Resource Recycling and Pollution Prevention

The NTN Group has established a system to comprehensively promote the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), taking into consideration the sustainable use of resources, input resources such as raw materials and water, and waste reduction. In addition, we thoroughly manage chemical substances used in our products and manufacturing processes, and actively promote the conversion of procured products containing PRTR^＊-listed chemical substances to alternatives. We have set annual targets for the amount of waste generated, the recycling rate, and the amount of chemical substances subject to the PRTR Law handled, and are promoting efforts to achieve these targets.

＊Act on Confirmation, etc. of Release Amounts of Specific Chemical Substances in the Environment and Promotion of Improvements to the Management Thereof

Material Balance

■Material Balance of Business Activities (Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2023)

Water Stress (2040 Prediction) and Water Consumption by Region

The NTN Group conducts water stress analysis using AQUEDUCT^＊ for water risk management.

＊A tool released by the World Resources Institute (WRI) that provides free maps and information showing global water risks.

■Water Consumption (Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2023)

Water Consumption Reduction

In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, we failed to achieve the target for water consumption intensity due to frequent water leakage both in Japan and overseas, and we will continue our efforts to reduce unit water consumption in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.

■Water consumption/consumption intensity

Reduce Waste and Maintain High Recycling Rate

In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, we worked to reduce the waste generation intensity and achieved the target for domestic offices; in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, we will work to further reduce waste generation and achieve the recycling rate target as an indicator of reducing waste generation and maintaining a high recycling rate.

■Waste generation/recycling rate

Solidification of sludge generated during the grinding process

The NTN Group develops grinding sludge solidification equipment and not only introduces it to NTN Global but also sells it to other companies. Although sludge generated during the grinding process of metal components includes a large amount of coolant fluid and metal, the equipment enabled us to isolate coolant and compress sludge to solidified materials that are high in metal, thus achieving material recycling. We also reuse the isolated coolant fluid by filtering it with the equipment. In the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2023, approximately 5,050 tons of solidified grinding sludge were recycled.

■Grinding sludge solidification equipment (Kuwana Works)

Reuse of production by-products

The NTN Group promotes active reuse by discussing the improvement of the operation and the possibility of reuse with third-party vendors before simply disposing of production by-products such as coolant generated during the production.

Reuse of the water-soluble coolant

NTN Fukuroi Corp. (Japan), the water-soluble coolant used in the grinding line is filtered by a pressurized belt and reused. The filtered sludge is solidified by grinding sludge solidification equipment, and they are processed as a valuable resource of grinding sludge briquette 37,000 kg/year.

Reduction of packaging materials

To reduce the use of disposable plastics such as packaging materials, The NTN Group is considering switching to returnable boxes and simplified packaging after consulting with our customers. We will continue considering alternatives for packaging and other materials while ensuring product quality.

Collection/reuse of partition boards for containers

Xiangyang NTN-Yulon Drivetrain Co., Ltd. (China), boards no longer in use are reused after being repaired instead of purchasing new shelf boards for aligning finished products in containers of finished drive shafts. We will continue actively utilizing those that can be reused by prioritizing quality assurance.

■Reuse of a shelf board for aligning finished products (NTN Xiangyang)

Reduction in the amount of chemical substances subject to the PRTR system handled

We are working to monitor and reduce the use of chemical substances subject to the PRTR Law^＊ among the chemical substances handled in our domestic manufacturing processes, and for the seven chemical substances subject to the PRTR Law that we handle in particularly large volumes (see figure), we are replacing them with raw materials that use less harmful substances. We are working to substitute raw materials that use less hazardous substances for the seven chemical substances (see diagram) that are particularly handled in large volumes. In addition, as the revision of the PRTR Law will increase the number of substances subject to the law from 462 (15 specified Class I substances) to 515 (23 specified Class I substances), we will collect SDSs to identify procurement items subject to the new PRTR Law and promptly calculate the amount of the subject chemical substances handled.

＊Act on Confirmation, etc. of Release Amounts of Specific Chemical Substances in the Environment and Promotion of Improvements to the Management Thereof

■Amount of PRTR Chemical Substances Used (Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2023)

Hazardous Waste Management

The NTN Group disposes of waste generated at its business sites in accordance with the laws and regulations of each country, and the Japanese group disposes of waste in compliance with the “Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law” (Waste Disposal Law). In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, the volume of specially controlled waste, which is waste that is particularly hazardous, was 582 tons/year.　 We will ensure that specially controlled industrial waste is disposed of in accordance with disposal standards, and that transportation or disposal is outsourced to a licensed contractor.

Compliance with Fluorocarbon Emission Control Law

The NTN Group in Japan manages the amount of leakage of alternative CFCs (HCFCs and HFCs) and records of inspections and maintenance performed on refrigerant equipment and machine parts cleaning solvents subject to the law under the Law Concerning the Suppression of CFC Emissions^＊: (NTN on a non-consolidated basis: 1,436 tons-CO₂e). Going forward, NTN will strengthen its management system in accordance with the scale of its business sites, promote the use of refrigerant equipment that does not use R22 (HCFC-22), etc., which is the main target of the law, and switch to cleaning solvents for machine parts, while actively considering the introduction of non-CFC equipment that does not use CFC substitutes.

＊Law Concerning the Rational Use and Proper Management of Fluorocarbons

Compliance with the Law Concerning Special Measures against PCB Disposal

In accordance with the Law Concerning Special Measures against PCBs^＊, The NTN Group in Japan has been promoting the identification and management of equipment containing PCBs and the reliable implementation of systematic disposal. We will continue to investigate equipment containing low concentrations of PCBs and work to dispose of all such equipment within the legal disposal timeframe.

＊Law on Special Measures concerning Promotion of Proper Treatment of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Waste