Nagano Oki Achieves Zero Emissions
November 14, 2001, Tokyo, Japan -- Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. announced today that Nagano Oki Electric Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary dealing in electronic equipment manufacturing and EMS (Electronics Manufacturing Services) businesses, has achieved zero emissions for general and industrial waste generated by its plant at the end of October, 2001. Zero emissions are defined with the Oki group as a recycling rate of more than 99% for general and industrial waste. Nagano Oki is the second facility to achieve this goal among the Oki group companies, following Miyazaki Oki, a semiconductor manufacturing plant.
Oki has been developing environmental protection programs since 1993. As part of its "Oki Eco Plan 21 (fiscal year March 2002 version)," the company has set a goal of achieving zero emissions for waste in the major manufacturing plants including development facilities at Oki group companies, by the end of the fiscal year ending March 2005.
"Oki has given high priority to environmental activities in its corporate management policies through all of its group companies," said Hiroshi Konishi, Senior Vice President of Oki Electric, charging in environmental protection strategies, adding that "Nagano Oki's efforts and achievement of zero emissions demonstrates the importance placed by the Oki group on environmental protection."
Nagano Oki began its EMS business in 1993, expanding on its existing electronic equipment manufacturing activities. The company has reinforced measurements to respond to the growing environmental demands quickly, and as a reflection of its efforts, it was awarded ISO 14001 certification in 1998. The company has set a major target the overall reduction of plastic packaging materials, which are difficult to recycle, since its main activity is based upon the soldering of electronic equipment, and 70% (about 175 tons) of its waste stems from packaging materials for boards and IC's.
This year in particular, the company succeeded in converting vinyl chloride packaging materials (25 tons per year) into gas fuel, which were difficult to recycle, as these materials generate dioxin when burned. Due to the effect of this waste reduction, Nagano Oki expects a decrease of approximately 30%, or 1.5million yen, in waste-processing costs this fiscal year ending March 2002, as compared with the previous fiscal year.
Major environmental activities conducted by Nagano Oki and their results include:
- Reduction of packaging by 6 tons per year, by returning reusable IC packages to IC manufacturers.
- Collection of metals from 20 tons per year of excess materials generated during the soldering process of boards; the remaining non-metal waste materials are recycled as paving materials.
- Review of waste-processing methods and of processing costs by classifying the categories of waste in detail. For example, the method of plastic reel recycling has been changed: previously, plastic reels (8 tons per year) were converted into solid fuel; now, the reel is recycled, resulting in the categorization of the reel itself as a "material recycle," which affects less damages on the environment.
"EMS customers are concerned not only with costs, quality, and efficiency, but also with issues of environmental protection. Nagano Oki has actively worked on environmental activities, responding to an increasing need for environmental protection, and now we have achieved a more than 99% recycling rate." said Hiroyuki Hirata, President and CEO of Nagano Oki. "We will continue these activities, since we believe the environmental protection is one of the critical issues for human being. Now we are also working toward an even higher goal; that is, to achieve lead-free soldering - trials have already begun for some of our products."
About Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
Founded more than a century ago in 1881, Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. is Japan's first telecommunications manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. With more than 25,000 employees worldwide, Oki Electric provides customers with top-notch products and technologies for telecommunication systems, information systems and electronic devices.
About Nagano Oki Electric Co., Ltd.
| Address: | 965 Mimitori, Komoro-city, Nagano, Japan |
| President: | Hiroyuki Hirata |
| Establishment: | April 1969 |
| Capital: | 100 million yen |
| Shareholders: | Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. 90%, Oki Electric Cable Co., Ltd. 10% |
| Employees: | 374 |
| Business: | Manufacturing of PCs, servers, PCBs, control units for system terminals, and other related equipment. |
Press Contact:
Public Relations Division
Phone: +81-3-3580-8950 |
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