Materiality 3
Promotion of environmentally conscious business
Basic policy
To prevent its business expansion from increasing environmental impact not only within the Company but also throughout the entire supply chain including suppliers, NITORI Group strives to be environmentally conscious at all times by saving resources and energy. In addition, we aim to promote initiatives that conserve and improve the environment through business and to contribute to the creation of a better environment.
- Related policies and data[
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- Response to climate change
- Effective use of resources
- Energy use
- Prevention of air and water pollution
- CO2 emissions from NITORI Group’s domestic operations
- Energy use in NITORI Group’s domestic operations
- Amount of waste from NITORI Group’s domestic operations
NITORI’s environmentally conscious manufacturing
Under the slogan of “Good for the future. Good for everyone,” NITORI Group develops products that are made through environmentally friendly initiatives in each process of manufacturing, transportation, and use, positioning them as “Nitori’s ecology.” When manufacturing, we use recycled materials and protect finite resources. For transportation, we reduce packing size and cut CO2 emissions. We develop functions that link product use with energy saving. As NITORI Group is involved in all processes from the upstream to the downstream, the Group takes responsibility not only as the seller but also as the manufacturer and sets its own environmental standards. We will continue to expand environmentally friendly products that meet the “Nitori’s ecology” standards.
Contribution to environmental
preservation and recyclingoriented society with effective
use of resources and recycling
Making full use of finite resources, without wasting
We, a company involved in all processes from manufacturing to sales, consider it a corporate responsibility and an important mission to recognize the finite nature of resources, especially timber, and to be conscious of the ustainability of resources. Making full use of resources, without wasting, and promoting recycling are directly linked to reduction in the amounts of resource use and waste in the product life cycle, in addition to lower product prices from cutting manufacturing costs. In addition, we not only ensure comprehensive quality control in the product manufacturing process but also work to protect the environment by preventing and reducing air and water pollution, as well as thoroughly controlling chemical substances.
Examples of NITORI Group’s initiatives (linked to SDGs)
～ Recycling and effective use of resources ～
Manufacturing carpets and rugs with recycled plastic bottles
SIAM NITORI, a Group company which runs its own factory in Thailand, is the sole factory using special technology to manufacture carpets and rugs with recycled polyester made from plastic bottles and supplying them to Japan. One carpet approximately 10m2 in size, can be made with recycled polyester extracted from approximately a hundred 500ml plastic bottles. The factory recycles approximately 100 million plastic bottles a year. Approximately 3,750,000m2 (equivalent to 80 Tokyo Domes) of carpets are manufactured from those plastic bottles. In the manufacturing process, a coloring method that does not produce sewage is adopted. The business is thus conducted in an environmentally conscious manner. This initiative also contributes to reduction in the use of finite resources, such as fossil fuels, because synthetic fiber derived from petroleum, which is typically needed in manufacturing carpets and rugs, is not used. While the use of recycled materials normally increases costs and selling prices, NITORI Group manufactures affordable, high-quality products with its unique technology, implementing radical cost reduction strategies. In the future, we will expand the use of recycled fiber in products other than carpets, and promote initiatives for further reduction in environmental impact toward a creation of a recyclingoriented society.
Related video: “We make carpets from plastic bottles” (NITORI’s official YouTube channel)
Effective use of resources
As a manufacturer and seller of a variety of products that use timber and other kinds of natural resources, it is essential for us to reduce the use of those resources and work on cost reduction and environmental conservation. NITORI FURNITURE, an overseas factory that mainly manufactures furniture, recycles almost all scrap timber, which is normally disposed of, and use it as raw materials for products. Also, in polyurethane manufacturing, almost all scraps from the sofa and mattress manufacturing process are recycled, and made into recycled polyurethane. By making full use of limited resources and reducing waste to the minimum, we not only cut raw material costs but also the amount of waste incinerated and contribute to the reduction in CO2 emissions.
Reducing plastic waste by changing cushioning materials for packaging
Cushioning materials for packaging protect products from impact during transportation and delivery and maintain the quality. By replacing polystyrene (plastic) cushioning materials, used mainly for furniture, with recyclable cushioning materials made from paper, NITORI Group reduced the amount of annual polystyrene (plastic) waste from stores and delivery centers by approximately 78%. This also leads to reduction in plastic waste after purchase.
Reduction of CO2 emissions and realization of comfortable workplace by improving business productivity, such as transportation efficiency
NITORI Group’s promotion of environmentally friendly business to mitigate climate change
Climate change due to global warming may cause enormous damage to the manufacturing and logistics operations. Abnormal weather, such as heavy rainfalls and large typhoons, has a serious impact on the management resources that are essential for a company to carry out business activities, and its influence extends throughout the entire supply chain. We recognize a range of business continuity risks caused by climate change and strive to improve efficiency and consider total optimization at all stages of our supply chain, thereby reducing CO2 emissions and mitigating the impact of climate change. We also recognize the finite nature of energy essential for our business activities, and work to improve efficiency of and reduce energy use, throughout the entire supply chain.
Related data: Home Logistics Co., Ltd.(Japanese language only)
NITORI Group’s promotion of environmentally friendly business to mitigate climate change
Climate change due to global warming may cause enormous damage to the manufacturing and logistics operations. Abnormal weather, such as heavy rainfalls and large typhoons, has a serious impact on the management resources that are essential for a company to carry out business activities, and its influence extends throughout the entire supply chain. We recognize a range of business continuity risks caused by climate change and strive to improve efficiency and consider total optimization at all stages of our supply chain, thereby reducing CO2 emissions and mitigating the impact of climate change. We also recognize the finite nature of energy essential for our business activities, and work to improve efficiency of and reduce energy use, throughout the entire supply chain.
Examples of NITORI Group’s initiatives (linked to SDGs)
～ Environmental impact reduction with enhanced transportation efficiency ～
CO2 reduction with downsizing of product packaging
By eliminating waste and improving efficiency in all scenes of the distribution process, including trade, transportation, and shipping, we work to achieve environmentally friendly “Green Logistics.” We proceed with downsizing of product packaging and expansion of the product composition ratio of assembled furniture to increase the number of products that can be loaded per container and per truck, which leads to reduction of CO2 emissions in the distribution process. For example, compressing the packing size of mattresses to approximately 25% enhances container and truck loading efficiency and reduces the number of containers and trucks necessary for the transportation of products. As a result of the expansion of types of mattresses to which NITORI Group’s unique compressing technology is applied, as well as the increase in their unit sales, CO2 emissions in fiscal 2020 decreased by approximately 3,087t. The Group works to create further economic and environmental value by integrating manufacturing and logistics and pursue overall optimization.
Related topic:Take home on the day of purchase × Reduce CO2 emissions
Improvement of work environment and reduction of CO2 emissions with introduction of swap body containers
In recent years, long working hours, as well as driver shortages due to aging population, has been a social issue. We recognize that this as an important business continuity issue for Home Logistics Co., Ltd., which is in charge of NITORI Group’s logistics. As a solution to the issue, we introduced swap body containers, which make it possible to separate the truck bed from the body. Warehouse workers, instead of drivers, being able to load and unload trucks has reduced the burden of loading and unloading, which had been the most burdensome part of work for drivers. In addition, the initiative has improved work environments and workstyles by shortening the distance and hours one driver runs continually in long-distance truck transportation. Taking advantage of swap body containers, three companies from different industries launched a joint transportation project, thereby reducing, throughout the domestic logistics business, air transportation and burden on drivers. The project reduced the number of trucks operated by 50%, annual CO2 emissions by approximately 880t, and the time drivers spent on loading and unloading by 12,450 hours annually. In recognition of the achievement, the MLIT Minister’s Award was given jointly to the three companies in the Green Logistics Partnership Conference commendation ceremony, held in December 2020.
Optimization of domestic distribution center network
We are planning to set up eight of our own new distribution centers across Japan by 2025. We are expecting to reduce the number of times and the distance products travel between distribution centers and facilitate smooth flow of goods. It contributes not only to speedy delivery of products to customers, but also to reduction in logistics costs, improvement in employee work environment, and reduction in environmental impact (CO2 emissions).
Expansion of container round use
By expanding container round use, which is an initiative to use imported containers after packages are unloaded in exports thereafter, an annual total of more than 3,200 containers were used more effectively throughout fiscal 2020. Through this, the annual volume of CO2 emissions was reduced by 103t.
