- Illumination and Lightning Products
- Power Products
- Audio-rerated Products
- Mobile Phones/Portable Equipment Products
- Products for LCDs
- Power Management Products
- PC/Peripheral Device Products
ROHM actively promotes to minimize the impact its activities and products have on the environment as much as possible. All aspects of production and design are carefully considered, taking into account the entire product life cycle and long-term energy consumption, both during operation and standby, up to and including end of life, disposal, and recycling. We endeavor to make it easy for the customer to choose green by choosing ROHM.
■ROHM's Environmental Activities
1988
Abolished petroleum boilers
1990
Began classified waste recovery from 52 products
1992
Completely eliminated freon
1993
Completely eliminated ozone layer-damaging materials Achieved a recycle and reuse resource rate of 96%
1997.10
Established a comprehensive environmental policy that applies to all ROHM Group companies
1997.12
Signed the Kyoto Protocol
1998.05
Obtained ISO 14001 certification
1999.07
Member of the semiconductor industry's Global Warming Measures Committee
2000.11
Obtained joint ISO 14001 certification for the ROHM Group
2001
Started reforestation project in southern Australia Recognized by the Kyoto Prefecture Recycling
2003.12
Society Formation Department's ECO Kyoto 21
2004
Attained zero emissions at all domestic companies
2005.10
Received a special commendation as a distinguished company from the Make Kyoto Beautiful Foundation
2005.02
The Kyoto Protocol takes effect
2006.04
Environmental policies completely revised
Plant sewage is treated by chemical neutralization and released into outlets. To enhance the environmental protection of treated sewage, we use a closed sewage-treatment system. This system concentrates chemically neutralized sewage and then evaporates it completely using a dryer.
Semiconductor products must be manufactured in a clean environment for quality and performance. Large quantities of ultra pure water are required for the front-end wafer process.
Given this, reusing the wastewater that has been used in processing without discharging it reduces the environmental burden on the drainage basin and protects our water resources.
ROHM effectively operates its semiconductor wafer process ultra pure water devices in order to raise the water recycling ratio and to reduce the amount of wastewater and water used.
ROHM has been working on the ROHM Production System (RPS), a highly efficient production line that produces semiconductors with minimal energy consumption. Having developed key production facilities, ROHM continues to commit itself to enhancing QCD (quality, cost and delivery) as much as possible.
Given this commitment, RPS is making considerable energy-saving contributions with improved production efficiency as well as the elimination of waste.
■Sludge
Semiconductor production uses large amounts of hydrofluoric
acid. Wastewater from the hydrofluoric-acid process is neutralized and flocculated, typically with hydrated lime using
in-house wastewater treatment facilities. This results in a large amount of calcium-fluoride sludge. Today, a cement manufacturer uses this sludge as part of its cement material.
■Waste Oil
Relatively pure wastewater of organic solvents such as acetone isopropyl alcohol is reused in various industries such as material recycling. Wastewater that cannot be reused is recycled to improve combustion in iron foundries and industries such as thermal recycling.
■Plastic Waste
Plastic waste discharged from ROHM is processed into solid fuel by a contract processor and used to improve combustion in paper manufacturing and iron foundries.
■Paper Waste
Paper Waste ROHM generates large amounts of paper waste. Paper waste is periodically sent to paper-manufacturing companies and
recycled as bathroom tissue and cardboard. The recycled bathroom tissue is used in-house.
■Acid Waste
Liquid waste from chemicals used in semiconductor production processes are treated and rendered harmless at in-house liquid-waste treatment facilities. When liquid waste is collected, it is classified to ensure the purest liquid waste for reuse. As an example of this material recycling, phosphoric acid waste produced at ROHM is used to raise bacteria for treating liquid waste at paper-manufacturing companies.
■Kitchen Refuse
It was once common to take kitchen-refuse produced at the employee cafeteria and recycle it as livestock feed. However,
there is virtually no such demand today. After much investigation about how to dispose of kitchen-refuse in an
environmentally-friendly way, the ROHM Group adopted two methods: biological composting and bacterial biodegradation.
