Preventing pollution on various fronts
To become an environmentally advanced company, the Brother Group is committed to continually reducing environmental impact under the Brother Group Environmental Policy and Action Guidelines, throughout the life cycle of products (from procurement of parts and materials to development, design, use, collection, reuse, and recycling), with top priority on maintaining compliance with legal regulations and preventing pollution in respective countries/regions.
Managing and reducing chemical substances
In Japan, Brother Industries, Ltd. (BIL) manages the amounts of chemical substances handled, transferred, released, and consumed at business sites, beyond the scope of chemical substances subject to the PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) Law, to reduce the use of chemical substances.
PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) were treated properly in accordance with the Act on Special Measures concerning Promotion of Proper Treatment of PCB Wastes. Transformers and capacitors that contain PCBs were collected at one place, strictly controlled, and delivered to certified detoxification treatment contractors. The treatment of target equipment was completed.
Manufacturing facilities outside Japan have conducted surveys to identify applicable laws and regulations in respective regions based on ISO 14001. Management frameworks (procedures to manage hazardous substances) have also been established to ensure proper management. Meanwhile, the Brother Green Procurement System is in operation in collaboration with suppliers to carefully select parts, materials, and indirect materials that are involved in production, thereby preventing contamination with harmful chemical substances.
Concept of pollution prevention
Wastewater treatment facility in Xian, China
BIL gives top priority to preventing environmental accidents by reviewing target facilities and processes and switching to alternatives that are less likely to cause pollution. In managing existing facilities, activities to prevent pollution include setting and complying with voluntary management targets through ISO 14001.
Preventing air pollution
Environmental impact on air is reduced by replacing fossil fuel-fired boilers and heaters with electric or city gas-fired boilers and heaters. (City gas has a low CO2 emission coefficient.)
To reduce VOCs (volatile organic compounds) emissions, a catalytic combustor was introduced in the coating process at the Kariya Manufacturing Facility. Exhaust gases are burned to control VOCs emissions and prevent generation of odor.
In FY2006 BIL discontinued the use of heavy oil-fired boilers at all business sites. Finally, in FY2009 boilers were completely abolished including at employee dormitories and training centers, along with underground heavy oil storage tanks, thus reducing the risks of soil and underground water contamination.
At manufacturing facilities outside Japan, the use of heavy oil boilers has been significantly reduced by introducing solar water heaters and heat pump equipment for employees' dormitories. Regarding the electricity supply for manufacturing facilities, private power generation systems (fueled by heavy oil) were replaced by the city's public utility service in FY2009-FY2010, thus reducing the risks of air pollution, CO2 emissions, and groundwater pollution, among others.
Preventing water pollution
Wastewater treatment facilities have been introduced at various manufacturing facilities in and outside Japan: the Kariya Manufacturing Facility (in Japan) to treat its wastewater, the manufacturing facility of Xian Typical Brother Industries, Co., Ltd. (in China) to treat its pre-coating surface treatment wastewater, and the manufacturing facility of Taiwan Brother Industries, Ltd. to treat pre-coating surface treatment wastewater. Regional and voluntary standards are observed in accordance with the ISO 14001 facility management procedure.
Other business sites do not have specified facilities that cause significant environmental impact. At sites without sewage infrastructure, facilities have been installed to clean sewage and treat the resulting wastewater. These facilities comply with regional standards in accordance with the ISO 14001 facility management procedure.
To deal with emergencies, periodic drills are conducted for assumed incidents such as hazardous wastewater flowing into sewage or permeating into soil. Wastewater treatment facilities are equipped with systems to constantly monitor COD (chemical oxygen demand). Oil traps are installed for wastewater from the cafeteria to cope with an oil outflow accident. Values of BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) and n-hexane extracts (an index of the oil content in water, etc.) are regularly measured and monitored.
Preventing soil contamination
In 1997, BIL launched surveys on the contamination of soil and underground water by organochlorine compounds and hazardous heavy metals that the company used in the past, and pollutant leakage prevention and remediation measures have been taken in zones that were found to have been contaminated. All contaminated zones, when found, have been reported to the local government (the City of Nagoya) that has jurisdiction over this issue.
When selling or modifying a plot of land owned by BIL, soil surveys are conducted if past records for the land are not available or if the land is confirmed to have been used as the site of manufacturing facility.
In purchasing land outside Japan and planning the construction of manufacturing facilities from FY2010, land use history surveys and soil analyses have been conducted in order to identify and verify the pollution status.
Preventing generation of noise and offensive odors
BIL takes great care to prevent the generation of noise, vibration, and offensive odors, so as not to cause inconvenience to local communities including homes, schools, and pedestrians. To prevent the generation of noise and vibration, facilities that cause noise or vibration are installed or relocated as far within the manufacturing facilities as possible to minimize the impact on surrounding areas. In particular, noise is measured when facilities are built, and then constantly monitored after construction is complete.
To prevent the generation of offensive odors, filters are provided at exhaust outlets and/or deodorizing equipment is installed at coating facilities to reduce the release of odors into the atmosphere. Measures in the coating process include switching to paints with smaller organic solvent content (which gives rise to offensive odor) and reducing the consumption of paints.
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