Reducing Environmental Impact

The RoHS Directive is a legal instrument established by the European Union (EU) to restrict the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic components.
The directive is intended to protect human health and natural environments when electrical and electronic equipment are disposed of, and to make it easier to recycle this equipment.
All TOA products destined for Europe conform to the amended version of the RoHS Directive (commonly referred to as RoHS 2).
We are also taking steps toward RoHs compliance for products that are not intended for Europe.

As part of our effort to reduce office CO2 emissions, we continue to promote initiatives aimed at preventing overuse of electricity.
At our “Knowledge Square” R&D base (formerly the Takarazuka R&D center), in addition to our “Cool Biz” and “Warm Biz” campaigns, since 2009, we have been setting air conditioners to turn off automatically at the end of the workday, using them only where necessary to save electricity without sacrificing comfort.
Power consumption is also reduced by using LED lighting in common areas as well as motion detectors that automatically turn the lights on and off.
Since 2012, thermal barrier coatings have been applied to the windows on the east and south sides of our office buildings to suppress the rise in indoor temperatures due to sunlight. These activities have paid dividends: Our electricity consumption has remained stable with no significant increases.
We will continue to promote power saving through a variety of activities, and in the construction of our redeveloped Knowledge Square, we will contribute to environmental conservation through proactive power-saving measures, including use of structures that let in natural light from the rooftop and equipment that enhances the effectiveness of window insulation.

Since the equipment we manufacture uses small rechargeable batteries, we participate in activities to recycle batteries in the right and proper way. The types of small rechargeable batteries that we recycle are nickel-cadmium batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and nickel-metal hydride batteries.
The small rechargeable batteries recovered at our offices throughout Japan during repairs and routine maintenance are collected at “Knowledge Square” (formerly the Takarazuka R&D center) and sent on to a recycling center.
The volume recycled over the past three years is shown in the graph on the right. Recovered batteries are properly recycled every year, in accordance with the procedures stipulated in the Law for Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources.

At “Knowledge Square” (formerly the Takarazuka R&D center), which is certified to ISO 14001, the international standard for environmental management systems, separately discarded waste is subdivided to enhance our recycling capability. Furthermore, we are promoting efficient recycling through efforts to raise sorting awareness among individual employees, for example, by enabling the employees themselves to readily remove product casing, sever power cords, and perform other sorting and disposal tasks.

TOA is promoting sustainable procurement to mitigate harmful effects on the environment. When purchasing paper, stationery, and other office supplies, the person in charge of each department is able to select products that are classified as either “Eco Mark-certified products,” “Green Mark-certified products,” or “products compliant with the Green Purchasing Law.” We will continue to reduce our environmental impact by ensuring that our sustainable procurement rate remains high.