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Waste Reduction and Recycling in the Manufacturing Business
Initiatives at Domestic Manufacturing Facilities
The Sumitomo Forestry Group is making ongoing efforts to reduce the generation of waste. For example, we encourage the sorting of industrial waste at each of our manufacturing plants, use heat from waste incineration, not simply incinerating waste, and promote the sale of waste as valuable resources. Wood waste generated in our production process is incinerated using biomass boilers or furnaces installed at our manufacturing facilities. We utilize the heat from the incineration of the waste for drying equipment and air conditioning, thereby reducing our fuel consumption.
In fiscal 2025, the Sumitomo Forestry Group achieved a recycling rate of 99.5% against the target of 99.0%. Also, Sumitomo Forestry Crest and Sumitomo Forestry Landscaping’s agro-products division achieved zero emissions (recycling rate of 98% or more).
Recycling Rates at Domestic Manufacturing Facilities*
| FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99.4% | 99.6% | 99.1% | 99.5% |
Breakdown of Waste Generated at Domestic Manufacturing Facilities* (FY2025)
*Sumitomo Forestry Crest, Sumitomo Forestry Landscaping, Japan Bio Energy, Okhotsk Bio Energy and Michinoku Bio Energy
Initiatives at Overseas Manufacturing Facilities
Our six major overseas manufacturing companies* are promoting zero emissions at their manufacturing facilities. Offcuts generated at the plywood and building materials mills are reused as raw materials at the wooden board mills, where waste wood from the manufacturing process is reused as fuel for heat sources in the drying and thermal pressing processes. We also promote zero-emission activities by making effective use of all types of wood waste, such as using the offcuts generated at our wooden mills for novelty goods.
In fiscal 2025, the recycling rate at the manufacturing facilities was 98.5% and remained flat year on year.
We will continue our efforts to reduce waste, including the effective utilization of wood waste.
*Indonesia: PT. Kutai Timber Indonesia, PT. AST Indonesia, PT. Sinar Rimba Pasifik
New Zealand: Nelson Pine Industries Ltd.
Vietnam: Vina Eco Board Co., Ltd.
United States: Canyon Creek Cabinet Company
Sorting waste for recycling
Reusing offcuts from the manufacturing process as raw materials for novelty goods
Recycling Rates at Overseas Manufacturing Facilities
| FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98.0% | 95.7% | 98.4% | 98.5％ |
Breakdown of Waste Generated at Overseas Manufacturing Facilities (FY2025)
Japan Bio Energy Registered as Superior Industrial Waste Disposal Operator
Japan Bio Energy, which manufactures and sells wood biomass chips, has been certified as a superior industrial waste operator by Kawasaki City since 2016.
Under the superior industrial waste disposal operator certification system, prefectures and ordinance-designated cities evaluate industrial waste disposal operators to give certification to superior operators. In order to obtain this certification, the business must satisfy a full set of criteria including legal compliance, business transparency, environmental consideration, and financial soundness. The validity period of industrial waste management license is extended from five to seven years for companies certified under the system. The company renewed the license in May 2023, along with the renewal of the certification as a superior industrial waste disposal operator.
- Home
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- Resource Recycling Initiatives
- Waste Reduction and Recycling in the Manufacturing Business