JAPAN: Electronics firm achieves ‘zero emissions’ status for waste

NEC set itself a target to work toward zero emissions in 1985. It defines zero emissions to be the reuse of at least 99% of resources used. In addition to waste reduction, NEC says that it has reduced discharges to 60% of 1990 levels.

Upstream reviews of resource use have been used to revise manufacturing processes and to substitute recyclable materials, and priority has been given to using recyclable materials whenever new materials are introduced.

NEC also separates waste, citing its Sagamihara semiconductor plant as an “eco-factory” that separates and processes all of its own waste.

Refuse derived fuel – produced from the refuse produced by staff restaurants – is used at the Yokohama and Sagamihara plants.

The company plans to phase out thermal recycling in favour of expanding its material recycling.