■Managing Wastes and Chemicals
We are increasing recycling and reusage ratios for waste from our business activities while moving ahead with a program to remove asbestos from facilities.
Waste Management and Recycling
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Recycling Dismantled Telecommunications Equipment
Total Dismantled Communication Equipment Volumes and Recycling Rates
(Coverage: NTT Communications)
Total Dismantled Communication Equipment Volumes and Recycling Rates opens in another window.
We must frequently replace telecommunications equipment to provide advanced services. Our first priority is to recycle obsolete equipment. If that is impossible, we quantify waste volumes and properly process equipment.
In fiscal 2006, we sought vendors with high recycling rates and reused 670 items of obsolete equipment in-house. We also recycled 20,422 units from our nonoperating inventory, including device packaging. Our recycling rate* thus remained around the same as in fiscal 2005.
In fiscal 2007, we will continue to improve recycling rates, particularly at isolated islands.
*Recycling rate = ( Valuable weight + recycled weight) / Total waste volume
See the following Japanese-language website for details:http://www.ntt.com/eco/data/
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Construction Waste Recycling Rates
Total Generation of Construction Wastes and the Recycling Rates
(Coverage: NTT Communications)
Total Generation of Construction Wastes and the Recycling Rates opens in another window.
We must rebuild old facilities or construct new ones to accommodate demand and maintain service stability.
In fiscal 2006, our recycling rate for concrete and other designated construction materials improved from 93.6%, to 97.1%. This resulted from choosing intermediate processing facilities with high recycling rates and assessing recycled resource volumes for each construction project.
In fiscal 2007, we aim to further improve the rate by promoting zero waste while selecting highly recyclable materials.
See the following Japanese-language website for details:http://www.ntt.com/eco/data/
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Office Waste Recycling Rates
Total Office Waste and Recycling Rates
(Coverage: NTT Communications)
Total Office Waste and Recycling Rates opens in another window.
We aim to recycle 70% of office waste over the medium and long terms. We are properly processing and managing wastes while separating materials for collection.
In fiscal 2006, our recycling rate jumped from 51.5%, to 57.0%. That is because we chose selecting vendors with high recycling rates, more extensively separated waste, and mounted zero kitchen waste campaigns at employee canteens.
In fiscal 2007, we aim to improve our recycling rate by reusing fixtures and office automation equipment while reducing waste by encouraging vending machine companies to collect and recycle waste.
See the following Japanese-language website for details:http://www.ntt.com/eco/data/
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Reducing Paper Usage
Virgin Pulp Usage for Office Paper
(Coverage: 12 Group companies)
We aim to cut the production of customer pamphlets and leaflets and office paper.
We encouraged paper savings throughout fiscal 2006. In October 2006, we switched from using 100% recycled office paper to a policy of using paper made of 50% recycled stock and 50% afforested tree pulp while reducing paper consumption (see page 36 for details).
In fiscal 2007, we will increase document sharing, use more projectors at meetings and distribute more electronic documents to cut office paper consumption by 25% per employee.
See the following Japanese-language website for details:http://www.ntt.com/eco/data/
Managing Chemicals
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Managing PCB Storage Based on Guidelines
We established guidelines to mandate swift detoxification of polychlorinated biphenyls and strict management of equipment that contains or generates such substances.
Until fiscal 2005, our management targets encompassed all devices that could contain polychlorinated biphenyls. In fiscal 2006, we confirmed that 2,768 items incorporated these substances.
In Fiscal 2007 and beyond, we will continue to store items and more strictly manage existing equipment and will produce a medium-term plan to improve processing.
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Polychlorinated Biphenyl Storage Volumes Fiscal 2004 Fiscal 2005 Fiscal 2006 Transformers (units) Volume stored 0 0 0 Volume used 2 2 5 High-voltage capacitors (units) Volume stored 0 0 0 Volume used 0 0 0 Low-voltage capacitors (units) Volume stored 22 22 22 Volume used 38 38 32 Ballast (units) Volume stored 5,091 5,097 2,709 Volume used 0 0 0 Noncarbon paper (kg) Volume stored 0 0 0 Volume used 0 0 0 (Coverage: NTT Communications)
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Eliminating Asbestos
Working groups for buildings and offices, telecommunications equipment, and health issues are tackling the asbestos issue.
We responded to the government’s September 2006 revision of asbestos standards by surveying scattering in eight buildings sprayed with this material. We confirmed that scattering levels were below the maximum permitted. In 2006, we completed the removal of asbestos at five sites, including the Yokohama-Nishi Building and part of the Otemachi Building. We plan complete asbestos removals, containment, or enclosure at three other facilities during fiscal 2007.
We will consider other treatment spraying materials containing asbestos by assessing volumes, conditions, and scattering. We will also confirm the presence of asbestos in other construction materials and act according to manuals from the Japan Construction Occupational Safety and Health Association and local governments.