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Environmental Management Sustainability Report 2006 |
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Environmentally Friendly Manufacturing (2) |
To build a recycling-based society, the first priority is to reduce the generation of waste to the maximum extent. For waste whose generation cannot be prevented, it is important to recycle the waste to whatever degree possible. Kobe Steel is actively participating in the building of a recycling-based society. At works and plants, efforts are being made to reduce waste by increasing product yield and using waste plastic generated by society. |
Reducing the Volume of Waste and Promoting Recycling |
Kobe Steel has promoted the recycling of slag and steel dust generated in the steelmaking process. Since fiscal 1992, each location has drawn up a comprehensive action program for recycling waste and has been promoting waste reduction and recycling. As a result, the recycling rate in 2005 was 95.6% for all of Kobe Steel's works and plants, and 87.5% for 45 domestic companies in the Kobe Steel Group. In 2005 some of the dust that was stored for recycling purposes was difficult to recycle and was disposed. We will further suppress waste generation by developing new technologies for difficult-to-recycle waste. |
Volume of Waste, Recycled Volume & Recycling Rate (Non-consolidated) |
Voluntary Action Programs Voluntary Action Programs in Industry |
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Zero Emission Activities |
Since 1997, Kobe Steel has been promoting zero-waste emission activities to eliminate the final disposal volume of wastes at works and plants. |
Iron and Steel Sector | |
Recycling of waste materials At the Kakogawa Works we are aiming for a zero-emission plant. Efficient use is made of used refractories, waste oil, sludge and other byproducts. Dust is turned into cement material, and sludge with a low iron content is used for ornamental bricks. We have also developed a recycling technology for dust with high zinc content, which was previously difficult to recycle. At eco-stations, we collect and separate glass bottles, aluminum cans and other materials. |
Recycling Rate (Kakogawa Works) |
Slag Recycling Kobe and Kakogawa works generate approximately 2.18 million metric tons of blast furnace slag and approximately 960,000 metric tons of converter slag annually. Both blast furnace slag and converter slag are recycled into cement material, roadbed material and other uses. In particular, blast furnace cement made from powdered slag is more effective than regular cement in controlling the alkali-aggregate reaction. It can also save energy during cement production and emit less CO2. Customers highly value these qualities. Moreover, fine aggregate for concrete made by adjusting the particle size of granulated blast furnace slag is used as a substitute for natural sand, contributing to environmental protection. |
Granulated slag yard |
Production Flow for Fine Aggregate for Concrete from Blast Furnace Slag (Shinko Sand) | |||
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Examples of products made of Shinko Sand | |||
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Waste Plastic Recycling In addition, Kakogawa Works also accepts waste plastic collected not only in the works but also from outside in accordance with the Container and Packaging Recycling Law. Kakogawa uses the waste plastic as a reductant in the blast furnaces. Because chlorine deteriorates the blast-furnace refractory and corrodes steel, only low-chlorine waste plastic was used until recently. In April 2004, the first commercial dechlorination facility for removing chlorine in waste plastic was completed. The new facility makes it possible to use more than 75% of the waste plastic as a reductant. The chlorine removed is turned into hydrochloric acid, which is used in the pickling line. In fiscal 2005, Kakogawa Works recycled approximately 9,000 metric tons of waste plastic. |
Waste Plastic Disposal Flow |
Coal Ash and Sulfur Oxide Recycling Nearly all the coal ash generated from coal-fired boilers is recycled as cement material and composite roadbed material. Through a reaction with coal in the exhaust gas desulfurizer, the sulfur oxide in the exhaust combustion gas is utilized efficiently to make gypsum. |
Dust Recycling Dust generated at the steelworks is collected by dust collectors. Nearly all the dust is recycled. Low-zinc dust is used in sintering and pelletizing. High-zinc dust is turned into cement material. |
RPF Utilization At Kakogawa Works, RPF is used as fuel for the circulating fluidized bed boilers for power generation to reduce the amount of coal used. RPF (Refuse Paper & Plastic Fuel): Solid fuel consisting of used paper, waste plastic, and other materials. |
Fly ash recycling At Kakogawa Works, in order to utilize fly ash generated from the coal-fired boilers, pelletizing equipment, which makes steam-cultivated spherical pellets called ashstone, was installed. Currently, ashstone is utilized as a road material. In December 2005 ashstone was registered with the New Technology Information System (NETIS), a system for utilizing technologies in public works projects. |
Ashstone |
Welding Company | |
At Fujisawa Industrial Operations, waste materials are carefully separated for disposal and activities to recycle resources are also promoted. One example of this is sets of four containers "white, blue, yellow and orange" used for separating different types of waste paper. Sets are located in each workplace within the plant, and employees can see at a glance how to dispose of waste paper. The standardized approach means that employees can dispose of paper correctly and without confusion, wherever they go in the plant. The cost of waste disposal has been reduced as a result. | Refuse containers for separate waste collection |
Aluminum and Copper Company | |
The Moka Plant has installed two melting furnaces for scrap, improved the yield ratio during melting, and reduced the volume of impurities (aluminum dross) during aluminum melting. Furthermore, the plant operates two arc furnaces to improve the recovery rate of aluminum dross. The remaining ash, as a result of R&D efforts, is effectively recycled as cement material. Most of the residual from aluminum dross is no longer disposed as landfill, resulting in a recycling rate of 89.7% in fiscal 2005. Currently, Kobe Steel is promoting research and development to improve recycling efficiency. The Chofu Works also operates an arc furnace to strengthen its efforts in zero waste emission. It has a recycling rate of 99.5%. At the Daian Plant, waste plastic is segregated by quality and stored separately. The disposal system was changed from simple incineration to entrusting disposal to outside professionals who carry out thermal recycling. |
Changes in Resource Recovery Rate of Wastes (Moka Plant) |
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Filters Waste plastic for use in cement |
Measures Implemented by Group Companies |
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