Establishment of a Recycling-Oriented Society

Policy and Basic Concept

As a global healthcare company, the Eisai Group has established the ENW (Eisai Network Companies) Environmental Protection Policy and conducts business activities with an emphasis on global environmental protection. It is stated in our Action Guidelines that we will “4. Contribute to the formation of a recycling-oriented society by promoting the sustainable use of resources, including water, along with waste reduction and recycling” and as such, we are promoting proper disposal of waste and resource recycling initiatives, including water, on a global scale.

Initiatives for Proper Waste Disposal and Resource Recycling

The Eisai Group in Japan is working to reduce the ratio of landfill waste to the amount of waste generated to 0.5% or less to achieve zero emissions in waste management with three goals in mind, i.e. to reduce the amount of waste generated, to increase the ratio of recycled waste, and to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.  

Effective Use of Water Resources

To secure sufficient water resources is absolutely essential for the production of high-quality pharmaceuticals, and the Eisai Group is working to ensure the quality of water discharged from its production and research sites and also implementing initiatives to reduce water consumption.

Targets and Actions

Initiatives for Proper Waste Disposal and Resource Recycling

As for zero emissions (the ratio of landfill volume to the volume of waste generated), as our previous zero emission target of 1% or less has been achieved continuously since fiscal 2008, the target was raised to 0.5% or less in fiscal 2021. We have also set the target of recycling 50% or more of our waste, including valuable waste. In particular, we aim to achieve the target of recycling 80% or more of our plastic waste, taking into account the problem of marine plastics.

Effective Use of Water Resources

As a midterm goal, the Eisai Group as a whole has set a target to reduce water consumption by 7% (intensity per sales) from the fiscal 2023 level by fiscal 2030, and is encouraging the efficient use of water resources, including the recycling of waste water from research facilities and rainwater harvesting. Furthermore, we have set mid-term goal of maintaining zero violations of laws by fiscal 2030 in compliance with wastewaterrelated environmental standards of each country, and we maintain high-quality wastewater treatment to contribute to preservation of water quality.

Structures and Systems

Under the supervision of the Board of Directors, the Eisai Group has established the Company-wide Environment and Safety Committee chaired by the Corporate Officer responsible for Environmental and Safety Affairs. The Committee deliberates and makes decisions on important agenda items related to environmental safety. In addition to promoting global activities such as reduction of GHG emissions and efficient use of resources, the Committee contributes to the strengthening of activities to identify environmental risks in Japan and overseas and establish countermeasures to address these risks. Important environmental issues related to the entire Eisai Group that are discussed by the Committee are reported to the Executive Committee, the highest decision-making body of the business execution departments, for deliberation, resolution, and implementation. Resolutions of the Companywide Environment and Safety Committee are shared with the Eisai Group companies in Japan and overseas at meetings of the Domestic Eisai Network Environment and Safety Conference and Global Eisai Carbon Neutrality Information Sharing Meeting, and the Group work together in addressing these issues.

Each operational site has established its own environmental management system and promotes environmental activities. The main production sites in Japan as well as the Suzhou Plant in China and Vizag Site in India have all obtained ISO 14001 certification and are conducting activities in accordance with the ISO standards, while also striving to raise environmental awareness through activities such as facilitating environmental education and training to address environmental risks. In addition to complying with environmental laws, ordinances and agreements, we periodically conduct internal environmental audits by a department specializing in internal auditing to identify and resolve issues.

Structure to Promote Environmental Management

Operational Sites Certified under ISO 14001

  • Kawashima Plant and Kashima Plant, Eisai Co., Ltd.
  • Fukushima Plant, EA Pharma Co., Ltd.
  • Suzhou Plant, Eisai China Inc.
  • Vizag Site, Eisai Pharmaceuticals India Pvt. Ltd.

Initiatives

Initiatives for Proper Waste Disposal and Resource Recycling

The Eisai Group in Japan has set the goal of “reducing the amount of waste generated, improving the recycling rate, and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills.
The breakdown of waste shows an increase in alkali waste due to the manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) for anti-ulcerogenic drugs. Another factor contributing to the increase in waste generated was the change in counting septic tank sludge as general waste beginning fiscal 2022. On the other hand, plastic and metal waste decreased after the completion of the head office renovation.
With regard to recycling, we actively promoted the selection of waste disposal contractors that are more willing to thoroughly separate waste and recycle resources, the reuse of organic solvents for purposes such as in chemical synthesis of APIs, and the sale of waste solvents for use as auxiliary fuel. In particular, plastic waste was either thermally recycled or recycled into raw materials for Refuse Paper and Plastic fuel (RPF). As a result, the volume of plastics recycled by the Eisai Group in Japan increased by 25 tons from the previous year, and the recycling rate reached 90.5%, achieving our target. Regarding paper waste, the use of paper in our offices is also kept to the minimum necessary. In addition to promoting paperless operations, such as digitization of archived documents, we also encourage the sale of used paper.
The Eisai Group will continue to dispose of waste appropriately in compliance with relevant laws and regulations, and further promote waste reduction and recycling based on the efficient use of resources, thereby contributing to the formation of a recyclingoriented society.

Effective Use of Water Resources

The Eisai Group reviewed the water withdrawal in areas experiencing water stress, utilizing the “Think Hazard” database and the World Resources Institute (WRI) Aqueduct. In addition, the Group conducted an awareness survey of its plants and laboratories based on a mid-term forecast of our business activities. As a result, no water withdrawal was identified in areas currently considered high-risk. Meanwhile, as a midterm goal, the Eisai Group as a whole has set a target to reduce water consumption by 7% (intensity per sales) from the fiscal 2023 level by fiscal 2030, and is encouraging the efficient use of water resources, including the recycling of waste water from research facilities and rainwater harvesting. Furthermore, we have set mid-term goal of maintaining zero violations of laws by fiscal 2030 in compliance with wastewaterrelated environmental standards of each country, and we maintain high-quality wastewater treatment to contribute to preservation of water quality.

Data

Initiatives for Proper Waste Disposal and Resource Recycling

In fiscal 2021, a relatively large volume of plastic and metal waste was generated as a result of office renovations at the head office building. The volume of the waste returned to normal levels in fiscal 2022, with the total waste generated decreasing by 156 tons from the previous fiscal year. The volume of recycled materials and the volume of recycled valuable materials decreased by 516 tons and 444 tons, respectively, from the previous fiscal year. The recycling rate excluding valuable materials was 25.3%, down 10.8% from the previous fiscal year, and the recycling rate including valuable materials was 45.5%, down 6.9% from the previous fiscal year, falling short of the target. Landfill volume was 13.0 tons, an increase of 1.6 tons from the previous fiscal year due to an increase in product disposal, but the landfill rate was 0.31%, achieving zero emissions for the 16th consecutive year.

                                                            *Including thermal recycling

Effective Use of Water Resources

CDP Water Security Report 2023

CDP is an international NGO that evaluates the “efforts of companies related to environmental risks” (climate change, water security, forests) and discloses the information at the request of institutional investors around the world. Since 2021, the Eisai Group has responded to the CDP Water Security Report. In the CDP Water Security Report 2023, we received a score of A- (the second highest on an 8-rank scale from A, A-, etc., to D and D-).