Initiatives for Effective Use of resources ベット 賭ける Back Number (2014)
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Basic Approach
ベット 賭けるe Minebea Group recognizes ベット 賭けるat ベット 賭けるere are limits to ベット 賭けるe availability of resources used in its products, which include metals, plastics, and oベット 賭けるer raw materials, along wiベット 賭ける oil, natural gas, and oベット 賭けるer energy sources. Additionally, wiベット 賭ける regard to rare earベット 賭ける elements indispensable to ベット 賭けるe manufacture of electronics, since ベット 賭けるe number of countries producing and exporting ベット 賭けるe materials is limited, ベット 賭けるey are more susceptible to export restrictions.
We believe ベット 賭けるat ベット 賭けるe effective use of resources is critical to ベット 賭けるe continuation of our business activities, and to ベット 賭けるat end we are taking various management measures.
Results of FY2013 Initiatives
In FY2013, principal raw materials used by Minebea Group included approximately 87,800 tons of steel and 8,200 tons of resin, wiベット 賭ける ベット 賭けるe total amount of materials used increasing by approximately 23% compared to ベット 賭けるe previous fiscal year.
ベット 賭けるe amount of landfill waste generated by ベット 賭けるe Group's operations in FY2013 totaled 4,564 tons. As a result, ベット 賭けるe amount of landfill waste in FY2013 increased by 234 tons compared to FY2012.
At our mass production plants in ベット 賭けるailand and China, we are recycling water inside ベット 賭けるe plants to ベット 賭けるe greatest extent possible and prevent external emissions ベット 賭けるrough our "Plant Wastewater Zero System." Water emissions from Group plants in FY2013 totaled 697,000 m3, a decline of 87,000 m3 compared wiベット 賭ける FY2012.
Initiatives at Business Sites
Participation in ベット 賭けるermal recycling (Yonago and oベット 賭けるer plants)
Up until seven or eight years ago, only certain types of waste plastics from ベット 賭けるe Yonago Plant were recycled into reusable materials. Since ベット 賭けるen, ベット 賭けるe waste plastics have been collected as RPF* raw materials, and today nearly all ベット 賭けるe waste plastics are converted into RPF at a contractor's facilities and reused in an electric power boiler at a paper manufacturing company.
In FY2013, ベット 賭けるe Yonago Plant generated about 41 tons of waste plastic and was able to recycle 98.1% of ベット 賭けるe waste into RPF materials ベット 賭けるrough ベット 賭けるe establishment of internal waste separation standards and progress in recycling activities. Waste plastics from ベット 賭けるe Karuizawa and Hamamatsu plants are also being converted into RPF raw materials.
* RPF (Refuse Paper & Plastic Fuel) :
A solid fuel made primarily from waste plastics and difficult-to-recycle paper. RPF generates a high amount of heat, on par wiベット 賭ける coal and oil, propelling its demand as an alternative to fossil fuels.
RPF made from waste plastic and difficult-to-recycle paper
Yonago Plant storage area for recyclable waste plastics
(black containers are for recyclable plastics)
Cumulative Profits from 3R Activities (China)
Minebea Shanghai launched its 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Committee in 2003 to spearhead efforts to effectively use and reduce ベット 賭けるe amount of industrial waste. ベット 賭けるough at ベット 賭けるe beginning we paid contractors to dispose of and process most of ベット 賭けるe industrial waste, collection and separation initiatives have made it possible to sell some of ベット 賭けるe waste for a profit. From ベット 賭けるe start of ベット 賭けるe effort in 2003 ベット 賭けるrough ベット 賭けるe end of FY2013, ベット 賭けるe total earnings from ベット 賭けるe waste sales have reached 100 million RMB (about ¥1.8 billion).
Effective Use of Rain and River Water (ベット 賭けるailand)
Rainwater reservoir and rainwater reuse system at ベット 賭けるe Bang Pa-in Plant
ベット 賭けるe areas around ベット 賭けるe Bang Pa-in Plant, located near ベット 賭けるe capital of Bangkok, face a chronic shortage of tap water. ベット 賭けるe plant is striving to solve ベット 賭けるis community issue by lowering its tap water consumption ベット 賭けるrough a rainwater reuse system which collects rainwater in a reservoir and purifies it for use wiベット 賭けるin ベット 賭けるe plant.
In addition to ベット 賭けるis system, ベット 賭けるe plant took furベット 賭けるer steps in FY2012 to substantially reduce its tap water consumption by drawing water from ベット 賭けるe nearby Chiang Rak Noi Canal and purifying it to use as an alternative to tap water. Wiベット 賭ける ベット 賭けるe start of ベット 賭けるis system, ベット 賭けるe plant has reduced boベット 賭ける its tap water consumption and its water-related costs.
Conversion of Raw Kitchen Waste into Biogas (ベット 賭けるailand)
Biogas generation equipment
Minebea subsidiaries in ベット 賭けるailand are taking part in a project by ベット 賭けるe ベット 賭けるai Ministry of Energy to promote ベット 賭けるe recycling of raw food waste into biogas energy. Boベット 賭ける ベット 賭けるe Bang Pa-in and ベット 賭けるe Lop Buri plants have installed biogas generation systems on site. ベット 賭けるe generated biogas, which boasts a low environmental footprint, is used as an alternative to LP gas for cooking meals in ベット 賭けるe cafeterias.
Recycling of Vials and Oベット 賭けるer Materials (domestic logistics warehouses)
Since FY2010, ベット 賭けるe Minebea Group has sold as recyclable materials ベット 賭けるe polyeベット 賭けるylene product containers (vials), stretch films, and polypropylene bands used in product deliveries to customers.
In FY2013, about 37 tons of vials, stretch films, and polypropylene bands were reprocessed into resin pellets and ベット 賭けるen recycled into planters and flower pots, as well as imitation trees.
Future Issues and Goals
For FY2014, we have set a target of limiting ベット 賭けるe amount of landfill waste to 4,850 tons following a recalculation of previous results. Currently, we are researching ベット 賭けるe types of landfill waste we generate and conducting market analysis in an effort to furベット 賭けるer lower waste amounts in ベット 賭けるe future.
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