Reduction in the volume of waste
As measures toward a circular economy, the company promotes the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) activities. By restricting the volume of generated waste, thoroughly sorting all waste by type, and increasing the volume that is recycled, TOK is working to make more effective use of resources. The company strives to maintain zero emissions* by reducing the landfill disposal volume by processing waste products through combustion or crushing, which is called intermediate treatment, and through stabilization and volume reduction initiatives.
* Zero emissions: Landfill disposal volume (direct or after intermediate treatment) of less than 1% of industrial waste discharged by production activities
Major Initiatives and Future Key Measures from 2024 Onward
TOK set the goal of reducing industrial waste intensity (per production volume) emissions by 15 points compared to 2019 levels by 2030 domestically by promoting various waste reduction activities. In addition to reusing internally processed waste liquids within plants, the company created value from expanded polystyrene, which was difficult to add value to, by compressing it into ingots, and created value from some waste oil that previously had no value by managing it by specification. Industrial waste intensity emissions in 2024 decreased by 5 points year-over-year because of such efforts. When disposing of industrial waste, TOK selects disposal companies from the perspectives of conversion to new resources after intermediate processing, the effective use of incinerating heat, and the use of final disposal methods. As a result, over 60% of waste oil among specially controlled substances is reused as recycled oil. Additionally, the final disposal rate remained below 1% for an achievement of zero emissions for the 11th consecutive year.
However, since industrial waste intensity emissions increased by 13 points compared to 2019, the company is advancing group-unified efforts to achieve domestic targets and realize a circular economy as the TOK Group by reducing industrial waste emissions and improving the rate of conversion to new resources.
Achieved Zero Emissions
In 2024, industrial waste for landfill disposal after intermediate treatment stood at less than 1% of total waste; therefore, TOK achieved zero emissions for the 11th consecutive years since 2014.
| Scope | Unit | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume of industrial waste*1 | not-consolidated | t | 4,380 | 4,894 | 5,405 | 4,760 | 4,788 |
| Landfill Waste(Non-recycled waste) | not-consolidated | t | 38 | 45 | 47 | 27 | 25 |
| Recycling rate*2 | not-consolidated | % | 0.87 | 0.92 | 0.87 | 0.57 | 0.52 |
*1 General industrial waste + Specially controlled industrial waste
*2 Landfill Waste ÷ Volume of industrial waste
Techniques for Recycling Organic Solvent Effluents
TOK strives to effectively use the waste generated by its plants. For example, waste oil is sorted by type of recyclable solvent, and ratings of impurities and purity are introduced with strengthened control applied. In this way, it is possible to reuse waste oil that was previously disposed of as industrial waste. For other waste liquids that are discharged, TOK commissions businesses that can use the liquids as recycled resources as much as possible after understanding the treatment process. In addition, each site continues to focus on recycling activities, such as turning plastic drums into valuable materials and turning Styrofoam into ingots, in addition to plastic, glass, and metal waste, which contributes to the realization of a circular economy through the effective use of resources.
Reduce activities
TOK conducts a range of activities to reduce waste to the fullest extent possible at all company manufacturing sites inside and outside Japan, including the internal processing of waste fluid through water treatment facilities, converting waste into items of value by sorting and reducing the generated waste through modifications of the manufacturing processes.
Reduce: This refers to reducing the volume of waste material generated. Reduction involves minimizing the volume of materials in products in order to minimize the volume that is eventually discarded.
Reuse activities
Products incorporating organic solvents have been placed in stainless-steel containers since the late 1970s. This allows empty containers to be returned to TOK for reuse. In addition, some products are transported using tanker trucks. The company is also beginning to use reusable containers for some photoresist products, chiefly those used in the manufacture of LCD panels.
Reuse: This refers to the repeated use of manufactured goods, containers, and other products in order to reduce the volume of waste materials generated and to conserve resources.
Recycle activities
TOK recovers the organic solvents (process effluents) used in the manufacturing processes and refines those solvents on-site so that these chemicals can be reused for the same processes, among other measures to reduce industrial waste generation. At the same time, raw materials that can be reused through distillation and refining are recycled with the help of trusted partners (recycling companies).
Recycle: This refers to the use of waste materials as resources rather than incinerating the materials or sending them to a landfill, thereby conserving resources and preventing pollution.
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