Pioneer 2007 Annual Report Download - page 18

PIONEER CORPORATION17
As a Good Corporate Citizen
The Pioneer Group’s philosophy is to “Move the Heart and Touch the Soul.”
True to this philosophy, we, the executives and employees of the Pioneer
Group, aim to continue our pioneering creation of new markets and constantly
conduct business with integrity. We will undertake corporate activities based
on a high standard of ethics, as we aim to consistently earn trust by contrib-
uting to society as a responsible corporate citizen.
Environmental Preservation Activities
Reducing VOC Emissions from Car Speakers
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) refer to a class of organic compounds such as
toluene, xylene and formaldehyde that are highly volatile at room temperature. These
substances are today considered problematic as a cause of “sick building
syndrome*.” While electronic equipment emits very few VOCs, these concentrations
can easily rise particularly in cars and other enclosed spaces. For this reason, Pioneer
has taken the initiative to reduce VOC emissions from its car electronics products.
In fiscal 2007, Pioneer led the industry in using precision instruments to measure
VOCs. At the same time, Pioneer collaborated with an adhesive manufacturer on
developing an adhesive virtually free of organic solvents, which it began using in car
speakers in Japan and overseas in January 2007. Car speakers tend to emit relatively
large amounts of VOCs because adhesives are used to assemble these products from
various components. With the newly developed adhesive, we have successfully
reduced VOC emissions to one-tenth of the level of our conventional products. And
Pioneer maintained the superior sound quality of its speakers by repeatedly evaluating
the impact of adhesives on acoustic properties before using them in its products,
because the type of adhesive can greatly impact speaker quality.
*Various allergic reactions caused by indoor air pollution due to VOCs, including eye and throat
discomfort, headaches, and poor concentration.
Using Plant-based Plastics
In an effort to prevent global warming and conserve resources, Pioneer is pushing
ahead with the development of products using plant-based plastics.
Plant-based plastics incorporate plant-based ingredients into conventional
petroleum-based plastics. Specifically, polylactic acid converted from fermented and
polymerized sugars and starches from corn, potatoes and other sources is used.
Plant-based plastics enable Pioneer to reduce its environmental impact primarily by
lowering the use of nonrenewable fossil fuel resources and curbing greenhouse gas
emissions through a “carbon neutral*” process.
The DVR-A12J series DVD drive for PCs became Pioneer’s first product to use
plant-based plastics for external components, this time for the drive’s external front
panel tray flap. In opting to use the plastic, Pioneer conducted joint research with
Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. to address shock and heat resistance, two long-standing issues
with plant-based plastics. The result was a product with an exterior appearance indis-
tinguishable from that seen with conventional plastics.
*Plants release carbon dioxide (CO2) when burned, but they absorb CO2 through photosynthesis prima-
rily as they grow. The idea is to realize no effective increase in CO2 in the atmosphere in accordance
with the carbon cycle theory.
The North American TS-SW1241D subwoofer model
uses adhesives free of solvents.
Newly installed VOC measurement device (gas
chromatography mass spectrometer)
The DVR-A12J-W DVD drive