The Ariake Group is committed to promote sustainable activities including environmental protection and creating a recycling-oriented society at all stages of the production process. This is in line with company's code of behavior, which stipulates that we shall "strive to reduce the environmental impact of our operations in order to preserve the global environment and promote establishing a recycling-based society." As part of this commitment the Ariake Group has set out a range of voluntary environmental targets and objectives in line with the procedural requirements of ISO14001.
Ariake will contribute to the society with our basic principle of the harmony between the natural seasoning business and the preservation of global environment.
- Ariake will promote our operation in every section with less energy, less resources, recycling, less waste and less CO2 emissions.
- Ariake will provide environment friendly products.
- Ariake will set up the environment target and make the best efforts to attain it through the continual improvement.
- Ariake will try best to prevent the pollution complying with relevant laws, regulations and other appropriate requirements.
- Ariake will announce this policy to the public as well as to all the employees and everyone who works for Ariake and call their attention to the environment.
Based on the Company’s four basic themes, "Natural," "Healthy," "Safety," and "Convenience," we are actively involved in environmental issues.
A key environmental initiative at the Ariake Group is the shift to aseptic production with rapid high-temperature sterilization. Aseptic production is more energy-efficient than conventional cans and retort pouches, while delivering quality standards equivalent to frozen products without the need for freezing. It also generates cost savings in storage and transportation, thus reducing energy usage and associated CO2 emissions. And finally, it extends the "best before" period, which helps to reduce expired product wastage at the warehousing stage.
- Effective use of resources
ARIAKE JAPAN Co., Ltd. procures livestock carcasses as ingredients and uses them effectively in the form of extracts when producing seasonings, soups and other focus products. In this way, we engage in initiatives at the core of our business activities to achieve a recycling-oriented society.
- Reduction and effective use of waste / resources
① Effective use of residue
The No. 2 Kyushu Plant is committed to creating a recycling-oriented society. Part of the residue occurring after extracting bouillon in the manufacturing process is externally composted and reused, with 4,161 ton of residue externally reused as compost in FY2019 (the fiscal year ended in March 2020).
② Effective use of resources
The No. 2 Kyushu Plant strives to reuse energy resources. For example, waste heat and waste oil are harvested and reused to run the boilers, while wastewater such as coolant is also reused wherever possible. Also, waste oil remaining after the bouillon extraction process is collected and reused as fuel externally as per below.
Additionally, sludge is collected from wastewater treatment facilities and oil harvested from this sludge in an external operation is reused as fuel as per below.
In these ways, the plant realizes sustainable as well as economical operation and also committed to creating a recycling-oriented society through initiatives to reuse energy resources.
- Using natural energy and reducing CO2 emissions
We are actively engaged in decarbonization to address global warming
In 2014, solar panels installed on the roof of the No. 2 Kyushu Plant generate natural energy for factory operations. Moreover, throughout 2021 and 2022, we are considering installing more solar panels (2,600kw output) to supply electricity needed for increased production as well as to reduce CO2 emissions.
We emitted approximately 37,000 tons of CO2 in FY2019, about 40% of which were from electricity consumption. In April 2021, we switched to renewable energy for the electricity use at the plant to boost environmental value. This renewable electricity is compliant with the criteria set by RE100, a consortium of companies that aims to source 100% renewable electricity for their business activities.
This enables us to achieve zero CO2 emissions from electricity and reduce about 15,000 tons of CO2 annually from April 2021 onward. Moreover, by replacing the LNG vaporizer from steam temperature type to air temperature type in FY2021, we are projecting to reduce about 2,100 tons of CO2 per annum.
Other than the LNG vaporizer replacement, we are projecting to reduce about 50% CO2 emissions in FY 2021 compare to FY 2019 via the following initiatives towards our goal, zero CO2 emissions.
- Reusing waste heat to run the boilers effectively.
- Saving electricity by controlling inverter of motors.
- Replacing mercury vapor lamps and fluorescent tubes with LED light fittings
- Installing thermal insulation around steam pipes, joints and fittings
- Detection and prompt repair of steam leaks
We are reducing CO2 emissions at a favorable pace as shown below t-CO2 per unit production.
