Building on the success of the Kyoto Protocol, Kyoto Prefecture has created an environmental administrative organization that includes a system called Eco Kyoto 21. The system targets businesses that protect and develop Kyoto and the environment. It certifies and registers corporations that play a leading role in environmental preservation through awareness activities, and in promoting recycling in the local community. Unitika's Uji Plant has participated in the system from its inception, and in December 2004, was certified and registered under the system's Ecostyle category for production sites and organizations carrying out highly original environmental activities.

Participation in Local Beautification Activities

The Uji Plant is actively involved in volunteer activities to beautify the surrounding areas. It also participates in the local "Clean Uji" beautification and cleanup campaign, and conducts cleanup activities of the Uji Plant area three times a year. In fiscal 2009, a total of 1,033 people participated in cleanup activities, which were held on July 9, September 10, and March 3, 2010.Other Unitika production sites are also giving back to the community by beautifying their surrounding environments.

At the Okazaki Plant, around 80 people conduct cleanup activities on the second Thursday of every month. On a Saturday in March 2010, about 150 people from the Okazaki Plant and surrounding community gathered for a volunteer activity to clean up the area around the facility.

Helping Keep the Planet Green

Responding to Japan's increasing focus on public-spirited volunteer projects, Unitika Labor Union established a volunteer foundation in 1992 and began a range of activities inside and outside the Company. In Japan, we have held support activities in facilities for the handicapped and conducted training meetings to expand the frontiers of volunteer activities. We have also worked to step up volunteer activities overseas, where we have sent volunteers to work camps for international exchanges, and have raised money for disaster relief.
In 2003, Unitika Labor Union celebrated its 30th year anniversary by starting a program called Midori no Plan ('Green Plan') designed to give back to the community and raise environmental consciousness. Midori no Plan volunteers created a wooded area they named Unitika no Mori ('Unitika Wood'). Three species of local trees (sawtooth oak, quercus serrata, Japanese cypress) were planted in a two-hectare area of mountain forest in Hidakagawa-cho (Wakayama Prefecture). Employees visit the area for cutting back the undergrowth and pruning several times per year. In September 2009, twenty-seven employees performed this task to enable better tree growth. This project has been recognized by Wakayama Prefecture as "an effort contributing to CO2 absorption through forestation," and is projected to absorb about 800 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over the next 100 years.

Unitika has created an organization well-equipped to prevent production accidents and accidents damaging surrounding areas. In addition to these basic measures, we are also active in training activities to prepare for accidents and natural disasters.To make internal standards for managing safety at production facilities, Unitika has established a set of "pre-evaluation policies" on safety sanitation and environmental effects at new facilities. All new and remodeled facilities are subject to a strict inspection to be carried out two times, once during the designing stages and later again upon completion.
Plants that use boilers and other high-pressure vessels are charged with a law to conduct yearly inspections. However voluntary self-management systems and specific conditions are fulfilled or acknowledged by presiding labor standards inspection office, and such inspections may be extended to once every two years instead of every year. Two Unitika facilities (Uji and Okazaki) have earned this acknowledgement.
The Tarui Plant, held firefighting drills and conducted firefighting equipment checks, fire reporting drills, fire prevention patrols, and other activities in conjunction with nationwide fire prevention campaigns held in the Spring and Fall. In Spring, the plant holds fire extinguisher training for new staff and transferred employees. On March 26, 2010, the plant held drills for putting out small fires using dry-chemical fire extinguishers and for extinguishing large fires using water from fire hydrants.
During the Spring fire prevention campaign, the Uji Plant held a variety of departmental firefighting drills including informing relevant parties in the event of a fire, evacuating buildings, and extinguishing small fires using fire extinguishers. The plant also carried out a firefighting drill involving a simulated fire at the staff dormitory.