Energy-Saving Activities
• Reduction of CO2 emissions by consuming less energy
JVC Kenwood Group (domestic & overseas)
The JVC Kenwood Group is continuing to reduce greenhouse gases, in particular, greenhouse gas emissions and CO2 emissions resulting from energy consumption, based on our FY2010 targets. The total amount of CO2 emissions in Japan and overseas in FY2010 has fallen to 36% over the past six years.
Though this result is greatly affected by the revamping of our business structure, continuing from last year, we have continued to implement measures to conserve power to reduce not only CO2 emissions, but also other greenhouse gas emissions.
CoolBiz and WarmBiz
The JVC Kenwood Group is developing summer “CoolBiz” and winter “WarmBiz” campaigns.
A temperature manager is assigned to adjust air conditioners, keeping room temperature at 28°C in the summer and at 20°C in the winter. All employees are urged to take part through our Intranet and posters, suggesting “no neckties” and to use “natural air conditioning” in the summer, and to wear “suitably warm clothing” in the winter.
Poster displayed in-house
Thorough Management of Air Conditioner Temperatures by Temperature Managers
The temperature manager adjusts the AC while checking the room temperature
JVC Kenwood Group has appointed special temperature managers for the ACs on each floor, which place a heavy burden on the power used, to strictly control the AC temperatures.
Employees other than the temperature managers cannot operate the AC temperature settings panel. Careful AC control increases the effects of reducing CO2 emissions.
Implementing Continuous Energy-Saving Diagnosis
Announcing where improvements are needed as a result of the energysaving diagnosis
We have gathered energy management specialists for each regional business to mutually inspect business facilities, and are implementing continuous diagnoses of wasteful energy use.
Diagnoses reveal daily points of which we were unaware, such as where and how improvements are necessary to facilities, lighting, power tools, and building structures.
Detecting waste centering on equipment that required large amounts of power improves the effects of reducing CO2 emissions.
Participation in the “Tanabata Lights Down” Campaign
Families of Employees who Participated in the “Tanabata Lights Down”
As part of our response as called for in the past by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, in the evening of July 7 we invited our employees and their families to turn off their lights and join in the “Tanabata Lights Down” campaign. We turned off all our office billboard lights for two hours from 8:00 to 10:00 pm to help stop global warming.
The participating employees feel very grateful, saying “This is an opportunity to consider the environment,” and “This is our annual custom.”
Separating and Recycling Garbage
Fine-tuned garbage separation to enable recycling
Using both sides of the paper is an in-house standard
In December 2010, the activities of the relevant Victor Company of Japan (Head Office & Yokohama Business Center) and Kenwood (Hakusan Business Center) were recognized by the city of Yokohama in the business category of the “Yokohama Environmental Action Award*,” and were certified for the fourth continuous year as “Excellent (Three-Star) Garbage Separation Offices.”
“Offices with Excellent (Three-Star) Garbage Separation” award shield Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC) (left) and Kenwood Corporation (right)
*“Yokohama Environmental Action Awards”
To handle the increasing amounts of garbage and concomitant lack of waste processing facilities, and to recycle resources, Yokohama, as a model city, has continued its “G30 promotion,” which awards certificates for distinguished accomplishments to individuals and organizations every year since 2003.
In 2010, of the approximately 2600 companies that were eligible, 23 were selected, an increase of three over last year.
Continuously Reducing Waste through “Zero Emissions”
* Margin boards: Frame used to hold the printed circuit board while attaching parts using an inserting machine. They are normally thrown away after being used.
The JVC Kenwood Group has improved its waste recycling rate, and has attained “zero waste emissions” for minimal burden on the environment at many of its plants and offices.
The basis to achieving zero emissions is for all employees to recognize their impact on the environment and thoroughly separate garbage. Explanatory meetings on garbage separation are held for people transferred from other offices, to make sure that each office implements suitable garbage separation.
As one example of our promoting recycling, margin boards* that are discarded in the product manufacturing process are reborn as copper or slag to be mixed into concrete by outside contracted recycle specialists.
Food waste from company cafeterias is taken to a local contracted farm where it is converted to fertilizer and used in growing kale and other vegetables.
Recycling raw garbage from the cafeteria:
The raw garbage is converted to fertilizer and used in kale cultivation
Waste Reduction Activities
• Trends in annual waste generation
JVC Kenwood Group (domestic)
Reducing the total amount of waste generated in JVC Kenwood Group in Japan proceeded until FY2009. The reduction of manufacturing sites creating large quantities of waste acids and alkalis in Japan has had a major effect.
FY2010 increased by approximately 300 tons compared to the previous year. (Compared to FY2000, the amount generated is 14.2%.) The main factor is the creation of waste concomitant with selling the Victor Yokohama Plant in June 2010. As a result of waste reduction activities throughout the year, we have maintained a recycling rate of 99% in Japan, and continue with zero emissions.
| JVC Kenwood Group | ||
|---|---|---|
| Amount created(tons) | Composition ratio(%) | |
| Dirt (inorganic, organic, mixed) | 61 | 2.3 |
| Paper and wood waste | 1,326 | 50.8 |
| Waste plastic | 389 | 14.9 |
| Waste liquids (waste oils, acids, and alkalis) | 58 | 2.2 |
| Metal filings (ferrous and non-ferrous) | 706 | 27.1 |
| Other (animal and vegetable residue, etc.) | 69 | 2.7 |
| Total | 2,610 | 100.0 |
Managing PRTR Chemicals
• Total amount of PRTR chemicals released and transferred
JVC Kenwood Group (domestic)
The amount of Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) chemicals handled by the JVC Kenwood Group has continued to fall since 2003. In particular, the discharged and transferred amounts in FY2008 onwards have fallen considerably. The Japanese plants that handle over a ton of these materials have been reduced to one place, Victor Creative Media, and the only material handled is nickel.
The main reason for this is that we gave up control of production of blank media and printed circuit boards, that use organic solvents or chemical raw materials, when business operations were revamped.
Each office regularly controls and checks the amounts stored and used.
Plans for Suppressing VOC Emissions into the Atmosphere
The JVC Kenwood Group have broadly achieved its reduction targets for FY2010* as a result of involvement in reducing emissions by participating in a voluntary action plan to suppress VOC emissions in the atmosphere by the electrical appliance and electronics industries. We are also promoting reductions during FY2011.
* 30% reduction compared to FY2000 (baseline fiscal year)
Amounts of VOCs handled and emitted into the atmosphere from FY2008 onwards have diminished to extremely low levels. Though we are still using organic materials for washing and cleaning parts and in paints, the total amount of emissions has fallen to an extremely low level of 1.3 tons. This further decrease is on top of our having started operation of the VOC combustion-type emissionreduction facilities in our blank media operations at the old Mito Plant in December, 2006.
• Amount of VOC handled and released to the atmosphere
JVC Kenwood Group (domestic)
PCB Management and Countermeasures
PCB storage rooms have all been moved to one room at the Head Office & Yokohama Business Center
Local courses on PCB chemical composition and toxicity, and training on recovering leaked oil.
Electrical devices containing PCBs, which used to be stored separately at various plants, are now managed centrally.
Together with the transfer of electrical appliances containing PCBs, which were stored at the Yokohama Plant, to the Head Office & Yokohama Business Center when the Yokohama Plant closed in November 2010, 12 drums of insulating oils containing trace amounts of PCBs are undergoing ongoing centralized management as they are handled as dangerous materials in the Maebashi Business Center. For this move, we requested governmental guidance and submitted the required legal notices. Currently, JVC Kenwood Group manages these materials centrally at five specialized storage rooms, constructed so PCBs cannot leak out. They are located at the Head Office & Yokohama Business Center, Victor Creative Media, Maebashi Business Center, Hachioji Business Center, and Kenwood Devices.
Moreover, we periodically conduct disaster prevention training in accordance with documented procedures to prevent the spread of contamination on the assumption that an oil leak accident from stored devices has occurred.
Electrical devices containing PCBs continue to be managed rigorously until harmlessly processed by the Japan Environmental Safety Corporation (JESCO) Tokyo Facility.
