The housing industry is engaged in the efficient use and recycling of construction materials throughout. As a member of this industry, SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group also promotes recycling of construction waste produced when houses are demolished.a

With regard to the waste generated by its production businesses, the SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group exchanges manifests with operators and confirms that disposal is undertaken in a sound and proper manner.

The impact of microplastics as a form of marine pollution has emerged as a significant environmental issue in recent years. The Group does not engage in the manufacture and sale of primary microplastics where use presupposes dissolution. However, we do recognize the possibility of deterioration and micro-reduction in the natural environment of plastic materials that go into the manufacture of the Group’s plastic processed goods and products, either during or after use, in the event that these are improperly discarded.

As the responsibility of a company engaged in the business of fabricating plastics, we are undertaking the following activities in order to workout fundamental solutions to this problem.

• 1.
  Employee education
  In both the products we produce and our manufacturing processes, we must correctly recognize these types of issues, and develop human resources who are capable of finding a resolution. To this end, we engage in employee education while promoting environmental and social contribution activities.。
• 2.
  Contributing to transformation within society by providing education and raising awareness
  To ensure the proper treatment of waste, SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group recognizes the importance of building social systems while promoting a shift in the awareness of each individual and undertaking education and training. The Group is therefore engaged in various collaborations between industry, government, and academia.
  In regard to the issue of marine plastics, SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group is currently a member of the Clean Ocean Materials Alliance (CLOMA) and a participant in the Japan Initiative for Marine Environment (JaIME). Every effort is being made to promote international collaboration, consider methods for resolving issues, and engage in a variety of activities, for example in the dissemination of educational information.
• 3.
  Creating and expanding the use of products, technologies, and services that contribute to the realization of a recycling-based society and a circular economy
  SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group gas developed a technology that converts combustible waste, including marine plastics, into gas and then converts that gas into ethanol as a raw material for plastic using a microbial catalyst. Following a study at the test plant in the town of Yorii, Saitama Prefecture, we are now constructing a demonstration plant that will process one tenth of the volume of municipal solid waste at a standard-scale waste disposal facility (approx. 20 tons/day) in Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture. This plant is scheduled to go into operations in March 2022.

SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group has long been an environmentally conscious company, and we are reducing packaging volumes, introducing reusable boxes^*, and eliminating packaging wherever possible, among other initiatives. Our proactive efforts to reduce packaging since the early 2000s have enabled us to achieve results. We will continue these efforts in the future, taking further steps to reduce packaging waste.

As one initiative aimed at using less product packaging, we sell foldable shipping cartons and a range of plastic containers that help facilitate the implementation of returnable box systems.

• Boxes that can be reused to ship materials, parts, and products between locations.

The Sekisui Board Co., Ltd. Gunma and Mizukuchi business sites, which produce Sekisui Heim external walls, generate scraps during their production processes. Along with making efforts to reduce the volume of scraps produced whenever possible, these companies are moving forward with in-house material recycling for any scraps that are ultimately generated.

The scraps generated during the production of products from the completed external walls are crushed and classified, after which the extracted wood chips and cement are used as recycled raw materials.