Efficient Use of Resources and Pollution Control

The Group is advancing initiatives designed to realize a circular economy with a low environmental impact by creating higher economic value through the reduced use of water and other resources while promoting the reduce, reuse, recycle (“3R”) approach.

Reducing Total Weight of Waste Discharged

In addition to reducing waste (both industrial and general waste) and improving the recycling rate in accordance with the Four Principles and Eight Items of Sustainability, the Tsubaki Group has adopted “total weight of waste discharged,” which includes recyclables traded for sale, as a management indicator. (This has been adopted as one of several management indicators employed by the Tsubaki Group’s proprietary EcoFactory Certification System.)
We are implementing reduction initiatives with the aim of fundamentally reducing the volume of materials we use that are extracted from the earth’s crust in the natural world.

List of Total Weights of Waste Discharged, Broken Down by Facility

Unit: t/year

FY 2020 FY 2021
All Waste Sale of Valuable Resources Total Waste Discharged All Waste Sale of Valuable Resources Total Waste Discharged
Tsubakimoto Chain Kyotanabe Plant 456 7,412 7,867 511 8,583 9,095
Saitama Plant 1,519 7,650 9,168 1,533 7,787 9,320
Hyogo Plant 127 6 132 129 13 142
Nagaokakyo Plant 286 674 960 335 915 1,250
Okayama Plant 427 303 730 353 360 713
Domestic subsidiaries Tsubakimoto Custom Chain 150 719 869 174 806 980
Tsubakimoto Sprocket 102 303 405 113 357 470
Tsubakimoto Bulk Systems 23 215 237 31 204 234
Tsubakimoto Mayfran 53 476 529 52 604 657
Tsubakimoto Iron Casting 1,446 28 1,474 1,849 34 1,883
Tsubaki Yamakyu Chain 57 85 142 39 52 91
Domestic total 4,645 17,869 22,514 5,120 19,716 24,836

Note: All waste = Industrial waste + General waste

List of Figures

Total waste discharged/Unit
FY 2020 FY 2021
Tsubakimoto Chain Kyotanabe Plant 0.472 0.464
Saitama Plant 0.340 0.307
Hyogo Plant 0.250 0.176
Nagaokakyo Plant 0.108 0.122
Okayama Plant 0.127 0.104
Domestic subsidiaries Tsubakimoto Custom Chain 0.195 0.193
Tsubakimoto Sprocket 0.176 0.161
Tsubakimoto Bulk Systems 0.064 0.056
Tsubakimoto Mayfran 0.247 0.248
Tsubakimoto Iron Casting 1.283 1.402
Tsubaki Yamakyu Chain 0.058 0.030
Domestic total 0.300 0.285

Note: Total waste ÷ Production

Improvement of Recycling Rate

The Tsubaki Group takes a proactive approach to reducing and recycling waste. In FY 2021, the combined total amount of industrial and general waste emissions was 5,120 tons, representing an increase of 10.2% year-on-year.
The recycling rate remained high at an annual average of 96.8% for the fiscal year.

Waste Emission and Recycling Rate (Fiscal Year Average)

  • Unit: t, %

    2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
    Industrial waste 6,462 6,452 5,573 4,300 4,708
    General waste 470 440 445 345 412
    Recycling rate
    (annual average)
    98.7 97.9 97.6 96.7 96.8
  • Waste Emission and Recycling Rate

     The scope of the report is 11 major manufacturing sites in Japan; overseas data is not included, as the definitions of disposal operations differ from country to country.

Initiatives to Reduce the Use of Hazardous Chemical Substances

In response to Japanese and international legislation concerning hazardous chemical substances, the Tsubaki Group identifies substances contained in the raw materials, parts, and other materials used. By also working with our customers to gain a detailed understanding of the usage of hazardous chemical substances and establish permissible levels, we continue to focus on reducing the use of such substances.
In our Green Procurement Guidelines, we require our suppliers to reduce the use of hazardous chemical substances by specifying the applicable laws and regulations, identifying the substances, listing standard values, and other measures.

Laws and Regulations Compliant Products
RoHS directive
(2011/65/EU)
  • ・General use drive chain
  • ・Lube-free drive chain
  • ・Heavy duty drive chain
  • ・Environment resistant drive chain
  • ・Cable carrier, Plastic Series
  • ・Cable carrier, Steel Series
  • ・Cleanveyor
  • ・Flatveyor
  • ・Locking Device
  • ・Gear Motor
  • ・Gear Box
  • ・Electric cylinder
  • ・Jacks
  • ・Electrical controllers
  • ・Clutches
  • ・Locking Device
  • ・Shaft Coupling
  • ・General Use Small Size Conveyor Chains
  • ・Lube free small size conveyor chain
  • ・Corrosion Resistant Small Size Conveyor Chains
  • ・Cable carrier, 3D Series
RoHS directive
(2002/95/EC)
Mechanical protectors
ELV directive All components for automotive engine timing chain systems

* RoHS directive: An EU directive regulating the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.
2002/95/EC (RoHS 1) was promulgated in February 2003 and 2011/65/EU (RoHS 2) was promulgated in July 2011.

* ELV directive: An EU directive restricting the use of lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium as a general rule to reduce waste from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) and encourage appropriate disposal.

Reducing the Use of Chemical Substances Subject to the PRTR Law

The Tsubaki Group surveys emissions of chemical substances specified by the Chemical Substance Removal Management Promotion Law (PRTR Law) and works continuously to reduce the use of such substances in its production processes and promote the transition to less-hazardous substances.
In FY 2021, the Group’s annual PRTR report discovered the presence of such substances in seven plants at four companies. The Tsubaki Group has adopted PRTR control as a management indicator under the EcoFactory Certification System and is reducing the use of strictly controlled substances at plants that are not required to report under this system.

FY 2021 data on chemical substances subject to the PRTR Law

Unit: kg/year

Location Substance No. Substance Name Amount Released Amount Transferred Total
Atmosphere Public Water Supply Soil On-site Landfill Sewer Transferred to Off-site Business
Tsubakimoto Chain Co. Kyotanabe Plant 348 1-bromopropane 9,900.0 0 0 0 0 0 9,900
Saitama Plant 87 Chromium and chromium (III) compounds 31.4 0 0 0 0 15,658.4 15,690
300 Toluene 30,146.7 0 0 0 0 12,291.0 42,438
Hyogo Plant 438 Methylnaphthalene 3.7 0 0 0 0 0 4
Nagaokakyo Plant 53 Ethylbenzene 662.0 0 0 0 0 242.7 905
80 Xylene 1,076.3 0 0 0 0 394.5 1,471
300 Toluene 7,693.0 0 0 0 0 2,820.1 10,513
Tsubakimoto Bulk Systems 53 Ethylbenzene 3,560.0 0 0 0 0 540.0 4,100
80 Xylene 5,730.0 0 0 0 0 870.0 6,600
300 Toluene 1,740.0 0 0 0 0 260.0 2,000
438 Methylnaphthalene 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 2
Tsubakimoto Mayfran 53 Ethylbenzene 1,600.0 0 0 0 0 370.0 1,970
80 Xylene 2,400.0 0 0 0 0 600.0 3,000
300 Toluene 14,400.0 0 0 0 0 3,200.0 17,600
Tsubakimoto Iron Casting 412 Manganese and its compounds 2,588.2 0 0 0 0 677.0 3,265
Magnesium and its compounds 2,265.8 0 0 0 0 90.6 2,356
Total 83,799 0 0 0 0 38,014 121,813

* Tsubakimoto Custom Chain, Tsubakimoto Sprocket, and Tsubaki Yamakyu Chain are outside the scope of PRTR filings.
Note 1: The values shown in the table above are compliant with laws and regulations.

Conservation of Water Resources

To protect our water resources, the Tsubaki Group is engaged in a global effort to reduce our total water use and water use intensity. At our locations in Japan, we have adopted voluntary management values for each business location according to the management indicators identified in the EcoFactory Certification System and are taking steps to reduce our water use. In FY 2017, we began measuring water use at our business locations outside Japan and have adopted measures to reduce it.

  • Water consumption (domestic)
    Water consumption (domestic)
  • Water consumption (global)
    Water consumption (global)

Toward a Sustainable Society

The Tsubaki Group is engaged in the “art of moving” and aims to provide value that exceeds expectations
to become a company that continues to be needed by society.