Annual Report 2017

Tosoh endeavors to reduce its environmental loading through the optimal use of the earth’s limited resources. Going forward, we will generate additional ideas for advanced activities to this purpose while carrying out our daily business, understanding as we do the importance to society of environmental preservation.

Input and Output

Tosoh combines the reaction, decomposition and distillation of raw materials to manufacture products. The source of heat for reaction and decomposition is the steam from our power-generation boilers. The electricity generated by those boilers in turn powers the equipment for these processes. Industrial-use water and seawater are applied to reduce reaction heat.

We maintain a balance between fuel input and the power generation and product output of each plant. We are also conscious of mitigating our emissions of substances that harm the environment.

Effective Resource Utilization

We recycle almost all of the industrial waste produced by our in-house power generators at our facilities, including coal ash, which we use in the production of cement. Our Nanyo Complex, for example, either reuses or reprocesses almost 100% of the industrial waste it produces. It even uses general and industrial waste from outside sources to fuel its cement plant.

Tosoh’s final disposal volumes for fiscal 2017 constituted 0.33% of its overall industrial waste. We continue to pursue more effective uses of finite resources.

Industrial Waste Emissions

The total volume of the industrial waste disposed of by Tosoh in fiscal 2017 was 1,382 metric tons. This was well below our Responsible Care (RC) target of 1,768 metric tons a year. We now have as our objective achieving the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) target for 2020: a reduction to 30% of the fiscal 2000 industrial waste disposal volume. Tosoh will work toward this target in part by dropping its RC industrial waste disposal goal for fiscal 2018 to 1,515 metric tons.

Class 1 Chemical Emissions

Tosoh seeks to lessen its emissions of Class 1 chemical substances under Japan’s Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Law. In so doing, we contribute to a cleaner environment. Our Class 1 chemical emissions in fiscal 2017 totaled 593 metric tons, down 10 metric tons from fiscal 2016.

Atmospheric Preservation

We release smoke containing sulfur oxide (SOx), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter into the atmosphere because of operations involving fuel-burning boilers and furnaces. Acid rain and the potential impact of atmospheric emissions on people’s health are a concern. As a result, regulatory values for each generating facility and total volume controls for each business unit have been established by Japan’s Air Pollution Control Act. We have also established values for each of our business units under regulations or agreements with the municipalities where we operate. In addition, we have independently set values to achieve sustainable environmental preservation.

We did not exceed any regulatory values in fiscal 2017. Tosoh will continue to work harder to meet and better the values set forth in regulations and agreements.

Water Preservation

Areas of heavy concentrations of industrial activity along open seacoasts and near more closed bodies of water such as Tokyo Bay, Ise Bay and the Inland Sea are protected by effluent regulations based on drainage standards and by Japan’s Water Pollution Prevention Act. Each of Tosoh’s business units operate under municipal effluent regulations or agreements. Tosoh also has its own effluent values in pursuit of sustainable environmental preservation.

Tosoh did not exceed any regulatory values in fiscal 2017, and will continue to work with greater effort to meet and improve upon the values established by regulations and agreements.

Minamata Convention Compliance

The Minamata Convention on Mercury was adopted internationally in October 2013. In 2016, the Japanese government enacted revisions to Japan’s Act on Preventing Environmental Pollution of Mercury, Air Pollution Control Act and Law Concerning Waste Disposal and Scavenging based on that convention.

Earlier, in 2013, Tosoh had established an RC directive to reduce its number of facilities using mercury by ceasing the use of mercury at any renewed facility. To date, all other Tosoh facilities are confirmed to be within the newly revised mercury concentration standard values set for smoke exhaust emitted from boilers and cement kilns.

Through the use of materials and fuels with low to no mercury content, Tosoh will work to suppress mercury concentrations in its smoke exhaust. The company will likewise protect the environment through the improved processing of industrial waste containing mercury.

Copyright © 2024 Tosoh Corporation