Takasago Spice's Hadano Factory processes powder spices such as black pepper, and manufactures curry roux, health foods, and other products. Because the factory handles natural materials, we began making efforts to cope with environmental issues such as residual pesticides and abnormal weather phenomena that can threaten the stability of harvests. We also perform regular group cleanups, both on the premises to boost work productivity and outside to beautify the surroundings.
Sorting waste and recycling it using an "ECO Cart".
The Hadano Factory promotes waste collection and sorting with the use of an "ECO Cart" in the factory.
We deliver spice powder refuse to an industrial waste processing company that uses the energy from incineration to generate electricity, and the incinerated ash becomes a raw material for manufacturing cement. Waste plastics are melt-solidified, becoming fuel for a paper company in Hokkaido. The burlap sacks in which raw materials are imported are reused as ground cover to prevent weeds from growing, or are mulched into organic fertilizer that is highly prized by fruit farmers.
Amount of burlap sacks supplied to farms
| 2004 | 700 | 490kg |
| 2005 | 1220 | 854kg |
| 2006 | 920 | 644kg |
| 2007 | 680 | 476kg |
| 2008 | 1070 | 749kg |
| 2009 | 860 | 600kg |
Hadano Factory's ECO cart
Waste plastics, which account for about 80% of the waste from the factory, are converted into fuel.
Burlap sacks used for organic fertilizer
Preventing odor leakage by improving manufacturing facilities
We also take environmental measures to control the dispersion of odors from spice products. Six years ago we installed a wet scrubber in each factory building, and in recent years we made the manufacturing facilities airtight and installed a dust collector to prevent powder from escaping. Our own "odor patrol" devised speci c standards for judging the strength of odors and conducts monthly patrols along the boundaries of the factory premises.
Eco jackets
"In our manufacturing facilities we introduced inverter-equipped machinery that resulted in a reduction of 7% year over year in power consumption. In 2008 we covered boiler pipes and valves with an insulating material that we call an "eco jacket" to minimize heat dissipation. In the future we plan to use these eco jackets on all steam pipes and boiler parts." said Hiromasa Yamada General Manager of Manufacturing Department.
Energy usage alert
"Efforts are being made to cut down on power consumption in administrative areas as well as in manufacturing. We use indoor lighting selectively and have set the upper limit on power usage to 550 kilowatts per day. Now we have an alarm system that alerts us when 540 kilowatts has been consumed." said Haruo Aihara Manager of General Affairs Department.
Electric-powered forklifts
"All eight of the forklifts used in the factory to transport materials and products are electric-powered, which helps to reduce CO2 emissions." said Akira Kamio Manager of Logistics Section.
