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Reducing Emissions of Chemical Substances

Toshiba Group strives to reduce the consumption of chemical substances by designating substances that have large direct impacts on the environment as those targeted for reduction. By business segment, Storage & Electronic Devices Solutions and Infrastructure Systems & Solutions account for approximately 80% of the total emissions of such substances, and by region, approximately 80% of such emissions originate from Japan.

Results of FY2017

In FY2017, Toshiba Group took measures for solvents used in cleaning and resin processing, which ranked high among such emissions, and promoted initiatives such as using alternative substances, starting operation of combustion detoxifying devices, and improving powder coating and other manufacturing processes in order to reduce the use of raw materials as well as reducing the amount of VOC evaporation by enhancing chemical management. As a result, the Group reduced emissions of substances targeted for reduction by 128 tons (19%) compared to the 2013 level. The amount of chemical substance emissions per unit production was 79% of the FY2013 level and we therefore achieved our target.

Future initiatives

In the Sixth Environmental Action Plan, Toshiba Group aims to reduce emissions from substances per unit production in FY2020 to less than the FY2013 level. It plans to use alternative substances and increase material efficiency by improving processes as an incoming countermeasure and to expand usage of emission removal and collection equipment as an outgoing countermeasure.

Emissions of substances targeted for reduction and those per unit production

  FY2013
(Benchmark year)
result		 FY2017
target		 FY2017
result		 FY2018
target		 FY2020
(Final fiscal year)
goal
Amount emitted 671 tons - 543 tons - -
Per unit production 100% 99% 79% 98% 96%

Breakdown of emissions of substances targeted for reduction (FY2017)
[Image] Breakdown of emissions of substances targeted for reduction

Case : Global deployment of a chemical substance management system used in the manufacturing processes

Toshiba Carrier Corporation

Today, regulations on chemical substances are being made stricter in Japan and around the world and chemical substances used in manufacturing processes are required to be managed speedily and meticulously. We have therefore developed "TOCACHEF*1" to reliably deal with the increase in regulated substances and improve efficiency in reporting to the administration in compliance with laws such as PRTR Law*2. The system provides an electronic approval workflow feature to circulate applications for registration of a material within our company's internal departments concerned, which allows them to conduct and record assessments of such an application. Also, by registering all the chemical substances contained in the materials, the system allows you to automatically count and manage the amounts of such substances that are being used and transferred. The operation of this system has commenced at Toshiba Carrier Group manufacturing sites in China and Thailand as well as Japan, and we are trying to minimize environmental and safety risks and sharing materials across the entire Group by jointly using history data.

*1
TOCACHEF: Toshiba Carrier Chemical Control system for Future
*2
PRTR Law: Act on Confirmation, etc. of Release Amounts of Specific Chemical Substances in the Environment and Promotion of Improvements to the Management Thereof (Law concerning Pollutant Release and Transfer Register / PRTR Law)

[Image] Approval workflow (Example)

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Case : Reducing environmental impact with powder coating

Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corporation

[Image] Reducing environmental impact with powder coating

Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corporation had used xylene and toluene, which are regulated under the PRTR Law in Japan, as well as solvent coatings that contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including butyl acetate, which is a second-class organic solvent specified in the Ordinance on Prevention of Organic Solvent Poisoning*1. As an alternative, the company adopted a powder coating that contains none of these substances. It thus greatly reduced the environmental impact on the atmosphere caused by organic solvents (reduction of 3 tons *2 per year).

The new coating is friendly to human health and contains no formaldehyde, which is a major causal agent of sick building syndrome.

*1
Industrial Safety and Health Act, Ordinance on Prevention of Organic Solvent Poisoning in Japan
*2
Based on FY2015 results

Case : Reducing environmental impact by introducing a compressor powder coating

[Image] Powder coating by robots
Powder coating by robots

Toshiba Carrier Corporation Fuji Factory & Engineering Center

At Toshiba Carrier Corporation's Fuji Factory & Engineering Center, workers previously coated compressors by soaking them in watersoluble paint having a 35% composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Recently, the company newly adopted a powdercoating system that makes use of robots to apply powder coating paint containing no VOCs, thereby reducing VOC emissions by 6.4 tons per year. As a result, the plant now recycles more than 95% of the paint used in powder coating, thereby reducing waste paint by 720 kg* annually.

* Based on FY2015 results

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