As a manufacturer and vendor of batteries and battery-application products, P.T. SANYO Energy Batam is striving to reduce the waste produced by its business activities, while sorting waste into plastic, paper, and toxic substances for proper disposal. In addition to cutting its use of electricity and water, the company is striving to lower its environmental impact through monitoring of air quality around the plant. As part of measures for compliance with environmental regulations, SANYO Energy Batam is carrying out initiatives to increase the environmental awareness of its workforce, including prompt notification of employees when new environmental requirements come into effect, and the holding of environmental management seminars for new hires.

Environmental audit

Confirming the presence of specified chemical substances

The company promotes green procurement in order to realize proper management of substances regulated by the RoHS Directive and other chemical substances in products. In addition to informing suppliers of the company’s green procurement system, SANYO Energy Batam ensures thorough implementation of green procurement by including environmental provisions in business agreements with suppliers, and by conducting annual supplier audits.

Environmental examination by the Indonesian government

P.T. SANYO Jaya Components Indonesia manufactures and sells optical pickups, POSCAP ^*1, and digital cameras. In order to reduce the environmental impact of the company’s own business activities, SANYO Jaya Components Indonesia has established reduction targets for CO₂ emissions per basic unit of production output, and is implementing energy consumption controls including those for natural gas, gasoline, LPG, fuel oil, diesel, and electricity used in manufacturing. The company is also implementing plant-wide environmental management measures by reducing its use of purified water and groundwater, while managing toxic and hazardous waste emissions.

Once every three months the Indonesian Ministry of Environment comes to perform an environmental examination of these green management activities. The company also performs its own internal audits, including management of toxic and hazardous waste, noise investigations, and testing of purified water, wastewater, and gas emission samples.

*1 Tantalum Solid Capacitors with Conductive Polymer

SANYO Jaya Components Indonesia provides education on environmentally hazardous chemical substances, green procurement, and its own environmental policies to all local suppliers with which it has business relationships. The environmental information meetings for suppliers are held once a year, and go beyond environmental education to include an explanation of SANYO’s Think GAIA brand vision, and the company’s approach to materials procurement.

Quality and environmental management review

Specializing in micro-motor production and circuit board mounting, P.T. SANYO Precision Batam is reducing its environmental impact through various initiatives for proper environmental management. The company is striving to cut its use of electricity and water, while establishing optimal time periods for their usage. The company is also controlling its waste output and paper consumption through the use of recycled packaging and paper. While calculating its monthly CO₂ emissions from business activities and managing emission trends, SANYO Precision Batam also sorts its waste into general and toxic waste, for appropriate disposal.

In order to raise the environmental awareness of employees, and to further promote these kinds of activities in the company, regular environmental training is provided to both new and experienced employees.

SANYO Precision Batam performs proper management of chemical substances in products, including the distribution of information to suppliers in order that they can meet the company’s green procurement standards. It is striving to minimize procurement part risks by implementing relevant supplier audits and visits relating to procurement risks, environmental measures, and the quality of the parts procured. In fiscal 2008, the company performed 8 audits and 15 inspections visits for its suppliers in Indonesia.

In order to develop their abilities, employees are given various opportunities for education and training in and outside the company. Good employee relations are maintained through a monthly labor-management meeting, as an opportunity to get direct feedback from employees. Furthermore, as part the employee welfare program, SANYO Precision Batam provides facilities and covers costs for certain sporting events and recreation activities requested by employees.

Christmas Celebration

Hari Raya Celebration

P.T. SANYO Indonesia manufactures and sells refrigeration/freezer units, air-conditioner compressors, refrigerators, and pumps. Since fiscal 2006, the company has been pursuing its own project for reducing electricity, water, and gas consumption. By implementing company-wide measures such as setting air conditioner thermostats at 27°C, turning off equipment and computers when not in use, and working to conserve water, the company has achieved reductions of at least 20% in all three areas.

In order to conserve water in its facilities, the company is utilizing the Aquaoasis water purification system that it manufactures. This has enabled the company to make effective use of water resources by purifying collected rainwater and using it in the production process.

Water conservation sign on a restroom door

Energy-saving reminder on an air conditioner

A vendor of batteries and battery-application products, SANYO Energy (Singapore) Corporation Pte., Ltd. is providing global environment classes for local elementary school students. These classes are based on the same teaching materials that SANYO uses for environmental classes in Japan, and local educational consultants are hired as the instructors. The global environment classes also have the support of the Embassy of Japan in Singapore and the Singaporean Minister of the Environment and Water Resources, who has provided guidance for the selection of recipient schools. The class content has also been widely explained to Japanese companies in Singapore through the Japanese Embassy.

Global environment class

Every year since 2006, SANYO Semiconductor (Thailand) Co., Ltd. has held an open house for local residents. The event is designed to explain the company’s safety and quality initiatives, including environmental protection activities, and to promote understanding and confidence in the company’s semiconductor manufacturing operations. All 2,000 employees attend the events, and other dignitaries are also invited including provincial officials, local mayors, police chiefs, hospital administrators, as well as elementary school principals and students. These occasions are well received by all concerned, and help instill company pride in employees.

As part of its community contribution efforts, the company provides exercise equipment to local elementary schools based on corporate and employee donations. The company also sponsors student contests on the themes of safety and the environment, as well as an aerobics dance contest to help promote physical fitness.

Lifestyle, product and environmental quality week

Aerobic dance contest

SANYO Semiconductor (Thailand) strives for active involvement at local elementary schools. Together with D D Fire & Safety Co., Ltd., the company provided basic fire-extinguishing training to students at Watsakae Elementary School. The children received hands-on training for the proper way to put out a fire in an emergency. Working with the Wongpanit Garbage Recycling Separation Plant, the company also helped establish Ayutthaya province’s first recycling club at the same school, in order to raise the student’s awareness of environmental protection.

Fire-extinguishing training

Recycling club

Donating supplies to an elementary school

In order to fulfill its responsibilities as a corporate citizen, every year SANYO Semiconductor (Thailand) provides donations and support to various local institutions including elementary schools and temples. In fiscal 2008, the company provided financial assistance to persons with disabilities and disaster victims, while also donating food, clothing and other daily necessities, as well as used electrical goods.

Suggestion box in the plant

Sanyo Commercial Solutions (Thailand) Co., Ltd. manufactures cold chain equipment. In order to obtain workforce feedback, the company has set up suggestion boxes at five locations in its plant, and is receiving various opinions, requests, and proposals from employees.

After the submissions are tallied and checked each month, the details are announced to employees at morning assemblies, and are also used for making management improvements. Monthly workplace improvement meetings are also held with representatives from each workplace, and various opinions are exchanged on occupational health, safety, and welfare.

SANYO (Thailand) Co., Ltd. sells home appliances including washing machines and color TVs, as well as digital products such as security cameras, LCD projectors, and digital cameras. The company holds various events and exhibits for the media, business partners, and customers, enabling people to experience the SANYO brand.
In fiscal 2008, SANYO Thailand held press conferences on the topics of LCD projectors, Xacti digital movie cameras, and security cameras. In March 2009, it also exhibited SANYO solar cells at the World Alternative Energy Science Expo 2009, held in Bangkok. The event was sponsored by the Thai Ministry of Science and Technology for the purpose of building networks to combat global warming. Through these activities the company was able to explain the advantages of SANYO products to customers and business partners, while exchanging opinions with them.

Dual Camera Xacti press conference

World Alternative Energy Science Expo 2009

In February 2009, SANYO Thailand provided a global environment class to students at an Kasetsart University Laboratory School. The same program had already been offered to Japanese schools in Thailand, but in order to help commemorate the company’s 40th anniversary and contribute to the local community, the class was held for the first time in an elementary school for Thai children.

The environmental lesson was given to 7 of the 40 classes at the school, reaching about 300 children. As a result, these students now have a greater awareness of issues surrounding energy and the environment. The company was also able to leave the kids with a positive impression of SANYO as a leading company that helps combat global warming.

Global environment class

Temple receiving a security camera donation

SANYO Thailand has begun an initiative involving the donation of security cameras to Buddhist temples in that country. Numbering over 25,000 many temples in Thailand are at least 1,000 years old and contain ancient Buddha statues. The initiative for security camera installation was begun to help prevent the theft of these valuable treasures, which has been increasing in recent years. The initiative was implemented as part of the company’s efforts to fulfill its responsibility to local communities. In fiscal 2008, the first cameras were donated to ten temples in ten provinces of Thailand. In the future, SANYO Thailand plans to make one temple camera donation for every 100 security cameras that it sells.

VSD compressor installed at the plant

As a manufacturer and vendor of car audio systems and battery packs for laptop computers, SANYO Automedia Sdn. Bhd. is engaged in various activities to reduce its environmental impact. In order to cut the electricity used at its plant, the company has installed a few capacitor banks and a VSD^*2 -compressed air supply system. It is also using electricity more efficiently, by replacing conventional ballasts with electronic ballasts in fluorescent lighting. Energy-saving awareness has been raised among all employees, by ensuring that equipment and lighting are turned off when not in use, and by switching off the air condition systems 15 minutes before the end of the work day. The president and managers are taking the lead in these efforts by emphasizing energy-saving activities in meetings.

Three times a year, waste water from the plant is sampled and analyzed, and monitoring is carried out concerning the quality of air discharged into the atmosphere, in order to ensure emissions below regulatory levels. In addition to internal audits every six months, all activities relating to the company’s environmental management are subject to verification by an independent certification organization.

*2 Variable Speed Drive (VSD): Offers greater control and energy efficiency than a constant speed drive

SANYO Automedia provides environmental training to all its staffs and local suppliers concerning the company’s environmental policies and green procurement system. Information is also provided on environmentally hazardous chemical substances including those regulated by the RoHS Directive. The training promotes understanding of SANYO’s Think GAIA brand vision, and the company’s responsibility to minimize the environmental impact of its business activities.

A product show for local residents was held on December, 2008, at a hotel on the island of Penang. It was organized by Consulate-General of Japan in Penang, and coincided with the birthday of the Japanese Emperor. As a local company, SANYO Automedia took part in the event and exhibited its products. Many other Japanese-owned companies in Malaysia also participated in this important event, and it was attended by numerous honored guests including the Chief Minister of the state of Penang. SANYO’s eneloop rechargeable batteries and related products caught the attention of many visitors.

SANYO booth

SANYO’s support for Clean Up Australia detailed on an eneloop package

A vendor of LCD projectors, digital cameras, security products, consumer electronics, and batteries, SANYO Oceania Pty. Ltd. is providing support to Clean Up Australia, an organization coordinating that nation’s largest cleanup event. In a country with among the highest level of waste per capita, the Clean Up Australia Day event has been held annually for the last 20 years, and allows all Australians to participate in community cleanup activities. About 800,000 people participated in Clean Up Australia Day 2009, held on March 1. Together with the Business Clean Up Day held on February 24, and the Schools Clean Up day on March 27, more than a million Australians participated in the organization’s cleanup events this year.

SANYO Oceania is one of four corporate event sponsors, and is providing active support to Clean Up Australia by donating five cents from every eneloop rechargeable battery sold. On the day of the event, Clean Up Australia announced its Green Teacher Awards to recognize teachers who have been a positive influence on students by carrying out environmental projects within their school community. As an event sponsor, SANYO provided the national and state winners with various prizes including an LCD projector and eneloop rechargeable battery sets.

The SANYO logo was displayed at event sites, in event materials, on the Clean Up Australia website, and even on the bags used for collecting rubbish. This provided a lot of positive promotion for the Sanyo Group.