2018.
As part of compliance with the Act on Rational Use and Proper Management of Fluorocarbons established in April of 2015, all businesses that use designated products, including industrial air conditioners, refrigerators, and freezers, must perform basic inspections, periodic maintenance, and create inspection records. A total annual leakage of 1,000 tons or more of CO2 must be reported to the acting minister.
For this reason, JSR has created management standards for devices that use freon and is continuing a policy that such devices be managed in accordance with these standards. The amount of freon leakage in FY2017 was 632 tons of CO2.
We will continue to appropriately manage these substances in accordance with the act and tie this effort to reduced leakage.
Based on the Act on Confirmation, etc. of Release Amounts of Specific Chemical Substances in the Environment and Promotion of Improvements to the Management Thereof, JSR aggregates the amount of designated chemical substances emitted into the environment (atmosphere, water and soil), transferred by manufacturing, or used in the previous year, and notifies the government of Japan of the results. We have systematically implemented a range of measures primarily for substances that are emitted in significant amounts and have a great impact on the environment. Such measures include enhancing the airtightness of substance release sources, rendering substances harmless by incineration, and improving manufacturing processes. In FY2017, as a result of taking such measures, we reduced emissions of the substances designated by the PRTR (290 tons) by 89% from the FY1995 level.
*2 Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTR): A system for registering the emission and transport of environmental pollutants
(Including Techno Polymer Co., Ltd.,* KRATON JSR ELASTOMERS K.K. Japan Butyl Co., Ltd. Kashima Plant)
* Techno Polymer Co., Ltd. merged with UMG ABS, Ltd. and became Techno-UMG Co., Ltd. on April 1, 2018.
| Ordinance designated number | Substance Name | Amounts handled*3 (t) |
Emissions | Transfer Amount*4 (t) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air (t) | Water (t) | Soil (t) | ||||
| 9 | Acrylonitrile | 43,014.9 | 7.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7.9 |
| 186 | Dichloromethane (also called methylene chloride) | 11.4 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7.2 |
| 240 | Styrene | 127,075.1 | 20.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.7 |
| 300 | Toluene | 2,993.1 | 63.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 247.4 |
| 351 | 1,3-Butadiene | 582,081.5 | 9.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.9 |
| 392 | n-Hexane | 1,199.2 | 181.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 82.3 |
| 243 | Dioxins*5 | − | 0.1478 | 0.0020 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
(See ESG Data for details on other chemical substances)
*3 The handling amount represents the value after base deduction (1 ton/year per place of business)
*4 The transfer amount is the amount committed to intermediate waste service companies plus the amount transferred to public sewers
*5 Dioxin category unit: mg-TEQ
In accordance with the Ordinance on Prevention of Hazards due to Asbestos, JSR has conducted checks at all of its facilities (office, manufacturing, R&D and employee amenity areas), including those of all Group companies, where asbestos containing materials have been sprayed. Subsequently, at locations in plants where asbestos was found, we completed removal and enclosure projects in FY2006. In addition, we are investigating the replacement of asbestos containing gaskets with non-asbestos containing types and are progressively carrying out replacements when the safety of their use in production has been confirmed.
We will continue to act properly to prevent workers engaged in building demolition work from acquiring health problems caused by asbestos exposure in accordance with air pollution prevention laws and asbestos disability prevention regulations.
In order to accommodate requests from the Labour Standards Bureau of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to thoroughly inform our employees of various systems, including the issuance of the asbestos-related health care handbook and the provision of special benefits as industrial workers' compensation for bereaved families, we introduced the relevant leaflet released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on our website.
JSR stores and manages PCB waste in an appropriate manner in accordance with the "Act on Special Measures concerning Promotion of Proper Treatment of PCB Wastes" and subsequently carries out detoxication treatment in accordance with the law.
| Electrical devices | Number of devices | Oil containing PCB (liter) |
|---|---|---|
| Devices in storage (not in use) | 6 | 10,166 |
| Devices in operation | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 6 | 10,166 |
| Current treatment status (%) |
302 (98.1) |
174,767 (94.5) |
As of March 31, 2018
JSR values the opinions of people living near its manufacturing and research bases, and considers high transparency of plant operations to be the key to improving the local environment. With this in mind, we have strived to improve the local environment by implementing monitoring and tours of environmental equipment at regular intervals. In FY2006 and FY2007, we installed equipment to incinerate dry synthetic rubber dry exhaust (RTO*6) at the Yokkaichi, Kashima, and Chiba plants to prevent foul odors. In FY2008, a ground flare was installed at the Yokkaichi Plant to prevent noise and flashes. As a result, there have been no environmental complaints from FY2008 to FY2017.
We will continue striving to maintain our basic policy of improving the local environment.
*6 RTO (Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer): A device that combusts breaks down VOCs into water and CO2 to make emissions clear
Dried-synthetic rubber waste incinerator
(Kashima Plant)
Ground flare
(Yokkaichi Plant)
| FY | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of environmental complaints | Odor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noise | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vibration | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
JSR Group has formed biodiversity policies based on issues identified through conservation activities conducted in the past. We are currently promoting various activities in accordance with these policies.
To contribute to the establishment of a sustainable society, JSR Group strives to identify how our business activities depend on and impact biodiversity, and to promote efforts in consideration of biodiversity.
Utilizing the JBIB*7 Business and Biodiversity Interrelationship Map, we have clarified how our business activities depend on and impact biodiversity. We have since established JSR Group Biodiversity Policies on the basis of this clarification.
*7 JBIB = Japan Business Initiative for Biodiversity.
We discovered that there were no items among main raw materials, but there were some such items in some auxiliary raw materials. We conducted an investigation to determine the impact of these materials. We found no impact at this time. We will continue to conduct similar investigations when using raw materials that may have an impact.
While not a main raw material, paper is used for copies, publications, envelopes, and packaging material. As such, JSR Group is working toward sustainable paper use and has participated in the Consortium for Sustainable Paper Use, which was established to increase the use of sustainable paper in society, since its establishment in 2013.
We promote activities throughout the Group that prioritize the procurement of company envelopes, copy paper, and other materials made primarily from used paper, or paper with FSC or other forest sustainability certifications in accordance with the JSR Group Paper Procurement Guidelines, which were established in FY2013 to promote forest sustainability.
In FY2018, we announced our support for "Find the Mark and Protect Our Forests: FSC Forest Week 2018," an FSC Japan-sponsored campaign intended to raise awareness of FSC, and are assisting efforts to spread the FSC mark. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of FSC based on this concept: "Everyday purchases can help conserve forests. Find the FSC mark and protect our forests." Click on the link below to find out more about this campaign.
https://forestweek.net
By FY2014, we were able to improve green spaces at our 3 domestic plants and the Tsukuba Research Laboratories based on the Green Space Improvement Plan that we created with the cooperation of experts as well as using the results of a green space survey conducted in accordance with the JBIB Guidelines for Sustainable Business Sites. Each office is continuing to conduct similar activities independently.
| Yokkaichi Plant | |||||||
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 A sign explaining the plants and animals living in a green space |
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| Chiba Plant | |||||||
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| Kashima Plant | |||||||
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 A biological monitory survey |
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| Tsukuba Research Laboratories | |||||||
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 Start of activities (June 2012)  Now (as of June 2017) |
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We are incorporating and promoting environmentally friendly product standards.
We hold various events at our offices as part of our business activities.
JSR introduced environmental accounting in FY1999 with the following two objectives
JSR Corporation - JSR Head Office, Yokkaichi Plant, Chiba Plant, Kashima Plant and Research Laboratories
April 1, 2017 - March 31, 2018
* Units of one million yen
* Abbreviations - YP: Yokkaichi Plant, KP: Kashima Plant, CP: Chiba Plant
| Classification | Content of main activities Figures in parentheses express millions of yen. |
Investment | Expense | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2016 | FY2017 | FY2016 | FY2017 | |||
| (1) Business area costs) | 291 | 584 | 4,228 | 4,017 | ||
| Breakdown | (1)-1 Pollution prevention costs |
Investments: Air pollution, water pollution, odor countermeasures, etc. (YP: wastewater facilities measures: 157; etc.) Expenses: Air pollution prevention maintenance and management (586), etc. |
197 | 346 | 1,773 | 1,577 |
| (1) -2 Global environmental protection costs |
Investments: Self-generation of power, etc. (YP: Upgrade of ancillary equipment for boilers (58), etc.) Expenses: Self generation of power maintenance (798), etc. |
45 | 75 | 866 | 890 | |
| (1) -3 Resource circulation costs |
Investments: Upgrade of industrial waste processing facilities, establishment of recycle centers, etc.) Expenses: industrial waste recycling, etc. |
49 | 164 | 1,589 | 1,550 | |
(2) Upstream/downstream costs |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
(3) Management activity costs |
Expenses: Environmental impact monitoring, ISO 14001 maintenance and operation, etc. | 4 | 15 | 523 | 485 | |
(4) Research and development costs |
Expenses: Development of environmentally friendly products, tests for legal applications, etc. | 0 | 0 | 1,380 | 1,384 | |
(5) Social activity costs |
Expenses: Donations to environmental protection organizations, support for ICETT, etc. | 0 | 0 | 41 | 41 | |
(6) Environmental pollution response costs |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 295 | 599 | 6,172 | 5,927 | ||
| Effect | Index | Unit | FY2016 | FY2017 | Difference*8 | Related information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental effects related to resources used in business activities | Total energy consumption (crude oil equivalent) | kL | 267,500 | 266,300 | -1,200 | For more information |
| Use of resources designated under PRTR Act | tons | 880,814 | 903,081 | 22,267 | For more information | |
| Water consumption | 1,000m3 | 14,400 | 14,200 | −200 | For more information | |
| Environmental protection effects related to environmental impact and waste emitted from business activities | CO2 emissions | tons | 657,400 | 652,800 | -4,600 | For more information |
| SOx emissions | tons | 5 | 5 | 0 | For more information | |
| NOx emissions | tons | 305 | 335 | 30 | For more information | |
| PRTR substance emissions | tons | 276 | 292 | 16 | For more information | |
| Total amount of waste water | 1,000m3 | 12,161 | 12,108 | -53 | For more information | |
| Chemical Oxygen Demand emissions | tons | 459 | 457 | -2 | For more information | |
| Total nitrogen emissions | tons | 139 | 156 | 17 | For more information | |
| Total phosphorus emissions | tons | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0 | For more information | |
| Waste materials from plants | tons | 24,394 | 23,116 | -1,278 | For more information | |
| Off-site recycling | tons | 23,977 | 22,445 | -1,532 | For more information | |
| Reduced volume of waste treated off-site | tons | 417 | 670 | 253 | For more information | |
| Waste materials from plants disposed of by landfill | tons | 0 | 0 | 0 | For more information | |
| PRTR materials transported | tons | 342 | 536 | 194 | For more information | |
| Other environmental effects | Products transported | million ton-kilometer | 562 | 534 | -28 | For more information |
| During transport CO2 emissions | tons | 25,495 | 24,437 | -1,058 | For more information | |
| Number of environmental complaints (Odor, noise, and vibration) | cases | 0 | 0 | 0 | For more information |
*8 Improvement from previous years has not been corrected in terms of the production volume.
| Effect (for one year) | Benefit | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2016 | FY2017 | ||
| Cost reduction | By saving energy | 64 | 185 |
| By saving resources | 130 | 51 | |
| By treating waste on-site | 588 | 397 | |
| Total | 782 | 633 | |
| Investments | Expense | Benefit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2016 | FY2017 | FY2016 | FY2017 | FY2016 | FY2017 | |
| JSR | 295 | 599 | 6,172 | 5,927 | 782 | 633 |
| Group companies | 102 | 157 | 2,216 | 2,112 | 428 | 399 |
| Total* | 397 | 756 | 8,388 | 8,040 | 1,210 | 1,032 |
*Total of JSR Corporation and 13 JSR Group companies
JSR makes continuous investments in the environment and safety. Investments made in FY2017 reached 8.4 billion yen. This consisted of plant and facility investment aimed at various environmental improvements such as energy-saving equipment, and safety improvements such as workplace accident prevention. JSR will continue to make ambitious investments to maintain and improve the environmental, safety, and health aspects of operations in accordance with its medium-term capital investment plan.
Led by its Process Development Center, JSR is actively engaged in the development of new technologies to promote environmental protection. The following are recent themes in technological development approached by JSR. We deploy technologies as they are developed.
* Only Japanese version available.
