Chinese Yokohama Plant Achieves ‘Complete Zero Emissions’

The Hangzhou Yokohama Tire Co., Ltd factory in China’s Zhejiang province has become the first Yokohama Rubber site outside of Japan to achieve "complete zero emissions" status. After conducting on-site investigations of all contractors commissioned to dispose of waste from the passenger car tyre production plant and associated sales operation, Yokohama has verified that none of the waste is subject to direct landfill disposal.

The Hangzhou plant began producing tyres in May 2003 and efforts towards “zero emissions” status – less than one per cent of total waste volume entering landfill – began in November 2007. Yokohama states that since that time the company has “steadily raised the standards for waste management” through education on waste separation, proper waste storage by building a dump site with partitions according to waste type, improvements in the management of waste generation/disposal and developing a greater understanding of disposal processes.

Looking forward, Yokohama will ensure plant staff regularly visit disposal contractors to check their practices and the company will carry out research on new methods of waste recycling; the aim is to achieve “100% waste recycling.” – completely eliminating the landfill disposal or incineration without effective utilisation of waste generated in the course of business activities.

 As stated in its “Medium-Range Management Plan: Grand Design 100 (GD100),” the Yokohama Rubber Group has endorsed the concept of “top-level environmental friendliness.” A priority issue in that declaration is the reduction of waste emissions at domestic and overseas production sites. In Japan, “complete zero emissions” have been maintained at all eight production sites since March 2006. In January 2009, 100 per cent recycling of industrial waste was achieved at five locations – Yokohama’s Hiratsuka Factory, and Mie, Ibaraki, Hiratsuka-East and Nagano Plants. The company aims to achieve “zero emissions” at all international production sites by the 2011 financial year.