Sustainability

We believe that we have a great corporate responsibility to reduce the environmental impact generated through business operations by addressing problems such as the various emissions from production activities and waste from products after use. We will, of course, continue to comply with environment-related laws and regulations, and at the same time, strive to accomplish voluntary targets by making efforts to use resources appropriately and conserve the natural environment.

Environmental Accounting

Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical compiles environmental accounting in reference to the Ministry of the Environment's “Environmental Accounting Guidelines” in order to quantitatively understand the investments and expenses related to environmental measures and their impact. In FY2022, as with the previous year, for the purpose of preventing global warming and saving energy by reducing CO₂ emissions, capital investments were made in “new installation of solar panels,” “replacement of absorption refrigerators,” and “use of boiler fuel for city gas,” and promoted “power saving by improving production operation ratio.” Furthermore, we are increasing items with the smaller size of medicine bags, cases, and cardboard boxes for our products (Eco & Compact) and actively promoting the efficient use of resources.In addition, costs have been separated by “Facilities” and “Expenses” from FY2021 to clarify the amount of investments for the fiscal year.

Conservation of Water Resources

Water resources are essential to business operations. We believe that it is integral to use finite water resources more effectively and reduce environmental impact. We conserve water resources by properly managing both water use volume and water discharge volume.
In FY2022, we continuously improved the use of circulating cooling water for production facilities and the cooling method of air conditioning equipment according to the season. As a result, our water consumption decreased by 1.5% year on year, and water discharge volume declined as well. Further reduction measures (capital investment and operation) will be promoted in the future. In addition, when discharging wastewater, we have established voluntary standards that are stricter than the water quality standards set by the national and local governments, and the water quality is checked before discharging wastewater. We always monitor COD*¹ and pH*² values to prevent harmful substances from resulting in negative effects.
*1 COD (chemical oxygen demand):
Amount of necessary oxygen when organics in water are oxidized by an oxidizing agent
*2 pH (hydrogen ion concentration):
Representing water acidity, neutrality, and alkalinity
*3 BOD (biological oxygen demand):
Value representing the amount of oxygen consumed when organics are decomposed by microorganisms in water
*4 SS (suspended solids):
Volume of solid particles whose diameter is 2 mm or under that remain in suspension in water

Recycling

Production waste generated in the manufacturing process is used in thermal recycling as a heat source for a cement factory and other facilities. Ash generated after incineration is used as a resource to be mixed with cement and other materials, leading to a FY2022 recycling rate of 99.8%. Moreover, transportation materials after use are separated and collected by category and recycled as a raw material for recycled paper and as a cushioning material.

In-house Efforts to Go Paperless

Emergency Drill

Simulating emergency situations, such as equipment damage and malfunction, operational errrors, and natural disasters, including earthquakes, typhoons, lightning, and flooding, we assess the types, scopes, and the severity levels of the impact that such emergencies are expected to have on the environment. Based on the assessment results, we formulate an action plan for contingencies to be handled with high priority and conduct emergency drills at least once a year. This enables us to prepare for minimizing the impact on the environment and our neighborhood.
By confirming through such drills how to respond in the initial phase and how to prevent the spread of damage, we are striving to improve our emergency response capability.

Checking a hydrogen gas leakage detector

List of Simulated Emergencies

Internal Communication

●Commitments to Raising Employees’ Environmental Awareness

At Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical, we are raising the environmental awareness of employees, especially at the Kyushu Head Office and the Utsunomiya Factory, whose operations have a large environmental impact.While requiring the office and the factory to incorporate environmental training as part of their ISO14001 environmental targets, we also provide a wide variety of environmental training for our overseas business bases. In addition, we share environmental information through our inhouse website at appropriate timing so that the employees of our group companies worldwide will become more aware of environmental issues.

Commitment to Biodiversity

We believe that the conservation of biodiversity and the use of ecosystem services are essential for our business operations.We are helping to conserve long-tail irises, designated as a 1A threatened species. Since 2015, we have been managing and nurturing this species’ seedlings from Kuboizumi-machi, Saga Prefecture on the premises of the Kyushu Head Office.

Environmental Impact Reduction at Overseas Factories

At our overseas factories, various measures are taken to reduce the use of water and the generation of waste as in the case of our domestic factories. They are working toward reducing environmental impact by raising the awareness of each of their employees of such impact.

Environmental Commitments at Overseas Factories

●Efforts at Overseas Subsidiaries

  - Noven is continuing its activities under the principles of sustainable improvement, target achievement, and uncompromised growth, while organizing green-activity teams for the purpose of efficient energy use and waste management for resource conservation.
  - Hisamitsu Vietnam is continuing to reduce electricity consumption by regularly applying thermal barrier coatings to factory roofs to reduce air conditioning loads through the suppression of roof temperatures. It is also reducing plastic waste by collaborating with manufacturers to reuse plastic containers for sewage treatment chemicals that were previously discarded, in an effort to reduce its environmental impact.
  - Hisamitsu Indonesia is continuing to reduce waste by decreasing the size of the inner bag, case, and cardboard of ByeBye-FEVER_Ⓡ made by Hisamitsu Indonesia, which was launched in February 2022, and by eliminating the package insert for Salonpas_Ⓡ GEL, Salonpas_Ⓡ Cream, and Salonpas_Ⓡ Cream HOT, which began to be shipped in October 2022.
  - Hisamitsu Brazil is continuing its activities with an awareness of reducing environmental impact in collaboration with companies expanding into Japan that are members of the Japanese-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Amazonas in Manaus.