Recycling of resources

The Eisai Group has established an environmental management system to promote global activities and is working to strengthen activities to identify environmental risks and establish countermeasures in Japan and overseas.

• Promotion Structure and Internal Audits of Environmental Management
• https://www.eisai.co.jp/sustainability/environment/management/structure/index.html

Initiatives

• The Eisai Group is promoting initiatives for proper waste disposal and resource recycling in order to reduce waste generation, improve recycling rates, reduce final landfill volume, and 

  reduce hazardous waste, on a global scale.

  In line with this, we are working on thorough separation of waste generated at our business sites, selection of waste disposal contractors that actively promote resource recycling, and recycling and valuable sales of organic solvents used in the chemical synthesis of bulk pharmaceuticals (auxiliary fuel for waste solvents).

  We are also promoting the recycling of waste plastics as raw materials for RPF (solid fuel), thermal recycling, and recycling of PTP (press through pack) sheet scraps generated in the packaging process.

  In April 2022, the “Law Concerning the Promotion of Resource Recycling of Plastics ” was enforced in Japan, in response to the recent increase in the importance of controlling the use of plastic resources and resource recycling. Going forward, Eisai Co., Ltd. and the Eisai Group  in Japan will promote efforts to reduce the volume of waste plastic generated to less than 250 tons.

  In addition, we are promoting the use of paper waste by minimizing the use of office automation paper, digitizing stored documents, and promoting the sale of used paper as valuable resources.

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• • <Recycling of PTP Sheet Scraps>

• PTP sheets, mainly made from plastic and aluminum, are used for packaging of medicines. The manufacturing processes of the sheets generate plastic waste, including the sheet scraps. Eisai’s Kawashima Plant (Gifu Prefecture), has so far mainly employed thermal recycling (a method to collect and use thermal energy from waste incineration) systems to dispose of plastic waste.

• Meanwhile, Eisai was registered as a “Kakamigahara SDGs partner” in April 2024 for supporting the initiatives of Kakamigahara city, the home of the Kawashima Plant. As a partner company, Eisai will be working on reduction of CO₂ emitted from waste incineration by creating a recycling system for PTP sheet scraps, as well as creating a recycling-oriented society through promoting the use of various recycled plastic goods within the city with other partner corporations.

Data

Total waste generation was 5,836 tons (up 717 tons from the previous year). This was due to an increase in mixed sludge resulting from the disposal of product inventories (antibacterial sprays and antibacterial wet sheets) as the spread of COVID-19 infection subsided. In addition, waste oil and waste alkali increased at the Kawashima Plant as the injection agent line at the new injection agent building/research building (name: Eisai Medicine Innovation Technology Solutions) completed in 2022 went into full operation. In addition, asphalt and concrete debris were generated due to asphalt repair work, and other industrial waste increased.

The amount recycled was 1,258 tons (down 132 tons from the previous year) and the amount recycled including valuable sales was 3,664 tons (down 227 tons from the previous year), resulting in a recycling ratio of 21.5% (down 5.7% from the previous year) and a recycling ratio (including valuable sales) of 44.4% (down 6.7% from the previous year). The main reason was a change of waste disposal contractor, as the waste disposal contractor that could recycle the entire amount of waste had ceased operations.

As a result, the landfill volume was 155 tons (up 16 tons from the previous year), with a landfill ratio of 2.66% (down 0.06% from the previous year). Furthermore, efforts to reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated resulted in 264 tons (down 172 tons from the previous year).

In Japan, the landfill ratio was 0.23%, achieving zero emissions (Waste landfilled / Waste generated ratio < 0.5%) for the 16th consecutive year. The waste plastic recycling ratio (including valuable sales) was 88.9%, achieving the target of 80% or more for two consecutive years.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　

　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Onsite Inspections of Processing-Waste Companies