Abstracts of Magazine FUJITSU 2003-11 (VOL.54, NO.6)

Special Issue : Environmental Management

• Fujitsu's Concept of Environmental Management Strategy
  -Present State of the 3rd-Version Environmental Protection Program and Design of the 4th-Version Environmental Protection Program-

Since environmental activities have become important factors in business management, enterprises are implementing environmental management to conduct environmental activities within the framework of business activities. The Fujitsu Group has formed the structural basis for environmental management by constructing an environmental management system, introducing environmental accounting, and preparing and distributing environmental management reports. The Fujitsu Group has also achieved successful environmental results, for example, we have developed green products, promoted green procurement, and achieved zero emission of waste, which were the targets set by the 3rd-Version Environmental Protection Program. This paper outlines the environmental management that the Fujitsu Group is conducting to comply with the increasingly diversifying Japanese and international regulations concerning environmental activities. Specifically, it describes the present state of the implementation of our 3rd-Version Environmental Protection Program, which will be completed at the end of fiscal 2003, and our approach to drawing up the 4th-Version Environmental Protection Program for fiscal 2004 to 2006.

• Fujitsu's Sustainability Activities

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has lately become an important topic in three key areas: the handling of environmental issues; improving management performance; and responding to customers, employees, and local communities. These three areas, referred to at Fujitsu as the Environment, Economy, and Society areas, are the three pillars that support our corporate sustainability. In 2002, Fujitsu revised every aspect of Fujitsu's Commitment to the Environment and established the Fujitsu Group Environmental Policy. In the policy, we recognize that as a major IT corporation, we have a responsibility to promote environmental protection activities and use technology and creativity to achieve sustainable development. In this paper, we describe the background and targets of Fujitsu's sustainability activities and summarize our Environment, Economy, and Society activities.

• Introduction and Utilization of Environmental Accounting

With the growing awareness of the importance of environmental management, environmental accounting has been advocated as an operational tool along with ISO14001 (Environmental Management Systems) and the environmental report. The Ministry of the Environment published environmental accounting guidelines in May 2000. However, as early as 1998, Fujitsu introduced environmental accounting based on an original method of evaluation and utilization to determine the environmental costs and benefits of Fujitsu's activities in that fiscal year. Fujitsu started environmental accounting and released the results ahead of competing companies because it recognized the importance of showing the company's attitude toward environmental protection by disclosing environmental information. Fujitsu is striving to stimulate environmental protection activities through internal use of data collected about environmental costs and benefits. The environmental accounting introduced by Fujitsu has now developed into a more effective environmental management tool; it is still based on its original concept of internal corporate use, but it also conforms to the core elements of the ministry guidelines. This paper describes the changes that have occurred since Fujitsu started performing environmental accounting.

• Application of Biodegradable Plastics to Laptop PC Housings

Recent laws passed in Japan require the manufacturers of electric appliances and electronic equipment such as personal computers to protect the environment. Computer manufacturers have aggressively been constructing recycling systems for the housings of laptop personal computers (PCs), which are made of magnesium alloys and plastics. However, they have found it difficult to eliminate leakage and waste from their recycling systems. Moreover, the plastics conventionally used for housing parts are made from petroleum oil, and it is necessary to develop alternate materials in order to reduce oil consumption. To resolve these issues and reduce the environmental burden due to PC housings and their production, Fujitsu has investigated the use of polylactic acid (PLA), which is derived from corn and other vegetables, as a material for housing parts. PLA is biodegradable, so if a part made from PLA is buried in the ground, it will be degraded by microorganisms. Also, if a part is burnt, it will not produce toxic gases. Fujitsu has optimized the composition of PLA and developed the world's first PC housing parts made from a biodegradable material. This paper describes the features of PLA and biodegradable plastics and the PC housing parts we have made from the newly developed PLA material.

• Recycling Technology for Magnesium Alloy Housings

Magnesium (Mg) alloy housings, which are light, strong, and very good conductors of heat, are used in a wide range of information technology devices, especially notebook PCs. To conserve resources and protect the environment, both the material wasted in the molding process and the Mg alloy housings of discarded notebook PCs should be recycled. Fujitsu has recycled the material wasted in the molding process since 1999. On the other hand, the Mg alloy housings of discarded notebook PCs have rarely been recycled because they are usually coated with paint. We have therefore established a technology that produces recycled Mg alloys with the same performance as virgin material and generates only very low levels of gas and dust. The technology involves removing the coatings in a solution and then re-melting the Mg alloy and adjusting its composition. We conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) of Mg alloy housings to quantify the environmental impact of our recycling process. The results indicated that the process can reduce CO₂ emissions by 80 percent.

• Technology for Recycling ABS Resin Housings of Personal Computers

The Law Concerning the Promotion of the Effective Use of Resources, which was enforced to promote a recycling-oriented society, obliges personal computer manufacturers to recover and recycle used products. However, there are wide variations in the quality and supply of the resin housings of used personal computers. As a result, it has been difficult to process the material recovered from these housings so it can be used to make new housings. To solve this problem, Fujitsu has developed a semi-closed recycling system that combines open recycling and closed recycling systems. This system processes resin housings that are separated from recovered products to make closed-recycled materials. The system then blends these materials with primary materials and open-recycled materials supplied by resin makers to make materials suitable for new housing. This system therefore overcomes the problems associated with quality and supply fluctuations. This new technology enables us to obtain recycled materials whose physical properties are equivalent to those of primary materials and use them in new products. This paper describes this new technology.

• Green Chemistry and ADMEWORKS

Chemical compounds are essential in sustaining human life. Certain compounds may become environmental pollutants, however, should a wrong step be taken. To minimize this risk, governments strictly regulate the commercial production of chemical compounds. Along with the rapid development of today's modern civilization, the growing number of new chemical compounds being created is augmenting governmental restrictions in every country. Greater environmental awareness is also prompting companies to alter conventional production-oriented strategy toward new policies with environmental protection in mind. Stricter regulations have also been gradually enacted to address the growing number of regulatory items and types. One approach toward moving beyond the status quo - the application of computer-aided Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) - has been internationally reviewed. This paper briefly summarizes the basic principle of the QSAR-based method of predicting the toxicity of chemical compounds. It also describes ADMEWORKS, the chemical compound toxicity prediction system developed by Fujitsu and its subsidiary, Fujitsu Kyushu System Engineering Ltd., and offers suggestions for achieving preproduction measures, the ultimate goal of "Green Chemistry."

• Participation in EcoLeaf Environmental Labeling Program

Industries and consumers alike are beginning to pay attention to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which quantitatively describes the environmental impact of products. LCA evaluates the environmental impact of products at various stages, from the extraction of raw materials to production, distribution, use, disposal, and recycling, and indicates results quantitatively. Although such programs as Eco Mark that label products as environmentally safe do exist in Japan, the Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry (JEMAI) has developed a new Eco-label that quantitatively shows the environmental impact of a given product. The new EcoLeaf Environmental Labeling Program is based on the LCA method. This paper introduces EcoLeaf, gives an example of applying EcoLeaf to a notebook computer, then finally describes a system constructed to create EcoLeaf labels.

• Promotion of Green Procurement

As we enter the 21st century, it has become essential that companies not only comply with legal regulations, but also promote in-company environmental protection activities that fit the characteristics of their business. Today, it is becoming increasingly important to consider how we can save resources, reduce waste, and conserve energy when we make products and provide services. The Fujitsu Group advocates "Promotion of Green Procurement" as one of the objectives in the 3rd-Version Environmental Protection Program for the period 2001 to 2003 and has promoted it together with suppliers. Recently, there has been an urgent need for environmental-protection-oriented products (green products), and the importance of green procurement is increasing. In this paper, the general image of Fujitsu Group green procurement activities and their progress are presented.

• Construction of Fujitsu's Global Recycle Network

Fujitsu Limited established the Fujitsu Recycle System (FRS) as the first nationwide recycling system in the industry in 1997 and has taken the initiative in recovering and recycling used information technology (IT) products. In December 2002, Fujitsu also began considering the construction of a recycling system in Europe and has made preparations with Fujitsu Group companies in Europe to complete this system by March 2005 in order to comply with the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), which became effective in February 2003. Under these circumstances, Fujitsu began constructing a global recycling network to recycle used IT products as resources so that the entire Fujitsu Group can exercise extended producer responsibility on a global scale. Moreover, Fujitsu intends to expand its global recycling network to North America, China, and Southeast Asia by the end of March 2007 and has investigated the current state of affairs and tasks regarding the recycling of used IT products in these regions. This paper describes the global recycling network now being built.

• Green Process Activity

Fujitsu is the first in the industry to implement a "Green Process Activity", in which each production line of a manufacturing process is reviewed to reduce the amounts of resources and energy that are used and thereby reduce the environmental load. In addition to promoting plans to reduce emissions, our Green Process Activity will re-examine our manufacturing activities with the goal of reducing the amounts of raw materials, fuel oil, and electricity that we use. During the development of this Green Process Activity, we designed cost table, environmental impact, and cost green (CG) indexes so we could define the priority levels and the effects of achieving our target reductions. The Green Process Activity was completed in March 2003 after trials at Fujitsu's semiconductor plant in Mie Prefecture. This paper outlines this Green Process Activity.

• Zero Emission of Waste

Fujitsu group companies have aggressively engaged in activities to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste as part of early efforts to promote the recycling of resources in a society with greater awareness of this need. Moreover, individual employees have also taken a responsible approach to environmental protection activities, including the separation of trash and waste for collection. In March 2003, these efforts culminated in achieving zero emission of waste (including that related to vital functions) at 13 business sites in Japan that include all manufacturing plants and main development bases of Fujitsu. This paper describes a case example of these activities at Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd. (Atsugi area) that handles and recycles large quantities of various waste chemicals. Fujitsu Laboratories has achieved zero emission of waste by using its original systems to manage chemicals and waste, and a new method of treatment to recycle waste chemicals as raw materials for iron and cement materials.

• Approach to Energy Conservation
  -Stable Supply of Electric Power by Introducing NAS Battery System-

There is a growing demand for a stable supply of electric power needed for continuous operation in the full-scale mass production of semiconductor memory devices. Bad weather in recent years has had an adverse affect on the supply of electric power. In particular, the Akiruno Technology Center, operating as a state-of-the-art semiconductor development and experimental mass-production site, suffered frequent occurrences of momentary voltage loss (instantaneous drop) due to thunder in fiscal year 2001. These circumstances dictated a drastic review of countermeasures for handling momentary voltage loss to ensure continuous, stable operation. As a company also concerned with society, Fujitsu must ensure that its equipment is safe and environmentally friendly, and consider measures for conserving energy. This paper describes the background of the NAS battery system, being installed here for the first time in Japan, as a countermeasure for handling momentary voltage loss. This paper also describes semiconductor manufacturing and momentary voltage loss countermeasures, provides an outline of the NAS battery system, and introduces safety countermeasures, the effects of installing the NAS battery system, effects on society, and standardization.

• Environmental Load Reduction in Physical Distribution

Fujitsu Logistics Limited has assumed responsibility for the physical distribution operations of the Fujitsu Group. This company has taken various measures using original technology and devices to reduce the environmental load in every process of physical distribution. Physical distribution begins with a packing plan to safely deliver manufactured products to customers. It includes various subsequent processes, such as warehousing, storage, and retrieval at distribution centers; transportation; delivery; and recovery, recycling, and disposal of used products. Fujitsu Logistics has committed itself to safe, high-quality, and low-cost execution of all physical distribution processes. It has also committed itself to its social obligation to supervise all operations up to the final process in order to prevent illegal dumping of recovered waste. To perform this mission, Fujitsu Logistics is promoting the necessary company-wide activities and constantly investigating how it can contribute to a recycling-oriented society and environment protection. This paper describes how Fujitsu Logistics is performing these physical distribution operations, especially in processes such as packing, product warehousing, product retrieval, transportation, delivery, and distribution of recovered products.

• IT and Environmental Burden Evaluation Technology

Can the information technology (IT) of software services reduce CO₂ emissions, which are the principal cause of global warming? Examples of how information technology can reduce CO₂ emissions are music distribution services and digital trading over the Internet. Music distribution services enhance dematerialization due to the exchange in digital data, and digital trading reduces energy consumption by accelerating the shift from retail stores to virtual stores and simplifying intermediate logistics. On the other hand, the trend towards increased total energy consumption by information products such as personal computers will result in a CO₂ increase. Therefore, both the positive and negative effects of IT on CO₂ emissions should be considered. This paper illustrates two case studies describing how much Fujitsu's IT systems reduced the environmental burden in terms of resource and energy consumption. It also describes technology for evaluating the environmental burden when introducing software services.

• IT Applications in Global Environment Observation Using Light and Radio Waves

Recently, there has been rising concern about global-scale environmental problems such as global warming, ozone-layer depletion, acid rain, and marine pollution. To understand and resolve these problems, the Communications Research Laboratory (CRL), an independent administrative corporation, has developed a remote environment-sensing system. The system uses light and radio waves to monitor the environment and uses information technology (IT) to make effective use of the environmental data it generates. The system has been in operation since 1999 and has already produced significant results. The authors have been participating in environmental studies at CRL since 1998 and have helped process global environment observation data and construct experimental systems using a high-speed network. This paper describes some applications of IT technology in global environment observation and the use of environmental data. First, we describe air quality measurements that are conducted in the Arctic region. Then, we describe the configuration and base technology of a system for measuring minor constituents of the atmosphere by using submillimeter radar from a satellite station.

• Fujitsu's Reforestation Activities Outside of Japan

Since its founding in 1935, the Fujitsu Group has incorporated gardenlike styles in the designs of its plants and has energetically promoted greening activities at the offices and plants of its member companies. This tradition has been handed down by employees and has given rise to a project to replant forests both in and outside of Japan. This project is based on the philosophy of "Biodiversity greening," which aims at symbiosis with the ecosystem. The reforestation project was implemented under the joint auspices of the Fujitsu Group and the Fujitsu Labor Union, and many volunteers from Japanese and affiliated local companies have participated in it. Over the last several years, the project has been replanting forests in Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia, where Fujitsu's plants are located and the destruction of rainforests is a serious problem. The reforestation project has recently taken on larger areas. For example, the Eco Forest Park in Malaysia was constructed in cooperation with the local government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This park is now being used effectively for environmental learning and eco-tourism.

• Fujitsu Group Activities to Contribute Environmentally to Society

The role a company should play as a member of society is now being viewed in terms of the following: "A company is a member of society, and as such it cannot exist if it disregards its relationship with society" (excerpt taken from the 15th Company White Paper of KEIZAI DOYUKAI [Japan Association of Corporate Executives] in March 2003). In addition to its management activities, the Fujitsu Group has been actively involved in philanthropic activities intended to reduce the environmental impact of corporate activities. The employees, company sites and offices, and group companies are the main contributors to environmental protection on behalf of society. This paper describes the concept of "Fujitsu Group Activities to Contribute Environmentally to Society," gives examples of these activities, and introduces the structure for promoting employee activities and a system for honoring these activities.

• Use of PRIMEPOWER HPC for Numerical Simulator III by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Since 1987, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has studied and operated numerical simulators using core supercomputers, and developed and expanded numerical simulation technology as typified in computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In October 2002, the laboratory began operating the third-generation numerical simulator (Numerical Simulator III), which incorporates Fujitsu's PRIMEPOWER HPC2500 as the core computer. Numerical Simulator III consists of three components: Central Numerical Simulation System (CeNSS), Central Mass Storage System (CeMSS), and Central Visualization System (CeViS), and features large-scale SMP system capabilities, outstanding scientific and technological computation performance, large-capacity, high-speed storage, and high-speed real-time visualization. This paper describes an overview and the features of Numerical Simulator III.