Chemical Substances Control
It is an important responsibility for companies to not only correctly and safely control chemical substances, which can cause environmental pollution and accidents, but to take measures to reduce their environmental impact by reducing their use and substituting safer chemical substances. Each SII site that uses chemical substances conducts appropriate control and reduction activities as well as ongoing education and training on chemical substance control.
FY 2022 Overview
To avoid contamination risks due to chemical substances, SII considers it important to physically reduce chemical substances, but it also considers a management system for chemical substances important. SII continually implements chemical substance management education through in-house lecturers, trains for emergencies, confirms management conditions through daily inspections and internal audits, and develops qualified personnel.
In FY 2022 as well, each factory implemented education and training and confirmed on-site conditions through in-house audits to reduce risks.
SII makes efforts to use the lowest amount of chemical substances. The FY 2022 total emission of chemical substances subject to control in manufacturing process*1 was 16.3 tons, which was approximately 7.8 tons less than the total for FY 2021. The amount of PRTR*2 substances handled was 49.1 tons, which was 13.5 tons less than the amount for FY 2021. The increase is largely due to increased production.
*1 Of the chemical substances used in manufacturing processes, in addition to substances subject to the PRTR system, each domestic SII site aims to manage a reduction in the emission amounts of self-managed substances independently specified by SII (23 substances) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)(100 substances).
*2 PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register): This system is designed to assess, gather, and disclose data on the volume of chemical materials handled, amounts released into the environment, and volumes transferred in waste materials to points outside the site locations. Companies collect data on the relevant substances and report them to the appropriate government agency once a year.
Breakdown of PRTR Substances (Amount handled and emitted)
FY 2022 PRTR Survey Results (SII sites in Japan only)
*Total may not become 100% due to rounding off.
| Chemical Substance | Amount Handled | Released | Transferred | Recycled | Consumed | Removed and Treated | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Released to the atmosphere |
2. Releases to public water systems |
3. Released to soil |
4. On-site landfill |
5. Transferred to sewage systems |
6. Transferred as waste |
7. Transferred as valuable waste |
8. Transferred as products |
9. Break-down and reaction |
||
| Ethylbenzene | 564 | 151 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 413 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xylene | 2,652 | 180 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 673 | 0 | 0 | 1,799 |
| Cobalt and its compound | 11,103 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 212 | 10,863 | 0 |
| 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene | 1,927 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,917 |
| 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene | 743 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 706 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Toluene | 1,960 | 1,125 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 628 | 0 | 207 | 0 |
| Lead compounds | 2,437 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,891 | 0 | 546 | 0 |
| Nickel compounds | 460 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 460 | 0 |
| Phenol | 1,330 | 200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,064 | 0 | 0 | 67 |
| Hydrogen fluoride and its water-soluble salts | 12,161 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11,543 | 0 | 0 | 608 |
| Manganese and its compounds | 10,396 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,960 | 0 | 6,436 | 0 |
| Methylnaphthalene | 3,319 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,303 |
| Total | 49,053 | 1,708 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,907 | 212 | 18,512 | 7,708 |
*There are some items that do not add up to the total due to fractional processing.
Measures against Ozone Depleting Substances
SII has completed the total elimination of specified fluorocarbons, which are ozone depleting substances, used in our manufacturing processes, however we still use fluorocarbons as refrigerant for chillers and air-conditioners. Our sites in Japan are in accordance with the Fluorocarbons Emissions Control Law and have been striving to prevent leaks during use in addition to disposal through conducting simple checks and periodic inspections.
