Raising employee awareness through 5S/ Kaizen activities

Related to these activities, the Kashima Factory uses the slogan, "Look far with ISO and look near with eco-activities," and has been working over the last several years to raise employee awareness. One area that has brought significant results is the group-wide engagement in 5S/Kaizen activities. These efforts have been aimed at improving the work environment and boosting work productivity. In fiscal 2009, employees submitted 265 kaizen activity proposals, ten percent (33) of which were environment-related. Among the many ideas submitted were: "Replace fluorescent lighting in the monitoring room with low-energy bulbs," "switch from diesel-powered to battery-powered forklifts," and "turn off the lights not used at lunchtime." These valuable ideas were submitted together with calculations of pre- and post-implementation costs, and estimates of energy usage amounts and CO2 emissions. An open workplace atmosphere also makes it easy to implement ideas from young employees. Workplace awards (including an MVP award) and other means of giving recognition stimulate employee motivation. Effective kaizen activities were also implemented at other factories, creating a synergistic effect.

Making further progress as an Ibaraki Eco business establishment

In 2008 the factory was certified under the Ibaraki Eco Business Establishment Registration System, so we must continue to move forward as an ecologically responsible place of business. In addition to converting coffee grounds into fertilizer, we have also introduced effluent-concentration equipment to efficiently concentrate post-extraction effluent. These efforts have significantly reduced our food waste, and in fiscal 2009 we again achieved zero emission.
Now we are focusing our efforts on minimizing the incidence of unacceptable or nonconforming products in the manufacturing process. Our efforts at the factory to eliminate the use of containers that become waste and to eliminate the production of other waste are indirectly linked to our environmental activities. Reducing environmental impact as a natural extension of business activities is an ideal we pursue as a responsible business establishment.

Ibaraki Eco Business Establishment Registration System

We are registered as an eco business establishment that pays due attention to the environment and continue to actively implement energy-saving ideas.

The Kashima factory was approved in 2008 as one of the business establishments that engage in efforts to eliminate environmental impact in Ibaraki Prefecture under the Ibaraki Eco Business Establishment Registration System.
The Kashima Factory continues to implement mandatory thermostat adjustment and unplugging of power cords, and enforces rules to stop the practice of vehicle idling as far as is practical, while making special efforts to save energy in the area of lighting. Unused lights at lunchtime are turned off and energy-efficient lighting fixtures have been introduced. By switching over 62 fluorescent lights to energysaving models, a reduction of close to 4.7 tons annually in CO2 emissions was achieved. We will continue to carry out and maintain such ecological efforts in combination with 5S/Kaizen activities.

This symbol represents the Ibaraki Eco Business Establishment Registration System. Some 906 business establishments are currently registered (as of July 2010).

Lunchtime at the column extraction factory. In fiscal 2007, 1,032 lights were turned off every day during the lunch hour. Each light was rated at 32 W, and calculating 247 working days in a year, 8,156 kWh of energy was saved, or approximately 4.7 tons of CO2 emissions.

Reducing Waste through Recycling

As a recycling effort we convert coffee grounds, oolong tea leaves, and other biodegradable materials into fertilizer that is supplied to local farmers.

In 2003 the factory received permission to produce and sell specially approved fertilizer. Since that time we have been recycling into fertilizer the huge volumes of coffee and oolong tea waste generated at the factory. Member farms of the non-profit corporation Zero One mix the plant waste with chicken manure and use the fertilizer or sell it to horticultural or livestock farmers. The cost of recycling biodegradable waste in this way is only one-tenth the cost of incinerating it.