Reduction of Waste

The NTT Communications Group is making a concerted effort to minimize environmental impact through the reduction of waste generated by business and office activities and the improvement in reuse and recycling rates.

Fiscal 2010 Initiatives

The NTT Communications Group is working to reduce volumes of dismantled telecommunications equipment, construction waste and office waste and is promoting reuse and recycling.
In fiscal 2010, final disposal of waste from dismantled telecommunications equipment amounted to 105 tons, construction waste 623 tons, and office waste 397 tons. Because of the lack of major projects compared to the previous fiscal year, the total volume of final disposal waste decreased by 2,775 tons year on year to 1,125 tons, and the total volume of waste generated decreased 28,948 tons to 21,535 tons.

NTT Communications Group Final Disposal Waste and Total Waste Generation

(The scope of tabulations for office waste and construction waste was 14 NTT Communications Group companies for fiscal 2010, 13 Group companies for fiscal 2009, 11 Group companies for fiscal 2008, and 12 Group companies from fiscal 2006.)
(The scope of tabulations for dismantled telecommunications equipment was 14 NTT Communications Group companies in fiscal 2010, and NTT Communications on a non-consolidated basis for fiscal 2006 to fiscal 2009.)

Recycling of Dismantled Telecommunications Equipment

We upgrade telecommunications equipment and cables to provide more reliable, higher-quality services. Wherever possible, we try to reuse telecommunications equipment that is no longer needed in-house and within the NTT Group, and to properly dispose of the remainder in compliance with laws and regulations relating to industrial waste and industrial waste requiring special handling.
In fiscal 2010, the volume of dismantled telecommunications equipment declined by 259 tons from fiscal 2009 to 2,516 tons. The recycling rate rose further from the previous fiscal year, reaching 99.9%. Recycling of glass and ceramic scrap (glass scrap, FTC* and ball insulators) reached 99.99% as a result of subcontracting to processing companies with high recycling rates. The recycled volume of removed optical cables, however, declined to 22km.
We will continue to further efforts for reuse and recycling, and aim to increase the recycling rate for the entire corporate group.

* FTC (fire-tight cover)
Fire-proof cover for protecting telecommunications cables against fire.

Total Volumes and Recycling Rates of Dismantled Telecommunications Equipment

(Scope: NTT Communications (non-consolidated))

Volume of reused fiber-optic cable

(The scope of tabulations was 14 NTT Communications Group companies for fiscal 2010, 13 Group companies for fiscal 2009, 11 Group companies for fiscal 2008, and 12 Group companies from fiscal 2006.)

Recycling of Construction Waste

In order to continue offering customers highly reliable services, we are rebuilding old facilities and implementing expansion and remodeling to accommodate rising demand.
In fiscal 2010, the volume of construction waste generated decreased by 28,762 tons from the fiscal 2009 level to 15,458 tons. The recycling rate for designated materials such as concrete fell from 99.7% to 98.3%, but the recycling rate for non-designated material rose from 73.9% in the previous fiscal year to 92.0%. The improvement in the recycling rate for non-designated materials was the result of efforts to thoroughly sort waste on-site.
We are pushing ahead with ongoing efforts to promote reduction of final disposal waste, reduce the amount of waste taken directly to final disposal sites to zero, and outsource jobs to contractors with high recycling rates.

Total Generation and Recycling Rates of Construction Waste

(The scope of tabulations was 14 NTT Communications Group companies for fiscal 2010, 13 Group companies for fiscal 2009, 11 Group companies for fiscal 2008, and 12 Group companies from fiscal 2006.)

Recycling of Office Waste

The NTT Communications Group ensures proper disposal, control, and complete sorting of waste in compliance with laws and regulations. In fiscal 2010, the total volume of office waste generated decreased by 28 tons from fiscal 2009 to 3,460 tons. The volume recycled was 2,503 tons, and the recycling rate was 72.4%. We are expanding the scope of our efforts toward the complete sorting of waste through enhanced collaboration with building management companies, in addition to continued employee education.
Thermal recycling of plastics was initiated at offices in Tokyo in December 2009, and the recycling rate improved to around 6%. We also began thermal recycling of burnable trash in April 2010. The recycling rate was improved to 14% by outsourcing the processing to a thermal recycling company.
Through these efforts we have raised the recycling rates at our three main office buildings (Hibiya, Shiodome and Tamachi) from 67% to 88%. We are also exploring ways of improving the recycling rate at other offices throughout the corporate group.
We will continue to work harder and collaborate with our subcontractors to improve the quality of our recycling system, achieving environmental protection at the same time as securing the security of recycled confidential documents.

Total Office Waste and Recycling Rates

(The scope of tabulations was 14 NTT Communications Group companies for fiscal 2010, 13 Group companies for fiscal 2009, 11 Group companies for fiscal 2008, and 12 Group companies from fiscal 2006.)

Vending Machines that Allow Use of a Personal Cup

In September 2010, NTTPC Communications replaced all the vending machines in its head office building and the Kanda building (15 machines in total) with eco-conscious models that allow purchased beverages to be poured directly into the user’s own cup.
The switch has reduced the number of paper cups used by just under 400 per month, equal to a reduction of around 10 rolls of recycled toilet paper per month.
The improved lineup of vending machines, introduction of machines that accept electronic payment, and discounts for using a personal cup, have both reduced the environmental load and helped to raise employee satisfaction.
Measures such as this raise awareness and foster an environmental outlook among employees to reduce waste in their everyday work. We will continue to pursue initiatives that ease the environmental burden and in which at the same time employees can readily participate.

Reducing usage of paper for business purposes

NTT Communications is working to reduce usage of all kinds of paper for business purposes, including office paper and paper for printing customer billing statements.
In fiscal 2007, we established a paper usage index per full-time employee in order to reduce office paper usage. In fiscal 2010, we completed full introduction of multi-function printers with an IC card authentication function, and utilized printing log data as part of efforts to raise awareness and further reduce paper use. Specifically, data on the number of sheets used, the double-sided printing rate and the consolidated printing rate are automatically collected and analyzed by individual and section, with the results disclosed to all employees on a monthly basis. Reports are also posted on the multi-function printers that employees regularly use showing their usage in comparison with the company average. We also continue to encourage digitization of paper documents and the use of projectors in conference rooms instead of printed meeting materials. In fiscal 2010, paper consumed per full-time employee (converted to A4-size office paper) declined by 1,201 sheets from fiscal 2009, to 9,314 sheets.
During fiscal 2011, while taking account of actual business conditions, we plan to accelerate the implementation of practical measures based on the usage of multi-function printers, and to promote the use of ICT to further reduce paper use.

Total and Per-Employee Office Paper Usage

(The scope of tabulations for total office paper usage was 14 NTT Communications Group companies for fiscal 2010, 13 Group companies for fiscal 2009, 11 Group companies for fiscal 2008, and 12 Group companies from fiscal 2006.)
(The scope of tabulations for office paper usage per full-time employee was NTT Communications on a non-consolidated basis.)
* Tabulation errors for total usage in fiscal 2009 have been corrected.

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