JVC 2002 Annual Report Download - page 27

ANNUAL REPORT 2 0 0 2 2 5
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Efforts to Protect the Environment
As part of our efforts to help create a sustainable society, we are taking a number of steps to protect the
environment, including incorporating environmental concerns in the development of new products and working
to achieve zero emissions in our manufacturing operations. These activities are underpinned by the JVC
Environmental Committee, which sets long-term goals for environmental policy and formulates Voluntary
Environmental Action Plans. Committees responsible for the implementation of these policies and plans
ensure environmental activities are a fundamental element of JVC’s day-to-day operations.
VOLUNTARY ENVIRONM ENTAL
ACTION PLANS
During fiscal 2002, we developed a range of new
products that further reduce power consumption
during both standby and use. These included 13
video recorders and 10 televisions that meet energy-
saving standards for electrical appliances set out in
Japan’s Energy Conservation Law. In our manufac-
turing operations, we reduced factory CO2 emissions
by 10% and achieved a recycling ratio of 97%* .
* Recycling ratio = recycled amount / (recycled amount + final
disposal amount)
W ORKING W ITH SUPPLIERS TO
PROM OTE GREEN PURCHASING
Since establishing guidelines for green purchasing
in fiscal 1999, JVC has been calling on suppliers to
implement measures that reduce the impact of their
operations on the environment and requesting the
supply of materials and components that take into
account environmental concerns. This includes
evaluating the level of environmental management
at each of our 535 key suppliers and certifying com-
panies as green suppliers upon their meeting envi-
ronmental standards stipulated by JVC. As of March
31, 2002, 456 of our suppliers had been awarded
this certification.
REDUCING PACKAGING M ATERIALS
Containers and packaging account for about 60% of
all general waste in Japan. In an effort to reduce this
amount, the Container and Packaging Recycling Law
was introduced, requiring all larger corporations to
pay recycling costs for the packaging materials they
produce. Although steps have been taken in recent
years to reduce the volume of packaging, the trend
toward larger products has led to an increase in the
use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) and greater use
of packaging. Based on Voluntary Environmental
Action Plans, JVC is implementing its own measures
to combat this problem, with some success—in fis-
cal 2002, we reduced the volume of packaging used
by 32.8%, to 17,539 tons, and the amount of EPS
used in packaging by 29.4%, to 1,807 tons.