About us > CSR Activities > Environmental Efforts > Environmental Management > Environmental Management
Environmental Management
Based on our management policy of ensuring "harmony with society, the world and the nature," we have been promoting Group-wide environmental activities.
With the aim of clarifying our attitude toward environmental regulations and ensuring smooth promotion of our activities to cope with such regulations, we have established subcommittees under the CSR Committee, assigning each subcommittee a specific theme to work on. Thus, we make Company-wide commitment to environmental issues.
Promotion scheme
We have been promoting the Group-wide acquisition of ISO14001 certification inside and outside the country, with the aim of establishing an organizational environmental management system. Within Japan, our Tamaki Plant obtained the certification in October 1996 ahead of other units, while the remaining domestic units have also come to be certified by October 2004. Our overseas units are also all certified today, with KYOCERA Document Solutions Korea having acquired the certification in February 2010 and KYOCERA Document Solutions India in June 2011.
Our plants and offices handle various equipment, organic solvents and waste materials. Although a lot of attention is being paid to handling in accordance with prescribed procedures to avoid any adverse impact on the environment, we still need to be prepared for any accident or outbreak of emergency so that we can minimize damage. For this reason, we conduct emergency drills by assuming any possible outbreaks such as leakage of an organic solvent.
Example
We simulated an accident in which a metal container containing hazardous materials falls during cart transportation, causing a leakage. In the drill, participants put on an emergency clothing (gloves) and wiped up spilled materials quickly to prevent them from spreading. (In the drills, we use harmless liquid materials.)
Emergency drills (to prevent environmental damage)
We have established a scheme that enables us to make a quick and appropriate response to any complaint from a citizen or inquiry or order from the government. In addition, our in-house guidelines for the management of noises, vibrations and effluents, which we have established autonomously, are stricter than those that are provided by laws or public regulations.
Flowchart of our response to comments and complaints
| FY2008 | FY2009 | FY2010 |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
1.Internal audit for the environment
Focusing on the below-listed items in particular, we conduct an internal audit once a year, with the aim of evaluating the status of how in-house environmental management systems are operated appropriately and work effectively at plants and offices, so as to ensure the reliability of these systems. Auditors are selected from among qualified employees as internal auditors.
Focus items for audit
- Satisfaction of standards of environmental management systems and the state of system operation
- Compliance to laws, regulations and voluntary environmental management guidelines
- Progress of the environmental protection promotion plan
- Correction of problems identified in the previous audit
Kyocera Mita's internal audit conducted for domestic units during FY2010
- Period: November 29 to December 27, 2010
- Number of auditors: 63 persons
- Number of business units covered by the audit: 4 internal units and one affiliate
- Number of problems found: N/A (no incompliances)
Number of items subject to continuing observation: 18 (Identified minor recording inadequacies have been already corrected.)
2.Environmental inspection
Every June, which is designated Environment Month, our domestic units conduct an environmental inspection, in which directors in charge of environmental management pay visits to plants and offices to see environmental management facilities, waste storage sites and workshops where chemical substances are used, to confirm the status of their management, with the ultimate goal of improving practices for environmental conservation. The directors also visit our overseas plants to conduct an environmental inspection once a year in principle.
3.Examination by a third-party accreditation body
KYOCERA Document Solutions undergoes an examination conducted by a third-party accreditation body ever year to gain official recognition of the effectiveness of our environmental management systems.
With the aim of improving employees' attitudes toward the environment and encouraging their voluntary efforts for environmental protection, we conduct environmental education and enlightening activities, ensuring that appropriate programs pursuant to our education guidelines are provided to all employees according to their respective duties and their levels of knowledge and expertise.
Education by class
- We have programs for new employees, new group leaders and those in higher positions.
General environmental education
- With the aim of improving the level employees' knowledge and consciousness about environmental management, we conduct enlightening activities including information provision through posters, Environment Month events and morning meetings.
Education by position
- We have programs for new heads of business units or group leaders who are responsible for environmental management.
Education for those engaged in specific environmentally hazardous operations
- We have special education and training programs for those engaged in specific operations with potential high-level environmental impacts, and these programs meet our education standards.
- Of those employees engaged in specific environmentally hazardous operations, operators who directly handle chemical substances or operate environmental management facilities as well as those in charge of the maintenance and management of such facilities are subject to enhanced education, where lectures and training are given repeatedly to confirm their competence in areas including special knowledge, skills and experience-based abilities.
Program to support employees' acquisition of qualifications
- For the purpose of improving our scheme for environmental internal audit, we encourage employees to acquire qualification as an environmental internal auditor, and provide necessary education, with the hope of increasing the number of qualified employees. (As of March 2011, we have a total of 83 qualified employees, of whom nine persons obtained the qualification during FY2010.)
- There are official licenses that corporate environmental managers are legally required to obtain, and we encourage employees to participate in outside seminars in the hope of seeing more employees acquire qualifications, and thereby contribute to environmental management at their respective workplaces.
| Type | Number of participants |
|---|---|
| Education by class | 173 |
| General education | 570 |
| Education by position | 56 |
| Education for those engaged in specific environmentally hazardous operations | 341 |
| Program to support employees' acquisition of qualifications | 9 |
| Total | 1,149 |
In April 2006, we established the "green procurement procedure." Since then, our procurement activities have been emphasizing, in accordance with the procedure, not only product quality and price but also the aspect of "environment-friendliness," as part of efforts to fulfill our corporate responsibility to mitigate the environmental impacts of business activities.
Prior to the introduction of the procedure, the ratio of our green procurements to total purchases was about 70%. Since 2008, however, we have been maintaining the ratio at 100%. Thus, our procurements are fully environment-oriented today, and we will continue this effort of promoting green procurements.
Main "green procurement" items
| Batteries | Paper clips |
|---|---|
| Staples | Stationery files with binding tubes |
| Labels | Marker pens |
| Craft tape | Fluorescent lamps |
| Cellophane adhesive tape | Laser pointers |
Changes in the ratio of green procurements
Changes in the ratio of green procurements
The total amount of our investments made during FY2010 was 71.799 million yen. Of these investments, 54.9% was capital investment aimed at promoting energy-saving performance of toner production at the Hirakata Plant and the Tamaki Plant. Also, we introduced a solar power system with a capacity of 50 kW to the Tamaki Plant. As a result, our entire solar power generation capacity, from all units including the headquarters and the Hirakata Plant, has reached 122 kW.
Achievements in environmental conservation efforts and their economic effect
Our FY2010 reduction in power consumption surpassed the previous year's performance by 2.507 million kWh, as a result of the successful implementation of energy-saving measures introduced to the toner production line in particular. Consequently, we have saved 33.755 million yen of electricity costs (up about 150% from FY2009).
About us > CSR Activities > Environmental Efforts > Environmental Management > Environmental Management
