Mitsubishi 2000 Annual Report Download - page 27

vantage of this clean energy source, gas companies and other
organizations are planning to boost their CNG vehicle fleets
and use could spread rapidly in the years ahead.
MMC launched CNG-fuelled Canter light truck and
Aerostar large public transport bus models on the general
market in 1997 and 1998 respectively. There are also over
300 CNG light commercial vehicles and minicars on the
roads developed by MMC in cooperation with Osaka Gas
Company.
LPG trucks
Trucks powered by LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) emit less
NOx than diesel and no black smoke. MMC's LPG Canter
small truck achieves a single-tank range of around 70% that
of a diesel counterpart, while the use of EGR and electronic
mixture control with an oxygen sensor has enhanced the pu-
rification rate of the catalytic converter.
■Production activities
Automotive production activities and the environment are
closely linked, both on a local and on a global scale. As part
of its on-going efforts to reduce environmental loads, MMC
has introduced ISO14001-compliant environmental manage-
ment practices at all its production facilities in Japan. It is al-
so promoting company-wide awareness of the issues in-
volved as it works to protect and conserve the environment.
The Production Committee of the Environmental Council
is actively tackling environmental issues and promoting con-
servation at company production facilities. The Committee's
efforts include: introducing low-load production processes;
reducing and conserving energy use to prevent global warm-
ing; reducing in-plant waste and encouraging the more effec-
tive use natural resources.
Reduction of in-plant waste
The reduction of the amount of in-plant waste requiring land-
fill disposal is a priority target. The Company is doing this
by developing and installing production processes that mini-
mize waste generation, and through the practice of more ex-
tensive recycling and reuse of resources.
MMC is working to reduce, by the end of fiscal 2000, in-
plant waste by 80% or more over the fiscal 1990 level. In fis-
cal1999, the greater use of waste casting sand for cement ag-
gregate helped to reduce landfill waste by 88% over the fis-
cal 1990 level. The Company is working to eliminate all
landfill waste.
Energy use
Under the Action Plan, MMC has been working to reduce
energy use per unit sales by 10% compared with the fiscal
1990 level by fiscal 2000. This target was actually achieved
in fiscal 1999 through the efforts of the Energy Conservation
Team.
Ozone layer
MMC ceased use of ozone-depleting CFC, used in foaming
urethane products, and 1-1-1 trichloroethane, used in clean-
ing heat-treated parts, in 1995.
Air pollution
MMC is working to minimize NOx emissions by installing
low NOx boilers and using kerosene, city gas and other clean
energy sources. The Company is reducing the amounts of fu-
el used, since this not only saves energy but also reduces
NOx emissions. The Company is actively installing high-per-
formance dust collectors to reduce dust emitted from waste
incinerators. And by modifying the cleaning process, the
Company was able to eliminate the use of trichloroethylene
and other organic halogen cleansing agents in fiscal 1998.
Chemical management
All MMC production facilities are currently participating in a
Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) pilot
scheme run by the Japanese Federation of Economic
Organizations, providing a means keep accurate track of the
use, release and transfer of toxic chemicals. In another prong
to the Company's chemical management, it also employs a
pre-inspection system to assess whether new chemical sub-
stances and materials are safe to introduce.
After-sales initiatives
MMC sales companies are making an increasingly important
contribution to environmental conservation by: recovering
and recycling scrap bumpers, recovering and destroying
CFC-12 refrigerant; taking part in the industrial waste dis-
posal manifest system; and by disposing of airbag inflators.
Environmental stewardship & technology
25