Environment

MINIMIZING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON SOCIETY

The YKK Group pursues environmental management and strives to contribute to a sustainable society through our core businesses.

Action plans and their results for environmental policy can be found in the data volume.

Maintaining and improving environment compliance

We strive to comply not only with environmental laws and regulations, but also to establish and follow even stricter internal environmental rules to prevent any environmental pollution resulting from our business activities. We continuously review those internal rules to make improvements.

Reducing CO2 emissions

To address climate change, an issue that affects all of humankind, the YKK Group is working to reduce energy consumption in manufacturing, logistics, employee transportation, and other areas and to shift to cleaner forms of energy. We have set a target of cutting CO2 emissions by 30% by fiscal 2030 (compared to fiscal 2013) in Japan. In addition to measures to conserve energy, we are undertaking initiatives that use our technological capabilities in areas such as highly efficient production systems, energy-saving technologies, and facility development and putting efforts into expanding energy savings to overseas sites through operational improvements.

CO2 emissions control throughout the supply chain

In order to reduce the environmental impact in all areas, from raw material procurement to manufacturing, transportation, use, and disposal, the YKK Group will work with supply chains to realize a low-carbon society by calculating CO2emissions throughout the supply chain. We will work together to reduce CO2emissions.

Using resources efficiently/reducing resource usage

The YKK Group considers waste to be a resource, and all sites worldwide contribute to the development of a recycling-based society by recycling waste and improving the yields of manufacturing processes. In fiscal 2005, our production bases in Japan achieved zero net emissions of waste. Overseas, we are working to reduce landfill waste volumes by reusing resources and improving recycling rates, taking into consideration the specific conditions in each country and region. Going forward, we will continue to reduce the total amount of waste we generate and improving recycling rates.

Social responsibility of emitters

On-site confirmation

We introduced electronic manifests to ensure proper management and disposal of industrial waste. Each year, we perform systematic on-site assessments of waste processors regarding contract and manifest management, waste management and disposal conditions, environmental and crisis management measures, relationship with local communities, and other factors based on check lists.

Tackling water risks

On top of our world-wide production operations, the YKK Group is progressing conservation activities to protect our precious freshwater resources. While of course we are reducing and recycling water in our manufacturing processes, we are also using rain water and carrying out ground water conservation activities tailored to the local area.

Water risk assessments

In all our domestic factories and abroad, we've implemented water risk assessments using World Resources Institute (WRI) AQUEDUCT Water Risk Atlas indicators. No imminent threat has been confirmed to date but from now on, we intend to clarify issues taking onsite circumstances into account and take steps to lower water risk.

"The Relationship between the Groundwater of Kurobe and YKK"

Kurobe City, Toyama Prefecture, where the YKK Group's technological hub and main manufacturing and developing base is located, is blessed with water. This is the story of Kurobe's abundant water and YKK. We hope you enjoy it.

Reducing chemical substances

The YKK Group works to maintain manufacturing and product safety through proper understanding and management of chemical substances and minimize environmental impacts by reducing the usage of chemical substances.
We comply with laws and agreements and also take action to mitigate environmental risks, such as by preserving the local environment including soil, ground water, air, and water, and are taking steps to prevent environmental accidents before they occur. In addition, the YKK Group properly manages and disposes of fluorocarbons, asbestos, soil pollutants and PCBs as one of its most important environmental liabilities.

Initiatives to tackle ozone depletion and global warming

The YKK Group has established guidelines stipulating renewal deadlines for specific fluorocarbons (such as CFC and HCFC) among products that use fluorocarbons. Fluorocarbons contain substances that can destroy the ozone layer and they have a major negative impact on global warming.
The entire YKK Group will continue to work toward reducing emissions of fluorocarbons while also systematically renewing equipment.

Domestic PCB disposal

In 2008 we began disposal of appliances containing a high concentration of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and by fiscal 2016 we completed the disposal of 667 appliances.
We also completed the disposal of waste electrical equipment that had been in storage and contained minute amounts of PCBs. We are aiming for early disposal of transformers and other equipment in current use by 2020.

Overseas environmental liabilities

The YKK Group confirms that there is no link to health problems as we strive to understand our environmental liabilities in overseas locations. We are promoting disposal while taking each country's circumstances into account, while conducting proper storage and disposal in every location.