May 31 2008
Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) and its Group companies stepped up their aluminum can recycling activities in fiscal year 2007 (April 2007 - March 2008) as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, collecting approximately 7,430,000 cans: equivalent to around 120 tons of aluminum when converted at the rate of 16.2 grams of aluminum per can.
The aluminum can recycling activities by the SDK Group started in 2001 when SDK merged with Showa Aluminum Corporation, which had launched the activities in 1990. As of December 31, 2007, 8,217 employees, or 90.9% of the all SDK Group employees in Japan, participated in the activities. The participation rate represented a substantial increase, compared with 85.1% a year before.
The collected cans are purchased by SDK and used to produce recycled aluminum cans. Using the money resulting from the recycling, SDK made donations to regional social welfare organizations and volunteer groups that aid people with special needs.
Under the Passion Project, a consolidated business plan that runs from 2006 through 2008, the SDK Group is aiming to fulfill its social responsibility by enhancing its value and meeting the expectations of all of its stakeholders.
Besides the recycling of aluminum cans, SDK is utilizing, as feedstock for ammonia production at its Kawasaki Plant, waste plastic collected by municipal governments. Thus, the SDK Group is firmly committed to effectively using waste and reducing the volume of its discharge.