Preventing Environmental Pollution

Principal Initiatives in Fiscal Year 2023

01Reducing Emissions of VOCs

In Japan, the DIC Group has worked since fiscal year 2005 to reduce emissions into the air, water and soil targeted under the Act on Confirmation, etc. of Release Amounts of Specific Chemical Substances in the Environment and Promotion of Improvements in the Management Thereof (substances targeted by Japan’s PRTR) and of substances targeted for management under a voluntary scheme created by the JCIA.^*2

The DIC Group in Japan succeeded in achieving its voluntary target for reducing emissions of VOCs into the air for fiscal year 2010—30% from the fiscal year 2000 level—in fiscal year 2007. The Group has since raised this target to a 50% decrease from the fiscal year 2000 level. Previously, the Group collected data for the 12-month period from January through December, but effective from fiscal year 2023 this has been changed to April through March of the following year, consistent with the reporting period specified in the aforementioned law.

In fiscal year 2023, DIC Group companies in Japan reported total emissions of VOCs of 191 tonnes, a decline of 5% from fiscal year 2022. The principal reason for this was a decrease in products that are responsible for significant emissions of VOCs from the product mix. DIC Group companies in the PRC and the Asia–Pacific region also continue to conduct careful monitoring of VOC emissions. In the PRC, in particular, the Group is updating equipment and stepping up emissions management practices in response to the tightening of pertinent local regulations.

• PRTR is a scheme for assessing, aggregating and disseminating data on the source of hazardous chemicals, amounts released into the environment and amounts transferred off-site from industrial establishments via waste products.
• The JCIA is a general incorporated association. As one of Japan’s major industry organizations, the JCIA is a member of the ICCA and pursues the healthy development of the chemicals industry together with other chemical–industrial organizations around the world.
• The “551 substances and one substance group” comprises 462 class 1 chemical substances designated by the PRTR and 89 PRTR-designated substances (other than class 1) and one substance group (chain hydrocarbons with up to 4–8 carbon atoms) targeted for study by the JCIA.

The DIC Group in Japan monitored 462 class 1 chemical substances designated by the PRTR and 89 PRTR-designated substances (other than class 1) and one substance group (chain hydrocarbons with up to 4–8 carbon atoms) in fiscal year 2023. During the period, Group companies in Japan used and/or produced a combined total of 116 of these substances in amounts exceeding 1.0 tonne.

02Reducing SOx, NOx and COD

Taking fiscal year 1990 as the base year, the DIC Group in Japan has taken steps to reduce SOx and NOx emissions from boilers. The Group has also worked to reduce COD, an indicator of environmental impact, in wastewater, particularly by installing biomass boilers and modifying production processes. In fiscal year 2023, emissions of SOx by the Group in Japan amounted to 5 tonnes, a decline of more than 97% from the fiscal year 1990 level, while emissions of NOx were 133 tonnes, down 34% from fiscal year 1990. In contrast, the domestic DIC Group’s COD was 768.4 tonnes, lower than in the previous fiscal year but still high and up 3% from fiscal year 1990. Principal contributing factors included an increase in production volume and changes in the product mix. The Group will continue working to reduce COD by promoting the effective management of water quality.

DIC Group companies in other countries and territories are also switching from diesel to natural gas, and from diesel- and heavy oil– fired boilers to biomass boilers. To reduce COD, these companies are promoting the reuse of water and the installment of environmentfriendly closed-loop recycling and wastewater treatment systems that purify wastewater to a level that exceeds that mandated by local laws. 

03Complying with Regulations Governing Emissions of Dioxins

In Japan, the DIC Group monitors emissions of dioxins from facilities that produce these byproducts, in accordance with the Act on Special Measures Against Dioxins. At present, the Group has five such facilities* in Japan, each of which has achieved reductions that surpass the standards set forth in the Act.

04Ensuring the Appropriate Collection and Storage of PCBs

DIC Group companies in Japan work to ensure the appropriate collection, storage and management of equipment containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), including older-model transformers and capacitors, in accordance with the Law Concerning Special Measures for Promotion of Proper Treatment of PCB Wastes. These companies also ensure that equipment containing PCBs is disposed of in accordance with the practices of Japan Environmental Storage & Safety Corporation (JESCO). The DIC Group in Japan completed disposal of waste with high concentrations of PCBs in fiscal year 2023. Efforts to manage and dispose of lowconcentration PCB waste are proceeding apace.

05Responding to Asbestos Risks

The DIC Group in Japan strives to respond to potential risks associated with asbestos during demolition or when retrofitting equipment, as outlined in the Ordinance on the Prevention of Health Impairment due to Asbestos and the revised Air Pollution Control Law.

06Soil and Groundwater Pollution

In addition to complying strictly with the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act, the DIC Group in Japan implements soil and groundwater surveys and countermeasures as necessary to assess related risks. In fiscal year 2021, a voluntary survey conducted at a third site belonging to the Hokuriku Plant resulted in the site being designated as an “Area which Requires Measures.” Purification measures are currently being implemented in line with the Act, as well as with pertinent regulations.