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Environmental Protection

Industrial Waste

The Mitsui Chemicals Group aims at minimizing the landfill rate for industrial waste to 1% or less. We promote waste recycling, waste reduction by incinerating it using recovered energy, and reduction of industrial waste emissions outside of our plants in order to reduce the amount of waste ultimately disposed of. We have continuously succeeded in minimizing the volume of industrial waste, reaching another landfill rate target for industrial waste in fiscal 2023.

*Please refer here for scope of data.

In accordance with the Waste Disposal and Public Cleaning Law, we report our waste through electronic manifests.

Industrial Waste Minimization Initiatives

To minimize industrial waste, the Mitsui Chemicals Group is working to understand and reduce the negative impact of generated waste on the environment and society by improving manufacturing processes and monitoring the waste disposal status at companies to which we outsource work.

On-Site Initiatives

Raw polymers generated in the manufacturing process are returned to the ethylene cracker and recycled. (Chemical recycling)
Incineration of waste oil, including fuel use and energy recovery.
Reduction of waste emissions outside the plant by neutralizing and dehydrating waste acid.

Off-Site Initiatives

Reuse as solid material for fuel.
After incineration, the ash is recycled into concrete materials and roadbed materials.
Fuel use and energy recovery from waste oil.

Industrial Waste Treatment Process (Mitsui Chemicals Group : FY2023)

*Unit: Thousand tons

*Any minor discrepancies in percentages are due to rounding.

*1 Total waste generated:
Total waste generated is calculated based on the type of industrial waste as defined in the Waste Disposal and Public Cleaning Law (or local laws and regulations for overseas), including sludge (after dewatering), waste plastic, soot, and dust.

*2 Recycling:
On-site recycling volume is the amount recycled at plants. Off-site recycling volume is the amount of waste reused as raw materials outside plants.

*3 Incineration:
On-site incineration volume is the amount of weight reduction within the plant. All incinerated ash is included in the waste sent off-site or the on-site landfill volume. Off-site incineration volume is the weight reduction resulting from incineration outside the plant. Incinerated ash is included in the off-site landfill volume.

*4 Landfill:
On-site landfill volume is the amount disposed of at the plant's own landfill. Off-site landfill volume is the final amount disposed of at an external treatment operator's landfill. Both include landfill of incinerated ashes.

*5 Energy recovery:
The amount of waste used to generate electricity from the heat produced during incineration for boilers and power generation. This includes cases where waste oil and other materials are used for fuel purposes such as boiler fuel.

*6 Hazardous waste:
Specially controlled industrial waste stipulated by the Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act in Japan. In other countries, this is calculated based on local laws and regulations or the Basel Convention definition of hazardous waste.

Recycling of Waste Plastics

Among waste materials, the Mitsui Chemicals Group maintains a recycling ratio of more than 90% for waste plastics discharged outside its plants.

In response to the Law for Promotion of Recycling of Plastic Resources, we are striving to maintain a high recycling rate, targeting an annual waste plastic volume of 20,000 tons or less and a recycling rate of 95% or higher in fiscal 2030.

In fiscal 2023, our waste volume was 13,300 tons and the recycling rate was 91.0%, not achieving the target.

Processing of plastic industrial waste (Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. : FY2023)

*Unit: Thousand tons

Landfill Rate for Industrial Waste (Mitsui Chemicals Group)

*Landfill rate for industrial waste = Landfill volume/Total waste generated

Recycling Rate (Mitsui Chemicals Group)

*Recycling rate = Off-site recycling volume/Waste sent off-site (generated outside the factory premises)

Initiatives to Reduce Disposal of Hazardous Waste

We define hazardous waste as specially controlled industrial waste in Japan as defined by the Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act, while this is defined overseas in accordance with the Basel Convention or the hazardous waste regulations of that country. For waste defined as hazardous waste, we have established disposal rules in our company rules, and conduct strict management to ensure that they are disposed of appropriately.

First of all, the Mitsui Chemicals Group is eliminating hazardous substances by incineration or detoxifying them to the extent possible. For example, acidic toxic gases are alkalized (neutralized) through a detoxification facility and converted to other non-toxic substances before disposal.

In addition, off-site hazardous waste is disposed of at a specified controlled disposal facility and reported in an electronic manifest.

In accordance with the "Act on Preventing Mercury Pollution of the Environment," no new mercury-containing substances will be used. Mercury contained in fluorescent lamps, etc. in use is disposed of appropriately as specified controlled industrial waste in accordance with company rules.