In recent years, natural disasters, such as droughts and floods, are frequently occurring as a result of climate change. There are regions with increasing risks of water resource shortages as the world population increases. We believe that water resources are essential to our Group's business activities, and it is important to promote business activities that effectively assess water stress* and utilize water resources. As a company-wide initiative, our Group is working to reduce the use of water resources by recycling cooling water for equipment and reducing raw materials waste, including water used for preparations at all major production sites.
We will identify regions facing high water stress and consider possible actions by conducting water withdrawal surveys and evaluating our domestic and overseas production facilities for water stress using the World Resources Institute's Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas with the aim of effectively using water resources.
We have confirmed that there are no areas with extremely high water stress in the regions where the Morinaga & Co. Group's production sites, which account for the majority of its water intake, are located. We are working to understand the local conditions at sites located in areas with high water stress. Total water intake in areas with extremely high water stress in FY2024 is 0% of the Morinaga & Co. Group's total, which is 0m3.
*Domestic group consolidated figures from FY2022 onward and group consolidated figures from FY2023 onward have been subject to third-party assurance by LRQA Limited.
*Scope: Four factories of Morinaga & Co., Ltd. (Yokohama, Kanagawa; Oyama, Tochigi; Mishima, Shizuoka; Anjo, Aichi), four affiliated production companies (Takasaki, Gunma; Yamato, Kanagawa; Tosu, Saga; Amagasaki, Hyogo), and three overseas production sites (North Carolina, USA; Taipei, Taiwan; Zhejiang, China.)
Based on the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems, our Group reviews the list of legal and regulatory requirements at each production site every year and confirms water-related regulations. In particular, since the quality and quantity of wastewater has a significant impact on the lives of local residents, we have established voluntary standards that are stricter than local standards for management purposes.
In addition, at our domestic manufacturing sites, we report our annual well water usage and collaborate with local governments by obtaining information on regional water supply conditions and water usage. We respond appropriately to requests regarding water issues, such as wastewater treatment and water restrictions due to drought, through regular engagement with local residents and river basin protection associations.
The Morinaga Group is continuously working to reduce water usage at its major production sites.
One key area of focus has been reducing raw material losses, including water used as an ingredient, by reviewing production processes and strengthening input volume management, which has contributed to lower overall water consumption.
At the Chukyo Factory, the replacement of water-cooled AC units with more energy-efficient air-cooled units has reduced not only cooling water consumption but also electricity used for cooling water circulation.
As an example of initiatives implemented in FY2024, Morinaga Angel Dessert Co., Ltd. improved the operation of cooling water used for refrigeration equipment to achieve highly efficient production in response to increasing demand for frozen desserts. By switching from a once-through system using groundwater to a recirculation system with newly installed cooling towers, the company reduced water usage by approximately 35,000 m3 over the three-month period from April to June, compared with the same period of the previous year. These efforts contribute to the conservation of local water resources by reducing groundwater withdrawal, while also enabling a highly efficient production system capable of responding to increased demand.
The Morinaga Group will continue to promote the effective use of water resources through further improvements in equipment efficiency, expansion of recirculating systems, and thorough reduction of raw material losses.
Cooling tower for water-cooled AC at the Chukyo Factory (after consolidation)
A newly installed cooling tower for refrigeration equipment at Morinaga Angel Dessert Co., Ltd.