The (i) industrial waste generated by the corporate activities of JSR Group is treated on-site (separated and recycled or weight reduced, etc.). After that, it is treated off-site^* as (ii) waste we send off-site.

* (iii) Recycling, weight reduction and (iv) final landfill disposal

In FY2021, JSR Group generated 66,000 tons of (i) amount of industrial waste we generate (same level as the previous year) and our recycling rate was 92%. We spun off our elastomer business in April 2022. If we make an estimate based on the post-spin-off boundary, the amount of industrial waste we generated becomes approximately 20,000 tons and our recycling rate becomes 93%.

The amount of industrial waste we generate fluctuates together with our product production volume. Nevertheless, we will continue to strive to reduce the amount of industrial waste we generate. Together with that, we will promote recycling and conduct activities from a long-term perspective.

JSR has made the following initiatives with the aim of forming a recycling-oriented society.

Going forward, we will proceed with the initiatives we indicate in “5. Future Initiatives” in response to the spin off our elastomer business in April 2022.

In FY2018, we formulated a long-term target to reduce the amount of industrial waste we generate in FY2030 by 15% compared to the level in FY2013. We are working to reduce the amount of waste we generate and to promote recycling.

In FY2021, we reduced the amount of industrial waste we generated by 8.7% compared to FY2013.

We are sorting and collecting complex wastes after putting a new recycling center into operation at our Yokkaichi Plant in 2018. This is in addition to our promotion of recycling in such ways as converting waste into raw materials for cement.

We have been working since 2000 to achieve our target of reducing the amount of waste we send to final off-site landfills to 0.1% or less of the amount of waste we generate. We have continued to strive toward this target since FY2003.

Group companies are also reducing waste such as by promoting recycling. We have achieved zero emissions at most of our business sites. Those business sites which have not achieved zero emissions are working to achieve that goal. For instance, they are promoting the recycling and reuse of waste previously sent to landfills.

Initiative to Acquire Zero Waste Certification [JSR Micro Inc. (America)]

JSR Micro Inc. is aiming to acquire Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE) zero waste certification in FY2023. The company is making improvements in response to identifications from an audit.

Reuse of Used Equipment [JSR Micro N.V. (Belgium)]

JSR Micro N.V. regularly upgrades its analytical equipment to the latest version to ensure the best possible quality. Since the analytical equipment that is no longer used after the upgrade can often still be used for other applications, in 2021 we decided not to discard it but to donate it to the university for use in the laboratory for students' practical training.

For the problem of “marine plastic litter,” which has become a global environmental issue in recent years, we established “The FY2030 Goals: 1) 100% recycling (including heat recovery), and 2) 60% recycling (not including heat recovery)” as long-term targets in FY2019. We took this step to further accelerate our recycling of waste plastics in response to the Japanese government’s Plastic Resource Recycling Strategy.
We will also strive to make a social contribution by, for example, raising awareness of the plastics problem through in-house seminars and explanatory briefings, promoting “3R”-based activities in daily life, and participating in coastal cleanups.
Moreover, we became a participant of the Japan Initiative for Marine Environment (JaIME) as a founding member in FY2018.

The FY2021 waste plastics recycling rate (including heat recovery) was 96% for JSR and 91% for domestic Group companies. We will continue moving forward with approaches.
At the same time, our recycling rate (not including heat recovery) is low as compared to our target values as of the current point in time, and we will advance activities to further raise our recycling rates in order to achieve our targets.

JSR has always been serious about environmental measures in its logistics. Therefore, we promote "3R" (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) to effectively utilize waste-free packaging materials and packaging containers.

We are working to reduce the weight of outer cardboard boxes (from a two-layer to a one-layer structure) for our efforts to reduce packaging materials.

We are striving to use links for product containers^* and to reuse intermediate product containers and storage cushioning materials for our efforts to reuse packaging materials.

Moreover, we are promoting the recycling of raw material container valuables and the adoption of raw materials which enable the recovery of resources when selecting packaging materials for our efforts to recycle packaging materials.

JSR will actively engage in the above 3R activities for packing materials to promote recycling and effective use of resources.

* Use of links: Links are returned or collected from customers for reuse.

At JSR, electric facilities using high-concentration PCB (converters, capacitors, etc.) completed detoxification treatment. JSR also manages products using high-concentration PCB (stabilizers, contaminants, etc.) and low-concentration PCB waste in an appropriate manner in accordance with the Act on Special Measures concerning Promotion of Proper Treatment of PCB Wastes in Japan. We will also systematically carry out detoxification treatment in accordance with treatment deadlines.

We examined JSR Group’s sustainability KPIs in anticipation of the spin-off of our elastomer business in FY2021.

We recognize that the aim of achieving zero waste sent to final off-site landfills is a priority issue. Accordingly, we have set a KPI target to reduce the amount of waste we send to final off-site landfills to 0.1% or less of the amount of waste we generate. With this, we have decided to press ahead with recycling more than ever before.

Moreover, we are also aiming for higher level recycling than landfills and simple incineration for waste plastic which is attracting attention because of the marine plastic problem (figure below). We will consider setting new KPI targets. At the same time, we will promote initiatives to increase our recycling rate.