Hoya actively engages in environmental preservation efforts as part of its corporate social responsibility in order to pass on to future generations a global environment in better shape than today.

Environmental Management System

Hoya's environmental protection activities got underway in 1976 with the establishment of pollution countermeasure committees at each facility. In 1993, the Group drew up its Environmental Philosophy and a set of Fundamental Environmental Principles. The next step came in 1996 with the formulation of the Group Environmental Management Regulation, on which Hoya's environmental protection system is based. The Conference of the Environmental Office, the most senior body of the system and responsible for all environmental decisions, was headed up by the Company's chief executive officer.

However, in October 2008 the Company merged its environmental protection and occupational safety and health systems, abolishing both the environmental Management Regulation and the Conference of the Environmental Office. Environmental protection activities are now carried out under a new system headed up by the Hoya Group Director for Environmental Protection, Occupational Safety and Health.

Hoya Group Environmental and Occupational Safety and Health
(OSH) Organization

At the end of March 31, 2010, the Company issued a Hoya Group Facility Standard for Environmental Protection to set forth the basic specifications of environmental facilities the Group installs to protect the environment against harmful impact both inside and outside its premises. The standards established a framework for taking internal and external environmental impacts into consideration from the design stages of the environmental facilities the Hoya Group installs.

Examples of Activities Aimed at Reducing Environmental Impact

Based on the Environmental Philosophy and Fundamental Environmental Principles, Hoya is promoting activities aimed at reducing environmental impact.

Energy Conservation Measures

Amendments to Japan's Act on the Rational Use of Energy required a response from Hoya as a corporate entity.

Responding to the amended Act was an important component of the Hoya Group environmental protection initiatives in fiscal 2011. The Company gave a briefing on the Act’s key amendments to the officers and employees in charge of environmental protection at each division to make the details widely known. The amendments required Hoya to keep track of the energy the Group consumed not only at the level of manufacturing bases, but down at the level of individual sales operations and stores. Most of the energy the Hoya Group consumes is electricity. In preparing to adapt to the amended Act, the group developed a framework for a detailed account of the power each facility consumed in fiscal 2010, based on data from electricity bills and other resources. In fiscal 2011, a system to effectively monitor power consumption was introduced, and the reports the system generated, stipulated by the amended Act, were duly submitted to the relevant government ministries and agencies.

Replacement of Transformers at Power Intake Facilities

Transformers at the power intake facility at one of Hoya’s factories in Koka, Shiga Prefecture were replaced for renewal with the most efficient, state-of-the-art model. This measure had the impact of reducing power consumption 34,588 kWh per year, equivalent to a reduction in CO₂ emission of 12 tons annually. The old transformers were disposed after they were properly inspected to contain no PCB. These measures were duly recorded in the aforementioned reports stipulated in the amended Act.

Energy Efficient Lighting Fixtures

The Hoya Group’s factories, buildings and offices have also been re-equipped in stages with energy efficient lighting fixtures.

A Hoya Group factory in Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture, for example, completely re-equipped with energy efficient lighting fixtures in March 2011 is projected to consume 3.2% less power for lighting in fiscal 2012.

As an additional measure, the factory’s vending machines are scheduled to be replaced with energy-efficient models.

Measures to Prevent Water Pollution

Replacement of Old and Worn Out Feed Pipes for Chemical Agents in Waste Water Treatment Facilities

Chemical agents had begun to crystallize inside the aging feeder pipes to a waste water treatment facility in Hoya’s factory in Koka, Shiga Prefecture. As it was conceivable for the pipes to clog and affect the treatment of waste water, steps were taken to prevent an environmental accident beforehand. Together with renovating the water treatment facility, the polyvinyl chloride feeder pipes were replaced with hard vinyl chloride more resistant to rupturing under impact, insulated to prevent freezing in the winter and equipped with a dedicated valve for flushing out clogs.

Activities to Increase Waste Recycling

Recycling Empty Contact Lens Containers

A letter of appreciation from Japan Eye Bank Association

Disposable lenses are the most popular contact lens product at the Eye City contact lens specialty chain operated by the Eye Care Division. In fiscal 2010, Hoya began the Eye City ECO Project, in which all 184 stores collect empty cases from customers' used lenses for recycling. The empty plastic cases collected from around the country were then sold to a manufacturer of recycled products, and the proceeds were donated, with a matching contribution from Hoya, to the Japan Eye Bank Association.

In the first half of fiscal 2011, the Hoya group donated ¥306,000 in proceeds from recycling and matched contributions to the Japan Eye Bank Association.

The weight in empty contact lenses cases recovered, including those disposed at the Kodama factory, amounted to 19,564 kilograms counting the second half, for all of fiscal 2011. Incinerating such a volume in empty cases would have released 61.6 tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere. The woodlands needed to absorb that amount of atmospheric CO₂ would amount to 4.85 hectares, a space more expansive than the Tokyo Dome baseball stadium.

As part of recycling activities, Hoya separates and collects the aluminum seals to the empty plastic cases for sale to manufacturers of recycled products as well.

Measures to Handle Waste Containing Asbestos

Asbestos is categorized into three levels from 1 to 3 in descending danger of scattering into the air. Level 1 includes sprayed asbestos coatings, while level 2 includes asbestos used as pipe insulation and level 3 includes asbestos roofing and exterior boards.

The Hoya Group has removed all level 1 asbestos most at risk of scattering into the air from its premises. All matter of level 2 asbestos accessible for removal has been removed as well. Level 3 asbestos boards have been placed under strict control to prevent breaking and scattering, and the plan is to remove them in stages and bring the risk of their fibers scattering to the air closer to zero.

Introduction of Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001 Certification)

In October 1996, Hoya proclaimed the introduction of ISO 14001 environmental management systems. In December 1997, HOYA LENS DEUTSCHLAND GmbH became the first Group company to achieve certification.

Since then, Hoya has been introducing ISO 14001 environmental management systems both in Japan and overseas, with focus on production facilities. Group-wide, a total of 42 sites (10 domestic sites and 32 overseas sites, as of March 31, 2011) were certified under ISO 14001 standards.