All TOTO Group domestic plants, logistics sites, Group production companies, sales-related Group companies, as well as Group production companies abroad are actively engaged in initiatives to reduce, reuse and recycle (the 3R's) in order to use our limited resources effectively.
In Japan, we are continuing to promote activities that increase the reuse rate of sludge (clay) generated through the process of producing sanitary ware by returning it to raw material form, as well as initiatives for waste reduction whereby the reuse rate is increased by reducing the water content of the sludge (clay). In addition, further reduction through measures of yield improvement have progressed in FY 2022. We are also striving to recycle and reduce waste overseas.
Transition of recycling rate
Ceramic waste and sludge make up 30% of total waste from the TOTO Group’s manufacturing and other business sites in Japan, making them priority types of waste for reduction. Each business site has a department charged with waste management, and in order to invigorate their activities, we hold meetings on the theme of reducing waste. All business sites attend the meetings to provide a summary of their activities, make strategic plans for the future, discuss issues, and share information on amendments of law. The meetings are also used for confirming the progress of activities at each business site and for exchanging information, such as on problems and issues. Using these meetings to circulate effective information from business site to business site has led to a positive outcome for waste reduction activities. In FY 2022, we held a general meeting (web conference) with domestic business sites in January.
In March 2013, all production sites of TOTO Group in Japan achieved "zero emissions." Subsequently, although the number of sites have fluctuated due to transfer of production, zero emission operation is now continuing at 20 sites.
(Based on ideas put forward by the United Nations University in 1994)
To pursue virtually zero landfill (including simple incineration) of general and industrial waste from our plants.
The "virtually zero waste" means 99% or higher recycling rate.
Achievement years | Plant |
December, 1999 | Shiga Plant(current Shiga Plant and TOTO SANITECHNO LTD. Shiga Plant);, Shiga No.2 Plant(current TOTO High Living LTD. Koga Plant), TOTO WASHLET TECHNO LTD. |
March, 2002 | Kokura No.1 Plant(current Kokura No. 1 Plant and TOTO SANITECHNO LTD. Kokura Plant);, Kokura No.2 Plant(current TOTO AQUATECHNO LTD. Kokura Plant);, Chigasaki Plant, TOTO ENPLA LTD.(current TOTO PLATECHNO LTD. Kanda Plant), SUNAQUA TOTO LTD. |
May, 2002 | Nakatsu No.2 Plant(current TOTO Fine Ceramics LTD. Nakatsu Plant);, Oita Plant(current TOTO Platechno LTD. Ooita Plant), TOTO SANITECHNO Nakatsu Plant |
December, 2002 | TOTO SANITECHNO LTD. Aichi Plant |
January, 2003 | TOTO Bath Create LTD. Sakura Plant |
April, 2003 | TOTO High Living LTD.(Mobara Plant) |
January, 2004 | TOTO PLATEC LTD.(current TOTO Platechno LTD. Buzen Plant, Katuura Plant and Nara Plant) |
July, 2004 | TOTO WASHLET TECHNO LTD.(Ibaraki Plant) |
December, 2004 | TOTO WASHLET TECHNO LTD.(Toki Plant) |
March, 2009 | TOTO MATERALS LTD.(Toki Plant) |
March, 2013 | TOTO Bath Create LTD. Ako Plant |
In order to ensure compliance with Japan's Plastic Resource Circulation Act, domestic Group companies that discarded plastic waste of more than 250 tons last fiscal year have set a goal to reduce plastic waste and promote recycling, and are working on developing an initiative plan.
Status of the development in the use of recycled crushed ceramic ware (scherben)
Sanitary ware ceramic waste is being used in many parts of Japan as aggregate for road and walkway surfacing
Sanitary ware ceramic waste is being used in resin-based surfacing in place of traditional aggregate material to improve visibility, and to reduce the risk of slipping and falling on rainy days when the road or pavement surface is wet; this method has already been used for bicycle paths in Oita City, for roads and children's walkways in several cities in Shiga Prefecture, and in the Moji-ku district of Kitakyushu City (the ceramic waste material is being supplied to construction firms as a certified recycled product by Hara Mining Corp. in Oita City and Kitakyushu City, and by San-Ei Inc. in Shiga Prefecture).
Bicycle path Oita City
The work site
Road in the Koushin neighborhood of Kounan district, Koka City, Shiga
The work site (before execution)
The work site (after completion)
Bicycle parking area, Minakuchi Sports no Mori Park, Koga City, Shiga Prefecture
The work site (before execution)
The work site (after completion)
Children's walkway,
Koshinohara District,
Yasu City,
Shiga Prefecture
The work site(before execution)
The work site (after execution)
The work site (after execution)
Road in Shimonijitcho District, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Children's walkway in Higashimoji District, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Sanitary ware ceramic waste is used as a light pavement aggregate in place of conventional products at the Wakato Tunnel in Kita-kyushu, Fukuoka.
To improve safety when entering the tunnel, under the MLIT's (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's) project, our sanitary ware ceramic waste was adopted as light-colored pavement aggregate utilizing its feature of whiteness and hardness. The use of the sanitary ware ceramic waste is currently considered in a different project.
The work site (before execution)
The work site (after execution)
After work is complete(enlarged)
Sanitary ware ceramic waster has begun to be used as thermal insulation coating material and paint material
Tests have shown that, under certain conditions, the use of sanitary ware ceramic waste particles as aggregate can have a cooling effect. Consideration is being given to using this material for factory roofs, factory passages, school gymnasiums and footpath at pools. Further case studies and test are underway to explore the potential of being used to combat the heat island effect.
Before work (factory roof)
Under work
After work (roof)
After work is complete (enlarged)
In promoting overseas business expansion, measures to reduce and recycle waste must be implemented appropriately in response to the varied circumstances overseas.
We will continue to investigate the types of waste, laws of specific countries, the discharge amount by type, the disposal cost and recycling rates in order to ensure our progress in the reduction of industrial waste by overseas group production companies.
In fiscal 2011, we began implementing activities aimed at improving our recycling rate, with a special focus on "ceramic waste, sludge and slag". We will strive to improve the recycling rate and achieve zero emissions in the future, referring to recycling case studies in Japan and the recycling status at other business sites.
TOTO Thailand has started to recycle part of crushed ceramic sanitary ware into the material of tiles since FY 2015. In addition, it has greatly contributed to improvement in the recycling rate of sludge by the decrease in the moisture content rate of sludge.
As an Officially Designated Cross-regional Recycler of Industrial Waste*1, a designation granted to TOTO as an exceptional measure under the Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act , TOTO collects and recycles packaging and construction materials*2left as waste at construction sites. Through efficient recycling of the collected materials we reduce environmental loads and realize the formation of a sound material-cycle society.
*1 System of officially designated cross-regional recyclers of industrial waste
Transportation and disposal of industrial waste requires the permission of each prefectural government or ordinance-designated city concerned. However, officially designated cross-regional recyclers do not require this permission. Businesses engaged in manufacturing, processing or sales with perfect knowledge about the attributes of the products and capable of recycling and reducing waste by cross-regional collection and processing are given this permission from the Ministry of Environment.
*2 Leftover materials of products
These are materials left as waste after the products are installed at a construction site.
Packaging and construction materials for unit bathroom, modular kitchens, system toilet, sanitary ware, toilet seat, tiles, faucets, plastic bathtub and products found to be unusable after delivery to the construction site due to breakage, etc.
Collection of packaging and construction materials leftover of unit bathroom, modular kitchen and system toilet started in October 2007 at the areas ready for collection.
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