2016

It's also important for Shanghai Minebea to operate in harmony with local society. The company is located next to Dianshan Lake, an important source of water for Shanghai City. Environmental protection measures are critical to plant operation. Stricter environmental regulations in recent years have spurred the company to enhance its initiatives. Leading environmental measures include internal manufacturing of dryers to reduce the amount of waste generated, along with the introduction of a centrifugal chiller to raise energy efficiency. Shanghai Minebea has been recognized as a model for the region, with local governmental organizations and companies visiting to observe our hazardous materials handling drills.

The Environment and Safety Committee and 3R Committee are spearheading the company's environmental activities.

The Environment and Safety Committee comprises nearly 70 members and operates sub-committees covering the five areas of environmental management and resource conservation, safety and health, disaster preparedness, crime prevention, and chemical substances. These sub-committees create and implement annual plans. Representatives from each division attend the committee meetings, promote awareness among their division colleagues on site, and ensure implementation of measures. "The divisions all collaborate together, not only to solve issues but for the important role of preventing accidents," says Ms. Rongfang Feng, vice chairperson of the committee, noting the important role of the committees.

The 3R Committee was launched in 2004 with the notion that waste can be a mountain of treasure. The committee devises measures to reduce the company's environmental impact through "Reduce," "Reuse," and "Recycle" programs, while also generating profits by selling recyclable waste to processing companies. "The committee's first initiative when it started was to encourage employees to properly separate waste," says Mr. Hui Ye of the Purchasing Division, who also handles the committee administration. "Finally, we have developed a stable operation system under which we evaluate the waste, remove hazardous materials, and select reliable processing companies to recycle the waste."

Shanghai Minebea has also developed a "Plant Wastewater Zero System" to ensure that no wastewater is emitted outside the plants. This system protects the water quality of nearby Dianshan Lake as well as the environment around the lake. "We installed special equipment to purify wastewater and reuse it inside the plant," says Mr. Lin Zhu. "This system achieves zero wastewater emissions. Regarding the purified water, we have set quality standards higher than the government's standards. Even so, we are clearing these higher standards by a wide margin."

The zero-emissions system also helps to conserve water usage. In FY2015, Shanghai Minebea's water usage totaled 526,000 m³, of which city water amounted to 108,000 m³, or about 21%. The company reused 361,000 m³ of plant wastewater, as well as 56,000 m³ of rainwater.