Our approach to environmental activities

Based on the business concept of “Body and Mind (mind / body / soul) and Environment”, we at KENKO Mayonnaise Co., Ltd. aim to become the best salad company and to provide the number one quality products / service as our business policy.

Along with that, the company and our employees declare three promises: 1) to devote ourselves for providing happiness to the customers and the employees, 2) to take care of natural resources and environment and 3)to take on any challenges for further development.

According to our philosophy as a food manufacturer of “contributing to the world by providing good food”, all our employees continue to work on environmental protection activities while providing food that are safe, reliable, stable and delicious to achieve contributions to the world.

Environmentally friendly manufacturing system

Our manufacturing system is designed based on the awareness of the impact on environment in order for saving natural recourses, recycling activities and so on.

● Weight reduction in containers
We work on designing environmentally friendly containers to reduce the use of resources and for easy recycling. Weight reduction of containers lead to less use of materials, less energy consumption in its production and less wastes after its use.        

Reduction of resign used for a 1-liter salad dressing bottle:1.5g/bottle (February 2010)
Container's reduction in FY 2010:9.2 tons
Container's reduction in FY 2011:7.5 tons

Weight reduction in carton boxes for one liter dressing bottles: 48g /piece
Total reduction in FY 2010: 28 tons
Total reduction in FY 2011: 24 tons

Weight reduction in corrugated cardboard for 500ml dressing bottles: 52g /piece
Total reduction in FY 2010: 3.8 tons of Corrugated cardboard box
Total reduction in FY 2011: 5.2 tons of Corrugated cardboard box

● Material change for package boxes
Some of our products are packed in a paper “package box”, in which our customer can store products. We have made this box recyclable after introducing different materials (implemented in February 2006).

Achievement in FY 2010: 5,795,000 pieces (between April 2010 – March 2011) / Total weight: 294 tons
Achievement in FY 2011: 5,722,000 pieces (between April 2011 – March 2012) / Total weight: 290 tons

● Improved detachability of labels
By June 2010, we have introduced the labels of all our dressing bottles with better detachability, which is easier for consumers to separate waste materials according to the requirement of local councils.

Fiscal year No. of label used
FY 2010 1,155,000
FY 2011 1,364,000

Number of detachability improved labels of dressing bottles introduced in each FY

Waste reduction

Aiming for ZERO CO2 emission at our factories, we attempt to reduce and recycle wastes generated in the process from material procurement through to product marketing.

● Reduction of food waste
After the review and partial amendment was implemented to the Food Recycling Law in 2007 (the law was implemented in 2001), our company group succeeded in achieving the goal to recycle 85% of food waste (except some of our factories).

Currently these food wastes are being recycled into cattle feed and fertilizers, and drying/dewatering methods has been implemented as a new food wastes reduction system in order to prevent bad smells surrounding the plant. In FY 2009, our Western Japan Factory in Maizuru City (Kyoto) started supplying liquid feeds to a pig farm, which are produced using a mass amount of potato peels and full size residues, which are by-products generated in the process of making potato salad, processing them into liquid feeds within the factory (the activity was chosen by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as a Promotional activity of Utilization of Recyclable Food Waste in FY 2009).

The factory produced 1,572 tons of liquid feed in FY 2010 and 1,654 tons in FY 2011. We also implement recycle activities with other materials other than food waste such as plastics, metals and other wastes.

● Our approach to ZERO CO2 emission
Aiming to reduce wastes as a principal of our approach, we started controlling waste generation in FY 2006 through 3R activity, focusing on the improvement in a manufacturing process. As a result, we succeeded in achieving recycling 90% of wastes in FY 2007, and our entire factory successfully reached to the goal of ZERO CO2 emission in FY 2008.

We hold an annual meeting to report the current conditions for the ZERO CO2 emission activities at each factory, at which awards are given to factories with highest or higher grades. Also a special committee, established within the Manufacturing Division, promotes 3R activities.

1) Reduction: control of waste generation
animal and factory residues
Reduction of waste by improving and reviewing a manufacturing process
Waste plastic Control of waste generation by reviewing material forms  and the materials of containers
Reduction of the plastic consumption by reviewing product forms
Wastewater / sludge Reduction of wastewater by improving the efficiency of dewatering
Paper / metals Control of paper waste by going paperless
Reduction of the waste of cartons and 18-liter drums by using inter-factory-returnable containers.
Others Establishment of an environment committee at each factory and their activities
2) Reuse Reuse of 18-liter drums for raw materials.
3) Recycling: animal and factory residues Liquid feed for pigs, fertilizers, alternative energy, etc.
Potato peels, starch Liquid feed for pigs
Waste plastic Reprocessed resins, construction materials, cement materials, etc.
Wastewater, sludge Fertilizers, road protection chemicals, etc.
● Goals and achievement of recycling rates
The following is annual goals and achievements for recycling rates after FY 2006.
・Goals: FY 2006-80%, FY 2007 – 90%, FY 2008 – ZERO CO2 emission
・Achievement: FY 2006-88%, FY 2007 – 91%, FY 2008 – ZERO CO2 emission
We continue to achieve ZERO CO2 emissions.

Topics

  • The environment policy at the Tokyo headquarters and Atsugi Factory was established in December 2005.
    The Environment Policy at the Tokyo headquarters and Atsugi Factory (2005.12.6)
  • The recycling activity to potato peels is published on monthly magazine “Pig Farm Information” (2010.8.26) This is a republished article, originally published on Monthly Magazine “Pig Farm Information August 2010, a special summer edition”, with the permission of Keiran-Niku Joho Center Co., Ltd.