Reducing Waste
Definition of the Daikin Group's Zero Waste
The Daikin Group's zero waste goal is an effort to landfill or incinerate (but not for heat recovery) less than 1% of all waste from production processes overseas (0.5% in Japan) and to recycle at least 99% overseas (99.5% in Japan).
Seven Overseas Production Subsidiaries Achieve Zero Waste
Separating garbage in efforts to achieve zero waste (Daikin Thailand)
By fiscal 2005, all Daikin Group manufacturing bases in Japan had achieved zero waste (at least a 99.5% recycling ratio) and have maintained this ever since.
Overseas production bases have been working to reduce waste and as of the present, seven overseas production subsidiaries, including Daikin Thailand and Daikin Europe, have achieved zero waste (at least a 99% recycling ratio). Other overseas production bases are working to reduce waste generated and achieve zero waste through measures including raising the recycling ratio.
Note: Zero waste is defined as a recycling ratio of at least 99.5% in Japan and at least 99% overseas.
Amount Disposed of and Amount Recycled (Japan)
Amount Disposed of and Amount Recycled (Overseas)
Belgium: Returnable Packaging
At the end of fiscal 2010, Daikin Europe N.V. switched from cardboard boxes to foldable plastic boxes for product packaging. Besides allowing more packages to fit into delivery trucks, this plan has also reduced the amount of packaging material needed.
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Thailand: Recycling Grinding Sludge
Daikin Compressor Industries Ltd. (DCI; head office: Thailand), the manufacturing base for compressors for residential air-conditioners, mixes the sludge from grinding and the cutting debris from casting, dries the mixture out, compresses it, and recycles it as casting material.
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Japan: Recycling Wooden Palettes
The Shiga Plant has been procuring an increasing amount of materials and parts from overseas and these have been accompanied by an increasing number of pallets.
The plant tried to figure out how to recycle these pallets and came up with the idea of making them into charcoal, which is now used as deodorizing agent in the deodorizing equipment on painting lines. |
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| Absorption deodorizer |
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Crushing wooden palettes |
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Making charcoal (activated charcoal) |
The Accumulation of Small Efforts Gives Birth to New Recycling Ideas
Daikin employees do every little thing possible in their daily work to reduce the amount of waste generated. The Sakai Plant reuses buffer material in product packaging. The Shiga Plant has reduced the amount of wood waste by 75% by reusing this valuable resource whenever possible. It also has reduced the amount of sludge requiring processing by reducing the water content following water treatment. We are also planning new efforts such as separating plastics so as to make greater use of recycled materials. We plan to spread these efforts out to other air conditioner manufacturing bases.
The Chemicals Division, meanwhile, incinerates waste on site to create raw materials that can be used.
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Using Water Resources
Proper Water Use through Regular Monitoring
At our plants, we periodically repair and patrol equipment that uses water in the production processes. We also measure the amount of water used and try to reduce the per-unit amount used.
And we try to reuse waste water so that we can reduce the amount we discharge into the environment.
We compile data on amount of water used and emitted as waste water.
Each plant measures the substances contained in waste water.
Belgium: Metal Treatment Process Altered to Reduce Cleaning Water Use by 70%
In October 2010, Daikin Europe N.V. changed its washing process for metal plates. Changing the chemicals used allowed the washing water to be reused, cutting use of clean water by 70%. |
Thailand: Reusing Waste Water from Employee Areas
Daikin Compressor Industries Ltd. (Thailand) (DCI) has installed a new filter system on the water treatment equipment for waste water from the cafeteria and restrooms. This waste water can be made as clean as industrial-use water and is used for the company toilets. |
Reducing Waste