Pollution Prevention
Basic Approach
The DNP Group publishes regular Eco-Reports, which cover trends in environmental regulations and also conducts Eco-Audits to ensure full compliance with all laws and regulations. Our compliance efforts also include the establishment of and strict adherence to our own voluntary standards (air emissions, wastewater, odor, noise, and vibration) and voluntary guidelines (chemical substance management, soil contamination measures), which are even stricter than what is legally required.
Indicators/Goals
We view minimizing the impact of our business activities on the local environment as a critical responsibility and are steadily advancing our environmental conservation efforts. In particular, for key areas regulated by environmental laws and regulations—such as air emissions, wastewater, odors, noise, and vibration—we have established voluntary management targets of “70% or less of regulatory standards” and are continuously monitoring and making improvements. As a result, we were able to maintain high achievement rates across all categories in fiscal year 2024.
| FY2030 Targets | FY2024 Results | |
|---|---|---|
| Air emissions (Maximum concentration of regulated air pollutants) | Maintaining at 70% or less of regulatory standards | Target achievement rate: 100% |
| Wastewater (Maximum concentration of regulated wastewater pollutants) | Target achievement rate: 99.7% | |
| Odor (Maximum odor at the property boundary) | Target achievement rate: 98.5% | |
| Noise (Maximum noise level at the property boundary) | Target achievement rate: 99.4% | |
| Vibration (Maximum vibration level at the property boundary) | Target achievement rate: 100% | |
Initiatives
Reducing Water Pollutants
We detoxify and reduce the pollution load of the wastewater from our industrial processes and dining halls by using purification tanks and wastewater treatment equipment to manage wastewater without exceeding legal standards.
In addition, we regularly inspect and maintain wastewater processing equipment and change filters and absorbent materials.
We also continue to improve wastewater by installing grease traps to prevent oil used in dining halls from spilling from kitchens and providing water quality preservation training including training regarding the proper use of detergents.
Reducing Air Pollutants
The Air Pollution Control Act regulates substances such as toxic air pollutants and ozone depleting substances, including sulfur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These substances have an impact on health and the global environment, causing problems such as photochemical smog and ozone layer depletion. We at the DNP Group are working hard to monitor and reduce emissions of such substances.
Reducing VOC emissions
Inks, solvents, adhesives and cleaning solutions used in the printing process contain toluene and other VOCs. The DNP Group’s anti-VOC measures not only seek to regulate concentrations as required under the Air Pollution Control Act, but also to reduce emissions overall. We have been switching to substitute products with a lower environmental impact and installing equipment for VOC treatment and solvent recovery.
FY2024 results: Atmospheric emissions of VOCs (domestic): 3,983 (tons)
Soil and Groundwater Contamination
The DNP Group conducts soil inspections based upon our voluntary management guidelines. When soil contamination is discovered, we file a report with the office of the governor or mayor in charge of that prefecture or city, and upon receiving instructions from the local authorities, we implement appropriate measures for removing the contamination.
In addition to continuing the purification of pump water at one site in FY2024, we also inspected tanks, waste storage sites and areas for storing equipment that handles waste PCBs to prevent soil contamination.
Storage of harmful substances (PCBs)
Regarding the PCB devices currently in storage or use, we are processing them sequentially to dispose of all of the devices to be disposed of by the deadline, which is the end of March 2027.