Resource Recycling ActivitiesEnvironmental Management
Water Risk Management
Identification of and Response to Water Risks
In the semiconductor manufacturing industry, which uses a large amount of water, securing and circulating water resources is not only a lifeline for business, but also an important issue that must be addressed as a social responsibility for companies that conduct business activities using natural capital.
ROHM Group is working to reduce water risks (droughts and floods) at all of its 24 sites by using the WRI Aqueduct, a global assessment tool for identifying water risks.
Specifically, four sites were identified as high-risk sites based on the assessment of water stress and water depletion, and river flooding risk and coastal flooding risk.
For drought risk, we have set targets for improving the water recovery and reuse rate and are working to maximize resource recycling through the introduction of wastewater recycling facilities and other measures. For flood risk, the Risk Management/BCM Committee conducts risk assessments and analyses, and from a BCP perspective, we are working to reduce the risk of production stoppages due to flooding by designing BCP inventories based on the expected number of days of stoppages.
Targets and Achievements
[Policy for Achieving Environmental Vision]
Work to maximize resource recycling in order to eliminate the waste of limited resources through a series of business activities from development to procurement, production, and sales.
| Target for 2030 | Target for FY2023 | FY2023 Result | Target for FY2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Improve water recovery and recycling rate by 5.5% or more compared to the FY2019 results by FY2030. | Water recovery and reuse rate: 39.5% or more | Water recovery and reuse rate: 40.0% | Water recovery and reuse rate: 40.5% or more |
| 1.9% improvement over FY2019 results | 2.4% improvement over FY2019 results | 2.9% improvement over FY2019 results |
[ Trends in Water Withdrawals ]（ Trends by risk level and water type ）
■Water recovery and reuse rate
Water Withdrawal Over Time *By Degree of Risk and Type of Water
■Water Withdrawal in FY2023 *By Degree of Drought Risk
| Drought Risk | Amount of Water Withdrawal (thousand m3) |
Percentage | Main ROHM Group Sites Applicable | Examples of Improvement Efforts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | 1,998 | 17% | Overseas locations (RIST,REDA,RMPI,RMT,KOREA,SiCrystal) |
Recycling of dicing process wastewater |
| Medium | 3,073 | 27% | Domestic locations (Hamamatsu, etc.) Overseas locations (REPI,RSC, etc.) |
Reuse of wastewater from production process |
| Low | 6,517 | 56% | Domestic locations (Kyoto, Shiga, Wako, Apollo Hirokawa, Apollo Chikugo, Apollo Yukuhashi, Lapis Miyagi, Lapis Miyazaki, etc.) |
|
| Total | 11,588 |
■Water Withdrawal Over Time *By Type
No date per cassification for FY 2016-2018.
■Wastewater Volume *By Type
Efforts to Reduce Water Withdrawal
・Reduction of Water Withdrawal by Membrane Filtration Recovery of Grinding Wastewater
○Water Withdrawal Reduction Amount: 63,960m3/Year
At ROHM Apollo Chikugo Plant, grinding wastewater discharged from the silicon wafer grinding process (grinding wastewater) is collected by a membrane filtration system and reused as raw water for the pure water production system.
This reuse of water through membrane filtration has reduced water withdrawal by approximately 3,500 m3/month.
In addition, the plant constructed additional membrane filtration facility to cope with the increase in grinding wastewater due to increased production, resulting in a reduction in water withdrawal of approximately 5,330 m3/month.
Schematic Diagram of Membrane Filtration Equipment
・Reduction of Water Withdrawal through Reuse of Wastewater from Production Processes
○Water withdrawal reduction: approx. 10,000 m3/year
REMA (Malaysia) has been recycling wastewater by reusing wastewater after ion removal in an automatic irrigation system used in the gardening area. This reduces the amount of water withdrawal.
Waste Management
In order to eliminate waste of limited resources and energy, reduce waste, and recycle resources in a series of business activities from material procurement to development, production, and sales, the Resource Utilization Subcommittee plays a central role in setting up an implementation plan for each fiscal year to achieve the target and promote activities. We continue to achieve zero emissions. To contribute to a sustainable society, we will continue to procure resources with less environmental impact, minimize new resource inputs and waste emissions, and use resources in a sustainable manner.
Targets and Achievements
[Policy for Achieving Environmental Vision]
Work to maximize resource recycling in order to eliminate the waste of limited resources through a series of business activities from development to procurement, production, and sales.
| Targets for FY2030 | Targets for FY2023 | FY2023 Results | Targets for FY2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
(1) Recycling rate:
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|
|
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| (2) Waste emissions intensity at front-end plants: Reduction of 10.0% or more from FY2019 results |
9.0% or more reduction from FY2022 results | 10.2% reduction from FY2022 results | 1.0% or more reduction from FY2023 results |
| Reduction by 12.4% or more from FY2019 results | Reduction by 13.6% from FY2019 results | Reduction by 14.5% or more from FY2019 results | |
| (3) Waste emissions intensity at back-end plants: Reduced by 20.0% or more from FY2019 results |
Maintain FY2022 results | Reduction by 14.0% from FY2022 results | Maintain FY2023 results |
| Reduction by 1.5% or more from FY2019 results | Reduction by 15.3% from FY2019 results | Reduction by 15.3% or more from FY2019 results |
Waste Emissions
Efforts to Reduce Waste
・Effective Use of Waste Sulfuric Acid from Incidental Facilities
Hydrochloric acid used for neutralization treatment at wastewater treatment facilities was replaced by sulfuric acid, which had been consigned for disposal as industrial waste, for neutralization treatment resulting in a reduction of waste sulfuric acid of approximately 24 tons/month.
・Conversion of waste sulfuric acid into valuable resources upon arrival
Waste liquid of high-concentration sulfuric acid used for resist stripping is in demand as valuable resources, and can be sold as valuable resources if it meets the quality required by users. By consigning waste sulfuric acid, which was conventionally consigned for disposal as industrial waste, as "valuable resources upon arrival," we have reduced industrial waste emissions by approximately 110 tons/year.
Hazardous Waste Management Efforts
The semiconductor manufacturing process generates hazardous wastes such as plastics that are contaminated with chemical substances and chemicals.
ROHM Group has set a target and is working to achieve the goal of utilizing all waste as recycled resources, including hazardous waste that could potentially affect the environment and human health and safety.
As of FY2022, specially controlled industrial waste for the entire ROHM Group accounted for 26.6% of total waste, of which 99.96% was recycled.
Recycling Efforts
ROHM Group has set a target of maintaining zero emissions on a consolidated basis in Japan and achieving a recycling rate of at least 97% on an overseas consolidated basis by FY2030, and zero emissions on a consolidated basis in Japan and overseas.
As of FY2023, specially controlled industrial waste for the entire ROHM Group accounted for 28.4% of all industrial waste, of which 99.9% was recycled.
RPF(Refuse derived paper and plastics densified Fuel):
High-grade solid fuel made mainly from recovered paper and waste plastics, which are difficult to recycle as materials, among industrial wastes.
[Voice of the Person in Charge]
Environmental Management Department
Shota Shitomi
As a part of our work related to resource recycling, which is a key theme of the ROHM Group Environmental Vision 2050, our long-term vision, we promote waste recycling and company-wide deployment of such measures to reduce resource waste in our production and business activities from the environmental consideration perspective.
We are also working on internal education programs to raise the awareness of every employee regarding environmental conservation. Specifically, we have established an "Environment Month" within the company, and we conduct e-learning programs on the importance of the circular economy and recycling, and we also provide waste separation manuals and comprehension tests to help employees acquire knowledge and raise environmental awareness.
Questionnaire
