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Contributing to Environmental Protection : Review of Activities during FY2021

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Toward a Zero-Carbon Society

As part of our efforts to address climate change, we have initiated several measures to achieve carbon neutrality. In fiscal 2021, we started a multifaceted review of sourcing and use of energy at the Osaki Forest Building (Shinagawa, Tokyo), where Toyo Seikan Group Holdings and other major group companies are headquartered, and at the Corporate R&D (Yokohama, Kanagawa), the basic research lab of the Group.

The Group Receives“1.5℃-Aligned” Approval from Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) for Revised 2030 Environmental Targets

We have revised our mid- to long-term environmental targets, the Eco Action Plan 2030, to advance our efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Specifically, we have raised the CO2 reduction targets for 2030 from 35% to 50% for emissions from our operations and from 20% to 30% for emissions from our supply chain compared to 2019 levels. The revised targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)* under its updated target validation criteria for the 1.5℃ scenario.

The new targets are ambitious, as we intend to achieve the initially targeted 35% reduction by 2027, three years ahead of the original schedule. By accelerating energy saving and renewable energy use, we aim to continuously reduce CO2 emissions to meet the 1.5℃-aligned targets and thereby achieve carbon neutrality, a 2050 goal toward a zero-carbon society.

  • *The SBTi is a global environmental initiative to validate companies’ GHG emissions reduction targets that are consistent with scientific evidence.

CO2 Emissions from Operations (Scope 1 & 2)

In fiscal 2021, total CO2 emissions from the Group’s sites increased by 3.8% from the previous fiscal year to 1,334 thousand tons CO2.

Despite higher production, the emissions from domestic facilities only showed a 34 thousand tons CO2 increase compared to the previous fiscal year as a result of energy saving activities, such as the replacement of air compressors and periodic repairs to melting furnaces. Meanwhile, the emissions from overseas facilities increased by 15 thousand tons CO2 compared to the previous fiscal year due to their expanded production.

We will continue to engage in reducing carbon footprint in fiscal 2022 through energy saving efforts, such as replacing equipment, streamlining production lines and improving production efficiencies.

Changes in CO2 Emissions from Operations(1)(2)(3)

  • *This chart is scrolled
  • Notes: 
  • 1.In November 2021, we raised the emissions reduction target from 35% less to 50% less, compared to fiscal 2019.
  • 2.We have changed the scope of data collection to solely include Toyo Seikan Group Holdings and its consolidated subsidiaries from the data disclosed in July 2022, excluding affiliates accounted for using equity method that were previously included, and therefore the figures published here are not comparable to those published previously.
  • 3.We have corrected the double-counting of emissions we found for some overseas subsidiaries and accordingly revised the sums of emissions from domestic and overseas operations for previous fiscal years.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Supply Chain (Scope 3)

The Toyo Seikan Group calculates the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from the upstream and downstream of the supply chain (scope 3), in addition to the emissions from its own operations, which consist of direct emissions from fuel combustion (scope 1) and indirect emissions related to electricity consumption (scope 2). Under our environmental vision Eco Action Plan 2030, we aim to reduce the scope 3 emissions 30% by fiscal 2030 compared to fiscal 2019.

In fiscal 2021, the scope 3 emissions associated with our domestic and overseas operations accounted for approximately 84% of the total emissions from the Group’s domestic and overseas operations and supply chain. Of the total scope 3, the emissions from purchased products (category 1) accounted for approximately 69%, followed by use of sold products (category 11) and disposal of sold products (category 12). This indicates that reducing emissions related to purchased products, or material procurement, is becoming more important. We will continue to work on reducing product weights and using recycled and plant-based materials in cooperation with material suppliers.

GHG Emissions from Supply Chain (FY2021)*

  • *This chart is scrolled
  • *We have changed the scope of data collection to include Toyo Seikan Group Holdings and its consolidated subsidiaries from the data for fiscal 2019, including all overseas consolidated subsidiaries, which were previously excluded from the scope, and therefore the figures calculated with the new scope are not comparable to those calculated with the conventional scope.

Please refer to the Environmental Performance Data for details regarding the Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.

More Use of Renewable Energy

As part of our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from operations, we have been introducing solar power systems to our facilities. Two domestic facilities, Tokan Kogyo's Komaki Plant and Toyo Kohan's Kudamatsu Plant, began to operate the system in December 2020 and in February 2021, respectively. Outside Japan, Toyo Filling International in Thailand launched the system in August 2020. We will step up the introduction of renewable energy as a key measure to address global warming going forward.

Installation of solar power systems (excluding systems for electricity business)      As of April 2021

Installation of solar power systems (excluding systems for electricity business)

As of April 2021

Company/plant Operation started Annual CO2 reduction (ton-CO2)

Nippon Closures / Komaki Plant

March 2019

360

Toyo Seikan (Thailand)

October 2019

280

Toyo Filling International (Thailand)

August 2020

100

Tokan Kogyo / Komaki Plant

December 2020

240

Toyo Kohan / Kudamatsu Plant

February 2021

80

Komaki Plant of Tokan Kogyo
Toyo Filling International
Kudamatsu Plant of Toyo Kohan

Promoting Modal Shift - Recognized as Eco Ship Mark Certified Business

We have committed ourselves to more efficient transportation with less environmental impact by making active efforts to build an efficient truck transportation system and promote modal shift.

In April 2021, Toyo Seikan and Toyo Mebius have been certified as Eco Ship Mark Businesses for 2020 in the Eco Ship Modal Shift Project, led by the government and shipping companies in Japan. The project gives certifications to shippers and logistics companies that are actively engaged in reducing emissions by shifting to ocean transport, which is highly efficient and environmentally friendly. In 2020, the two group companies were recognized for changing the transportation method from truck to ocean for part of their product shipments (approximately 400 truckloads annually) between the Kansai and Kyushu areas in Japan.

Our Previous Efforts

October 2015

Toyo Glass Logistics

Start using 31-foot large containers to achieve efficient transportation
Switch to railway in transporting products between Chiba Plant and Shiga Plant

December 2017

Toyo Seikan
Toyo Mebius

Start using 31-foot large containers
Switch to railway in transporting cans and ends between Kanto and Kansai areas

November 2018

Toyo Mebius

Receive the 5th Grand Prize in the Award for Excellent Business Entities Working on Modal Shift
The efforts to promote modal shift in transporting cans and ends between Kanto and Kansai areas were highly evaluated.

September 2019

Tokan Logitech

Certified in Planning for Integration and Streamlining of Distribution by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism under the Act on Advancement of Integration and Streamlining of Distribution Business
Together with four co-applicants, the company implemented measures to reduce CO2 emissions and shorten truck driving hours in packaging material transportation, shifting from 100% trucking to over 90% railway in terms of distance.

April 2021

Toyo Seikan
Toyo Mebius

Recognized as a certified business under the Eco Ship Modal Shift Project for 2020

We as a whole group will continue to advance our commitment to reducing environmental impact for the creation of a sustainable world.

Toward a Zero-Waste Society

Our group companies produce packaging containers and steel plates by processing raw materials from exhaustible resources, such as metal and petroleum. We therefore believe we have a great responsibility for an efficient use of resources through reducing material input and waste and promoting recycling, especially for packaging. According to the Ministry of the Environment’s survey on the composition of household waste for fiscal 2021*, packaging waste accounted for 66% of the total volume of household waste.

The Eco Action Plan 2030 is aimed at a 30% reduction in the use of exhaustible resources toward a zero-waste society. In addition to our ongoing efforts to lightweight our packaging containers, we are also working on expanding the use of recycled materials. Using more recycled metals in our cans and more recycled or plant-based resins in our plastic containers will help us achieve the targets of the action plan and eventually help solve social issues. Since these activities do not just lead to an effective use of resources but reduce emissions from the material production process, they should also be important in tackling global warming.

Eco-Friendly Products

The Toyo Seikan Group has been working on developing, manufacturing and selling products with lower environmental impact, considering their entire lifecycle. We have certified certain products of the Group as Eco-Friendly Products based on our group-wide standards for evaluation in the stages of raw material procurement, production, transportation, consumption and disposal/recycling. As of the end of February 2023, a total of 76 items have been certified as Eco-friendly Products.

Click here for the list of our Eco-friendly Products (available only in Japanese).

Going forward, we expect that the commercialization of eco-conscious products will contribute to achieving the targets of Eco Action Plan 2030. We will focus on waste reduction and recycling for our packaging containers from their design process so that our products will be widely accepted in the market.

Launching Re-CUP WASHER

In January 2022, Tokan Kogyo launched Re-CUP WASHER, a cup washer the company developed for food and beverage cups after use.

Re-CUP WASHER is a self-service washing machine for used paper cups at cafes and other venues, creating opportunities for consumers to join environmental activities that lead to engagement in SDGs and promoting recycling. This is aimed at realizing a closed loop of material recycling in which recycled paper made from washed used paper cups is used to produce new paper cups.

The Toyo Seikan Group has been implementing the OPEN UP! PROJECT, in which it tackles a variety of issues through innovation to allow for a more affluent society. The Re-CUP WASHER is one of the accomplishments of the project, focusing on social issues related to paper and plastic cups we supply.

  • *This chart is scrolled

Club Partner Agreement with Kashima Antlers

The Toyo Seikan Group signed a club partner agreement with Kashima Antlers F.C. Co., Ltd. Together with the J-League soccer team, their supporters, local communities, and other partner companies, we will work on various initiatives and experiments to realize a society with a closed loop of packaging-to-packaging recycling.

In April 2022, we set up E-DOME, a new type eco-friendly station that uses our DAN DAN DOME (1), at the club’s Tsukuba Academy Center with its academy members. Along with E-DOME, we have also started an experiment by installing Captain Box, a box to encourage people to collect used PET bottle caps with fun, which was developed with the concept of a field of study of “shaping behavior through design” (2). We will continue to seek solutions to issues in realizing a circular economy.

  • Notes: 
  • 1.DAN DAN DOME is a prefabricated cardboard tent that is recyclable.
  • 2.An empirical study called “Japanese art of shaping behavior through design” that verifies the effect of a device to urge people to take action.

Participating in 2021 Project to Reduce Amount of Foreign Objects in Recycling Bins at Vending Machines

The soft drink industry is working on horizontal recycling of PET bottles to promote plastic recycling. Since 2020, the Japan Soft Drink Association has been conducting a project to reduce the amount of foreign objects thrown into recycling boxes for vending machines, aiming for a higher level of used PET bottle collection and preventing used containers from being scattered. In 2021, with the project scope expanded into caps and labels, Nippon Closures joined the project as a representative of cap manufacturers. We gained a great deal of insight into issues in promoting recycling, such as issues related to collection sites and intermediate treatment procedures.

Collection boxes for caps and labels (left) and for PET bottles (right)

Harmonizing Plastic Packaging with the Environment

Mebius Packaging has a roadmap to implement a series of initiatives to harmonize plastic packaging with the environment, starting from reducing petroleum-based plastics and moving forward to developing recyclable products and achieving horizontal recycling. The company is currently focusing on three main themes of “reducing resin volume,” “using recycled materials,” and “using plant-based materials” in its products, in cooperation with many customers.

  • *This chart is scrolled

As a result of these initiatives, fiscal 2021 saw the following achievements.

Bottles made from recycled materials

Bottles made from plant-based materials

Fully capitalizing on its production technologies and know-how in quality control for plastic containers, the company has successfully developed new plastic bottles with the same quality and performance as conventional products, and they have been adopted by several customers.

In fiscal 2022, there are an increasing number of projects underway; the adoption plans for 18 items are now in progress under the three themes of reducing resin volume, using recycled materials, and using plant-based materials. Mebius Packaging will continue to increase its efforts with customers while preparing for addressing the medium- to long-term issues: developing recyclable products and achieving horizontal recycling, aiming to achieve harmony between plastic packaging and the environment.

Achieving a Society Coexisting with Nature

Risk Management of Production Facilities

Harmful substances and waste liquid that flow out of plants have a long-lasting adverse impact on the surrounding environment. While group companies have been individually implementing risk management with their environment management systems, we are now further enhancing our risk management framework. We identify equipment and facilities that carry high risks of environmental accidents based on the degrees of deterioration in facilities and the characteristics of substances handled by individual plants. The management of piping and storage tanks are given special attention since a leakage from such equipment would have a material impact. In fiscal 2021, we established environmental risk management guidelines common to all group companies to launch a group-wide risk management system.

Addressing Marine Plastic Pollution

Engagement through Clean Ocean Material Alliance

In January 2019, the Clean Ocean Material Alliance (CLOMA) was established with a wide range of business operators participating to address marine plastic pollution, an emerging global challenge. The CLOMA is aimed at promoting a new 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) initiative toward more sustainable use of plastic products and the development and introduction of alternative materials through public-private collaboration. Toyo Seikan Group Holdings has joined the alliance as a managing partner since the preparation phase and has been working as a key member of a subcommittee of CLOMA to share information and enhance the network with partners from across industries. In 2020, CLOMA formulated an action plan to advance plastic recycling as a countermeasure against marine plastic pollution. Another four companies of our group: Toyo Seikan, Tokan Kogyo, Nippon Closures, and Mebius Packaging, have also joined the alliance to implement measures to achieve the action plan. In working groups that are relevant to their business domains, the companies are tackling new challenges to reduce additional marine plastic litter to zero by 2050.

Strong Commitment to Plastic Pellet Loss Prevention

Plastic pellets with a size of several millimeters, which are used to make plastic products, could become marine plastic litter if they escape from the plant site. We have been taking measures to prevent the particles dropped on the ground from flowing out the site, including placing metal net on the storm drain. In 2019, to further ensure appropriate pellet management aimed at zero pellet loss, we formulated the Group’s Guidelines for Preventing Plastic Pellet Loss. The relevant group companies have started implementing the guidelines under their respective environment management systems by identifying potential leakage points, taking preventive measures, and conducting daily management processes and auditing.

Pellet-collecting screen set on a rainwater catch basin

Program for Forest and Water Conservation by Community Members

Kudamatsu Plant of Toyo Kohan is engaged in activities to protect forest, which helps prevent global warming and serves as a source of water essential for living and corporate activities. In October 2021, Yamaguchi prefecture conducted its 25th forest and water conservation program in the forest park upstream of the Sugano Dam in Shunan City, Yamaguchi, with approximately 200 volunteers participating from 18 companies in the region. Toyo Kohan joined activities of the program, including cutting down shrubs and removing dead trees using saws, to maintain the forest in the area that supplies water necessary for operations of Kudamatsu Plant.

Cleanup Efforts with Litter Picking App “PIRIKA”

We have been communicating cleanup efforts of group companies using a litter collection app “PIRIKA*”

In fiscal 2021, a total of 679 persons across the group joined the program, picking up a total of 9,595 liters of waste. The most frequent participating organization was Toyo Seikan’s Shiga Plant, which held the event 12 times during the year.

While the program has been conducted on a reduced scale to prevent coronavirus infection, we will continue our cleanup efforts through group-wide events to attract more participants going forward.

Toyo Seikan's Shiga Plant
Toyo Aerosol Industry's Mie Plant

Targets for 2030 and Progress in FY2021

The table below shows the progress we made in fiscal 2021 based on the Eco Action Plan 2030.

  • This chart is scrolled

Evaluation: ★★★Achieved ★★Nearly achieved More effort needed

Environmental Vision FY2021 Results Evaluation
Eco Action Plan 2030

Zero-Carbon Society

  1. 1)The scope 1 and 2 emissions decreased 5.0% from the base year (fiscal 2019) but increased 3.6% year-on-year as sales of packaging containers began to recover with the impact of COVID-19 being mitigated. We will continue with our energy-saving efforts, including the replacement of production equipment.
  2. 2)The emissions from supply chain (scope 3) inched up 0.3% from the base year (fiscal 2019) mainly due to production growth and the expanded scope of data collection. We are stepping up our resource conservation efforts, such as adopting recycled materials and reducing the weights of packaging containers.

★★

  1. 1)Reduce CO2 emissions from our operations
    (Scope 1 & 2) by 50% (compared to FY2019)
  1. 2)Reduce CO2 emissions from the supply chain
    (Scope 3) by 30% (compared to FY2019)

Zero-Waste Society

  1. 1)The consumption of exhaustible resources has declined 9.8% from the base year (fiscal 2013) but rose 9.5% year-on-year due to production growth, as the same with CO2 emissions. We will continue to work on reducing product weights and improving yield rates (lowering defect rates) to achieve the target.
  2. 2)The consumption of fossil resources for plastic products also increased. We will continuously seek to reduce the consumption by using recycled plastic from used bottles for new PET bottles and plant-based resin for other plastic containers.

★★

  1. 1)Reduce the use of exhaustible
    resources (1) by 30% (compared to FY2013)
  1. 2)Reduce the use of fossil resources (2)
    for plastic products by 40% (compared to FY2013)
    • 15% reduction by decreasing product weight
      and switching materials (compared to FY2013)
    • Increasing the ratio of recycled
      and plant-based plastics by 30% (compared to FY2013)
  1. 3)All packaging to be recyclable or reusable

Society Coexisting with Nature

  1. 1)The release and transfer amount of chemicals subject to the PRTR Law has declined 18% from the base year (fiscal 2013). Although there was a deviation from the target for several years because of production process control for certain products, we have achieved the target before the target date with various improvement efforts, such as excluding toluene from printing ink.
  2. 2)Water withdrawal has increased 0.4% from the base year (fiscal 2013) as water consumption is rising at both domestic and overseas facilities due to expanded operations.
  3. 3)We have established the Group’s guidelines to prevent plastic pellet from escaping from the facilities of group companies. We are now working on applying the guidelines to overseas subsidiaries and plants as well.

★★

  1. 1)Reduce environmental risk and environmental pollutant
    • 15% cut in the release and transfer amount of
      chemical substances under the Pollutant Release
      and Transfer Register Law (PRTR Law)
      by FY2022 (compared to FY2013)
  1. 2)Promote biodiversity conservation
    • 30% cut in water consumption in
      operations (compared to FY2013)
  1. 3)Promote communication with external parties
    • Action to address marine plastic pollution
      (prevention of litter) and the disclosure
      of relevant information
  • Notes: 
  • 1.An exhaustible resource is a natural resource that is not replenished by natural processes as fast as humans consume it.
  • 2.Fossil resources include crude oil and natural gas.

Environmental Impact of Business Activities

We monitor the amounts of material input and output of the entire group to reduce the environmental impact of our business activities.

FY2021 Material Flow of Domestic Operations of Toyo Seikan Group

  • This chart is scrolled
FY2021 Material Flow of Domestic Operations of Toyo Seikan Group

Environmental Performance Data

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