Protecting the environment
Ensuring efficient use of resources
Caring for customers and employees

The Tosoh environmental program celebrates all these activities. It also promotes cooperative conservation of energy and natural resources at Tosoh locations and with customers and clients. For example, at cement plants Tosoh actively uses byproducts from other plants and recycles heat and steam for energy. The company also has been using discarded tires as fuel since 1993 and processes as many as 2.2 million old tires a year -- demonstrating its commitment as a responsible corporate citizen.

Improving Waste Disposal and Recycling
We completely manage all reaction residues from vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) plants by using a submerged-type treatment process, which reuses resulting chloride from waste liquid and recycles the resulting hydrochloric acid. To respond to the waste-processing needs of users, we have been recovering and recycling bromine at new bromine liquid waste treatment facilities since May 1996.  ISO 14001 Certification was awarded to out Toyama Plant and the Nanyo Complex in 1998 and to the Yokkaichi Complex in 1999.  In addition, 100% of the products created by Tosoh adhere to ISO 9000-series International Standards for quality assurance.


Reducing Waste By-Products
Tosoh places top priority on the safe handling of chemicals as well as on reducing environmental burden by improving production processes and efficiently operating its plant facilities. We are striving to reduce levels of dust particles such as emissions of SOX and NOX, and CO2 emissions, which are major causes of acid rain and global warming. In addition, implementation of new, environment-friendly processing methods for vinyl chloride monomer and special synthetic rubber are well in progress.


Developing New Technologies and Products
More than ever before, Tosoh is marketing products that contribute to environmental protection, such as sodium hypochlorite; calcium chloride; polyaluminum chloride; ferric chloride; and calcium hypochlorite, which is used as a water treatment agent.

We are promoting R&D, aiming to offer even more environment friendly and safe products and services. Products that we already supply include: solvents that do not use chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which deplete the ozone layer; zeolites, which are used as a substitute for phosphates in detergents; a water-based adhesive solvent chloroprene latex, used as a bonding material that is free of organic solvents; and a heavy metal solidifying agent, which makes heavy metals emitted from waste incinerator plants insoluble. This newly developed heavy metal solidifying agent (TS-500) is now in widespread use in Japan.

In addition to these products, we have successfully developed high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ion chromatography, which are used to analyze organic solvent metabolites and ions, as well as atmospheric and water quality analyzing systems.


An Environmentally Active Company
In April 1996, Tosoh established Eco-Techno Corporation, a joint venture with Organo Corp., to further develop its environmental recovery related engineering operations. The joint venture provides survey, planning, research, and technological consulting services regarding the management of groundwater and soil that has been polluted with organic or inorganic materials. In addition, Eco-Techno designs, produces, markets, and installs plant and equipment, especially for decontamination operations against organic pollutants. The company is also involved in various other operations related to the protection or restoration of the environment. In the future, Eco-Techno plans to offer R&D and consulting services regarding waste issues as well as ISO and RC standards and regulations.


Supporting International Technology Cooperation
To help preserve the precious earth, Tosoh people perform environmental protection activities across the globe. For example, we support the activities of the International Center for Environmental Technology Transfer (ICETT). We also actively promote international communication and the R&D of advanced technologies that will aid in global environmental protection. We make it our policy to adopt the research of leading international environmental science specialists and contribute to the development of the human resources needed to ensure a healthy environment in the 21st century.