Contribution to a Recycling-Oriented Society
Reduction of Landfill Waste
To promote the emergence of a recycling-oriented society, the NSG Group is working to reduce the volume of waste it generates and to increase its recycling ratio. Companywide environmental protection activities have been carried out since the new environmental policy was established in 1997. In 2001, a Group policy decision was made to undertake activities toward zero landfill waste at NSG Group plants in Japan-a goal that was achieved a year ahead of schedule in fiscal 2006. This represented a first for the flat glass industry.
As the recycling of glass fiber cullet and grinding sludge has been problematic, part of the promotion of recycling activities has involved each plant bringing about a significant reduction in industrial landfill waste. This has resulted in plants placing an emphasis on trial-and error methods and a variety of approaches, such as practicing thorough sorting of waste, looking for and checking waste disposal firms and developing new processing methods for recycling.
In addition to expanding these activities to affiliates in Japan, efforts will be made to eradicate waste.
As there are inherent difficulties with the recycling process for automotive glass formed from composite materials such as glass and resin, as well as for high-performance glass, technical developments that will separate glass from composite materials are also under way.
Management of Environmentally Harmful Substances
In Japan, the NSG Group verifies the amount of environmentally harmful substances upon procurement of materials and components and, having established three criteria-prohibited substances, reduction and monitoring-conducts restricted-use management*1 as appropriate depending on their individual properties.
| Category | Product covered | Substances | Product applications | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prohibited Substances |
All Products | ・Bis (tributyltin) oxide (TBTO) ・Tributyltin (TBT) ・Triphenyltin (TPT) ・Short chain chlorinated paraffin (carbon number 10 to 13) ・Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) ・Polychlorinated naphthalenes (chlorine number 3 or higher) ・Asbestos ・Azo dyes and azo pigment ・Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and other allegedly ozone-depleting substances ・Radioactive material |
Addition prohibited | In accordance with the Law Concerning the Examination and Regulation of Manufacture, etc. of Chemical Substances, the Industrial Safety and Heath Law and the Montreal Protocol*2 |
| Automotive applications, electrical and electronic applications | ・Cadmium (Cd) and cadmium compounds ・Hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) and its compounds ・Mercury (Hg) and mercury compounds ・Lead (Pb) and lead compounds ・Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) ・Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) |
Addition prohibited (cadmium < 0.01%; other < 0.1%) | As required by the ELV Directive*3 and the RoHS Directive*4 | |
| Reduction | All products excluding electrical and electronic applications | ・Lead (Pb) and lead compounds ・Arsenic and arsenic compounds ・Selenium and selenium compounds |
Continuous development of products that are free of these substances | Voluntary reduction initiatives |
| Monitoring | All Products | ・Antimony (Sb) and antimony compounds ・Beryllium (Be) and beryllium compounds ・Bismuth (Bi) and bismuth compounds ・Nickel (Ni) and nickel compounds ・Magnesium (Mg) and magnesium compounds ・Barium (Ba) and barium compounds ・Thallium (Tl) and thallium compounds ・Brominated flame retardants (excluding PBB and PBDE) ・Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ・Phthalate ester ・Formaldehyde |
Monitoring of volume of usage (restricteduse management) | In accordance with JEITA*5 Green Procurement Standard and Japan's Building Standards Law |
*1 Restricted-use management = Monitoring volume of use and amount contained, use in accordance with laws and standards, and proper disposal
*2 The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
*3 The EU Directive on end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), which restricts the use of toxic metals in parts for automotive use
*4 The directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment
*5 JEITA = Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association
Results of Audit of Substances Covered under the PRTR Law*1
The table below shows those substances covered by the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Law of Japan of which the NSG Group handles one ton or more. This includes substances of which individual plants handle less than one ton. Growth in manufacturing volume has resulted in increases in the amounts that the Group handles of some of these substances, but the Group is working ceaselessly for reductions in the volume handled, emissions, and transport of these materials through reviews of alternative substances, improvements to recovery methods, and reduced utilization per unit of specific productivity.
Before any chemical substance can be used for the first time, company regulations require a study of its safety and environmental impact, followed by a review by the Advisory Committee and their approval.
| Substance Name | Volume Handled | Atmospheric Emissions | Release to Water | Total Emissions | Total Amount Transferred*2 | Consumption*3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water-soluble zinc compounds | 14.501 | 0.000 |  0.062 |
0.062 |
0.020 | 14.420 |
| Antimony and antimony compounds | 36.966 | 0.004 | 0.000 | 0.004 | 16.118 | 20.844 |
| Ethylbenzene | 245.810 | 3.668 | 0.000 | 3.668 | 16.857 | 225.285 |
| Ethylene diamine | 5.311 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 5.311 |
| Xylene | 227.711 |
4.240 |
0.000 | 4.240 |
18.882 | 204.589 |
| Silver and water-soluble silver compounds | 6.645 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
6.645 |
| Chrome and trivalent chromium compounds | 4.375 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
4.375 |
| Cobalt and cobalt compounds | 1.605 |
0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 1.605 |
| Dichloromethane | 1.000 |
0.500 |
0.000 | 0.500 |
0.000 | 0.500 |
| Styrene | 3.976 |
0.040 |
0.000 | 0.040 |
0.000 | 3.936 |
| Trichloroethylene | 40.700 | 40.664 | 0.001 | 40.665 | 0.032 | 0.003 |
| Toluene | 3.355 | 0.961 | 0.000 | 0.961 | 0.916 | 1.478 |
| Lead and lead compounds | 14.522 |
0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 1.082 | 13.440 |
| Nickel compounds*4 | 6.353 |
0.000 | 0.001 |
0.001 |
0.000 |
6.351 |
| Barium and water-soluble barium compounds | 241.102 | 0.004 | 0.000 | 0.004 | 177.985 | 63.113 |
| Arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds*4 | 44.565 |
0.005 |
0.000 | 0.005 |
40.244 | 4.316 |
| Phenol | 4.811 | 1.322 | 0.000 | 1.322 | 1.304 | 2.185 |
| Hydrogen fluoride and its water-soluble salts | 21.465 | 0.278 | 0.005 |
0.283 | 0.246 | 20.937 |
| Boron and boron compounds | 433.069 | 3.868 | 0.888 | 4.756 | 207.742 | 220.572 |
| Poly (oxyethylene) nonylphenyl ether | 0.986 |
0.000 | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.351 |
0.633 |
| Formaldehyde | 7.047 |
0.759 | 1.082 | 1.841 | 0.472 | 4.734 |
| Total | 1365.876 | 56.314 | 2.04 | 58.354 | 482.251 | 825.271 |
*1 Includes all substances covered by the PRTR Law of Japan of which the NSG Group handles one ton or more.
*2 Total amount transferred is the total of the volume transferred as waste and that released to sewers as wastewater.
*3 The amounts contained in products and shipped off-site and the amounts used on plant grounds (reactions or incineration), etc.
*4 Chemical substances designated Specific Category 1
Reduced amounts for volume handled, atmospheric emissions, total amount transferred, consumed
