Disaster Relief

As part of its social contributions, Mitsui Chemicals Group is actively involved in providing its own technologies and products as aid and relief for natural disasters. We are committed to building a system that can quickly and effectively provide relief that closely fits the needs of people in areas affected by a disaster by working closely with organizations such as NPOs and local authorities. We are also exploring actions that can contribute to enhanced co-creation as part of our New Disaster Recovery Activities.

Disaster Relief Supplies

Our disaster relief activities here at Mitsui Chemicals originated from suggestions submitted by employees, who wanted to help those affected by earthquakes and other major disasters by providing them with useful Mitsui Chemicals products. In fiscal 2009, we set up warehouses to store relief supplies at two of our sites – the Iwakuni-Ohtake Works (Yamaguchi Prefecture) to cover West Japan and the Mobara Branch Factory (Chiba Prefecture) to cover East Japan – and put in place the necessary framework to swiftly send out supplies upon request from contact partners*1 and local governments. We have stockpiles of items such as urethane mattresses (cushioned materials to lay on the floors of gymnasiums being used as evacuation shelters), waterproof tarpaulin sheets (to cover buildings damaged by water or landslides), air cushions*2 (for use at evacuation shelters), and FASTAID™ Virus Sweeper Towel*3 at both of these warehouses.
In fiscal 2021, we offered relief supplies to areas affected by the floods in August 2021.

*1Contact partners:
Team Rescue, Peace Winds Japan

*2Air cushion:
Developed by Wako Plastic Industry Co., Ltd. in response to comments from people affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, air cushions provide an alternative to pillows, conventional cushions, and matrasses. Boasting a host of features, air cushions provide sound protection and comfort against the hard and cold floors of evacuation shelters.
Made from the polyethylene EVOLUE™ material manufactured by Prime Polymer Co., Ltd., a Mitsui Chemicals Group company, the cushioning properties of these air cushions can be adjusted using a single straw. These air cushions also withstand heavy loads and offer environmentally friendly properties.

*3FASTAID™ Virus Sweeper Towel:
This concept was created by More Impact, a disaster relief innovation and creation initiative promoted jointly with the specified nonprofit organizations Japan Platform and CWS Japan and others. This disaster relief innovative product utilizes the Lock & PeelTM technology of the Group’s affiliate, Dow-Mitsui Polychemicals Co., Ltd., which enables a compressed towel and sodium hypochlorite to be preserved separately in a single package.

Relief supplies at Iwakuni-Ohtake Works
Relief supplies at Iwakuni-Ohtake Works
Urethane mattresses carried by an NPO to an evacuation center
Urethane mattresses carried by an NPO to an evacuation center

Distribution of Disaster Relief Supplies in Fiscal 2021

August 2021 floods

Location Contact Details of Relief Supplies Provided
Takeo City Saga Prefecture SEMA 100 waterproof tarpaulin sheets

Establishment of SEMA, Japan’s First Private-led Disaster Response Alliance

Alongside 17 other private companies and six non-profit organizations Mitsui Chemicals participated in the establishment of SEMA (Social Emergency Management Alliance), Japan’s first privately led disaster support alliance. The organization provides one-stop support, including goods and services of participating companies and NPOs in the event of a large-scale natural disaster in Japan. The Great East Japan Earthquake showed us that municipalities themselves can be greatly damaged in a disaster, making the assessment of local conditions and support to those in need all the more difficult. The SEMA organization crosses the divide between companies and NPOs and aims to minimize the impact of natural disasters of the nation’s citizens and speed recovery efforts.
The SEMA organization makes in advance a list of goods and services offered by participating companies and organizations, and during a natural disaster can rapidly send packaged support based on that list to afflicted areas. The organization also aims to cooperate with public institutions in offering support and exchanging information, with the general aim of reducing the burden on municipalities and cutting down on waste and unnecessary support.

*SEMA organization partners (68 companies and 6 civil groups have joined as of March 7, 2022)

Assistance through business operations linked to COVID-19

The Mitsui Chemicals Group is contributing to curbing the global COVID-19 pandemic through its business activities.

Social contributions through business activities
Emergency supply of nonwoven fabric for medical-use gowns & increased production of TEKNOROTETM, mask nose clamps.
(Received certificate of gratitude from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in December 2020 for increasing the production of medical supplies.)
Development and donation of θ (Theta), 3D-printed masks.
Himilan™ face shields donated to local governments, medical institutions, etc.
Unistole™ selected as frame coding agent for Siemens' 3D-printed medical face shields.
Certificate of gratitude
Certificate of gratitude
Isolation gowns
Isolation gowns
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