Sustainability | EnvironmentEffective Use of Resources

Our Approach

Amid the need to shift to a circular society, from the perspective of the effective use of limited resources, TDK achieved its own standard of zero emission* in fiscal 2007 and, since then, has maintained this level and promoted initiatives to curb the discharge of waste itself. In addition, TDK makes regular visits to recycle businesses to check that recycling is being conducted properly.

• At TDK, zero emission is defined as not processing any waste discharged from business sites by simple incineration treatments or placing it into landfills and eventually recycling 100% of resources (excluding items that cannot be recycled alone due to legal restrictions).

Goals and Achievements

• *The figures have been corrected retroactively.

Evaluations and Future Activities

As a result of efforts to optimize resource input in accordance with produced item and waste-reduction activities, the total amount of waste discharged in fiscal 2023 decreased by 11.5% from the previous fiscal year to 130,696 tons. Furthermore, our waste discharge intensity improved by 24.4% over the previous fiscal year, which meant that our target was achieved.
Going forward, we are committed to promoting comprehensive process improvements and continued efforts to reduce waste in terms of both the efficient utilization of resources and improvement in the yield rate.

Initiatives

Reduction of Hazardous Waste

Promotion of Circular Economy Activities

■Reuse of PET Films (Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors)

For the first time in the electronic components industry,¹ TDK succeeded in building a recycling system for the reuse of PET films used in the manufacturing process of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs).
Normally the surfaces of PET films used when applying dielectric paste in the MLCC manufacturing process undergo special processing, so after use in the manufacturing process, they are mainly thermal-recycled or incinerated.
In the new system, however, the surfaces of waste PET films are washed, returned to PET plastic form (as pellets), and then formed into films at Toray Corporation (based in Chuo-ku, Tokyo), which is TDK’s partner in this project. TDK then purchases these films and applies special processing to them, thereby enabling their reuse in the MLCC manufacturing process. The recycled PET films used in this system reduce CO₂ emissions by about 10%² compared with conventional PET films.

• 1 As of December 2021; TDK investigations
• 2 Meaning CO₂ emissions in the PET film manufacturing process; Toray investigations

■Initiative from Product Design (Power Inductors Using Recycled Materials)

In the CLT32 series of power inductors, TDK is increasing the ratios of recycled iron and recycled copper used; in total, the product contains more than 50% recycled metals. In addition, silver and nickel used to be essential in this series to realize the traditional level of performance. But efforts at the time of development and design have borne fruit, and now the inductors can be manufactured with no silver and just a little nickel. This initiative has led to the curbing of procurement and manufacturing costs.
The features of the CLT32 series of power inductors are their high output, compactness, low energy consumption, and long life. They have been certified as Super Eco Love products.^*

*Among environment-conscious products, TDK certifies products that have a substantial effect in reducing the environmental load and lead others in the industry as Eco Love products. And among these Eco Love products, we certify products that have an especially substantial effect and are positioned at the top level in the industry as Super Eco Love products.