Outlining the comprehensive company policy:

Shown below are the cases in which carry out a voluntary plan outlining the comprehensive company policy and their attempts to deal with the preservation of the environment.

(1) Clear basic policy
‹Chemical products manufacturer A›

Company A feels that defining the top management policy on environment issues is the first step toward implementation of such policies.

Company A's basic policy on environment safety consists of three items listed below.

1. to recognize that environmental issues are important, and to make efforts to harmonize the business activities with environmental protection.

2. to make every efforts to reduce the burden on the environment brought on by business activities.

3. to grasp accurately the burden on the environment from the R&D phase to discarding, and to make efforts for the sustainable growth of the business.

Action guidelines based on the above basic policy set specific target values for various items.

1. Chemical safety (Ozone depleting products, asbestos, carbonated gases)

2. Resources & energy conservation (reduced packing materials, energy-saving production process, long-life environmentally friendly products)

3. Reuse & recycling of resources (reduction of wastes, reuse, recycle, thermal recycle, development & design of environment friendly product technology)

4. Proper management of chemical materials (people's safety and health, consideration for the local environment, emergency measures)

5. Education & enlightenment (proper understanding of administrative information, organized educational system and effective implementation of the system, issuance of eco-news)

The cross-sectional organization in Company A called "Environment Committee" carries out the study of basic policies, the grasping of the information both in-house and outside of the company, and the study of measures to deal with environmental issues. "Safety·Environment Control Department" develops and promotes concrete measures concerning pollution prevention, global environmental issues, waste, and energy conservation.

(2) Target set at each factory
‹Metallic products manufacturing company B›

In determining targets to be achieved by the year 2000 for cutting the amount of waste and for conserving energy, a voluntary plan was made at each factory first and the targets for the entire company were determined by adding up the targets projected by each factory. This action was taken because each factory best understands its own condition and the target must be set realistically in accordance to the respective conditions. Furthermore, this action was to stimulate the workers to do their best in reaching the target they set out themselves.
Information from each factory is gathered at the Environment Control · Promotion Office. Then the information from one factory is conveyed to other factories and offices so that important information is shared throughout the company.

Shared in-house information:

Workers who are involved on the site in the manufacturing or construction process often have the best understanding of the areas in the manufacturing process which need to be improved. Thus, the system of gathering all of these ideas and opinions from the workers for respective stages of the process is indispensable. In addition, environmental preservation policies set out by the management should be translated into concrete measures to meet the conditions of respective factories. Therefore, in order to engage in comprehensive activities on environmental preservation, the information must be shared by the management as well as by all the workers on the site.

(1) Environmental management meetings
‹Glass products manufacturer C›

Company C has organized an environmental management meeting participated by the top management including the president, the vice president, the director in charge of environment as well as employees in charge of each factory and each department, and two people from outside the company (one person knowledgeable and experienced in the field, and one lawyer). The corporate policy on environmental preservation activities is determined in this meeting, which is held once every three months. Every employee in charge of on-site environmental preservation reports on the current activities. In order to make sure that the top priority measure for the entire company is implemented, the company system is organized flexibly to meet the requirement for the implementation. For example, the top management is entitled to make a final decision on a budget increase for factories and departments of the company.

(2) A program of collecting environmental preservation techniques
‹Machinery manufacturer D·Electric equipment manufacturer E›

Companies D and E have their own program of collecting in-house environmental preservation techniques. This program aims to make full and active use of the employees' ideas, to encourage employees to be creative and ingenious as well as to let the top management see directly the ideas of the people in charge on the site. The best ideas are awarded to encourage full participation by all employees in the program.

(3) Understanding human resources
‹Machinery manufacturer F›

In the factory of Company F, a list of names of the employees, who have any kind of certified qualification such as a consultant engineer, an environmental measurer, and a chief capable of handling dangerous articles as well as their departments they belong to, is posted on the board. Thus, when starting on a new project, one can readily see and grasp what kind of personnel are available in which department. Moreover, employees in one department can always have some information about their co-workers in other departments. This kind of information leads to maximum utilization of human resources available within the company and also is effective in developing human resources of the company.

Detailed development of measures:

Corporate goals and policies must be translated into concrete measures in order to launch a specific action. The methods of developing concrete measures are described in this section.

(1) Quantitation of the degree of satisfaction to determine the priority of issues
‹Food products manufacturer G›

Every factory of Company G carries out environmental preservation activities as part of their production management using the method of TP Management (Total Productive Management).

The method adopted by Company G is unique in that they attempt to quantitate how much each measure or action contributes to the overall goal (how important each measure is to the overall goal).
The Engineering Department of Company G lists four corporate goals: 1) Satisfaction in the factory, 2) Satisfaction of employees, 3) Satisfaction of customers, and 4) Satisfaction in society. They have contribution values of 5,000, 2,000, 2,100, and 900 respectively, which come to a total of 10,000. As each goal is subdivided or broken down to concrete measures in the second phase, contribution value is also subdivided but greater contribution value is given to more important issues.
For each issue defined in the second phase of goal development, a specific measure is developed in order to achieve the goal. Measures are classified into nine areas: 1) production, 2) energy conservation, 3) preservation, 4) working environment, 5) personnel training & projection of required personnel, 6) quality, 7) environmental preservation, 8) information, and 9) public relations. A contribution value is given to each of these measures. Thus, this method allows an overview of measures with large contribution values or high priority measures and permits the employees to understand how much contribution value each measure has in achieving the corporate goal.
The method is characterized by the use of specific numerical values called "contribution values" which serve to bridge between the abstract, ideological, and long-term "corporate goals" and concrete, practical, and short-term "measures." This method permits an easy understanding of how much and in what way each measure contributes to the whole, thereby making accurate and systematic production management possible.
The goal development diagram is posted in each section and department of the factory. The goal development diagram contains a column for the name of the person in charge of each measure for quick reference.

In-house manual:

The company manual on environmental preservation activities is compiled for the employees throughout the company in order for them to gain full understanding of the issues.

(1) Manual for wastes reduction activities
‹Chemical products manufacturer A›

The manual of Company A describes the process of waste reduction; the first is to define the policy for the waste reduction activities; the second, to identify the important actions to be implemented; and the third, to set target values and to gain consensus of all employees. After coming to consensus, the following process is taken. Step 1 is to grasp the real situation of waste for each phase of the manufacturing process. Step 2 is to organize ideas and issues on reduction and to decide on role distribution. Step 3 is designed to determine the effectiveness of the waste reduction and think specifically on how to maintain the improved results. In the case that some issues still remain in Step 3, the process is repeated starting with Step 1 on that particular issue. Furthermore, in Step 4 recycling techniques and new production technology are considered and developed. Step 5 is to gain full understanding of the improved effects and to maintain that improved results on a day-to-day basis. When some issue remains unresolved, the process returns to Step 1. (Diagram) A detailed manual has been prepared for each Step.