While efforts toward limiting our environmental impact form a vital part of our ethical approach, it is first and foremost inherently linked to the core philosophy of our company and technology.
As a Japanese-owned company we have always operated with the mindsets of 5S – Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardise and Sustain – and also Muda.
Meaning “futility”, “uselessness”, or “wastefulness”, Muda requires us to optimise our use of resources (energy, materials and so on) while avoiding waste and over-consumption.
Our commitment in these areas extends to helping our customers to optimise their operations too – and this something we do consistently through our relentless drive for technological development and innovation.
When it comes to material handling technologies, we’ve always believed that the best performance is achieved through lighter, more compact and lower power systems. Our motorised drive roller (MDR) technologies typically consume 60% less energy than their standard external drive counterparts – while also saving costs elsewhere as the need for additional pneumatic systems, and for maintenance tasks such as greasing, is removed.
It goes without saying that all of our products comply with stringent international standards such as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) and ROHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances). Meanwhile our headquarters in Japan, where all of the mechanical and electronic components we use are manufactured, is certified to the globally recognised ISO14001 environmental standard.
Alongside this, we optimise our local and international supply chains by always seeking to use transport with lower CO2 emissions without compromising on delivery times. How do we achieve this? We work with only a limited number of suppliers, many of which are based in Japan. As a result, we are able to group international ocean freight shipments while holding a large “buffer” stock in Europe which minimises the need to use last-minute airfreight deliveries.
Meanwhile, initiatives to reduce net CO2 emissions at our European HQ in France continue to gather pace.
This autumn will see the opening of a new building whose roof will house no less than 161 410Wc solar panels. Between them, these panels will harness the natural heat of the sun to provide more than 70% of the electricity used at our French facility.
Moreover, in an effort to reduce energy consumption, all lights throughout the French HQ have also been replaced with low-energy LED alternatives, while colleagues are being trained to ensure they make the best possible use of heating and air conditioning systems.
And we operate a strict system of segregation of waste right across the facility to ensure as much of our used material as possible is recycled.
Being ethical as a business is an area where we never rest on our laurels – there is always more that can be done to ensure we are being the best we can when it comes to our overall impact on the world around us. We constantly review all of our processes and activities, and adopt and adapt them to help to create a positive impact and legacy for all of our stakeholders.