CSR(Corporate Social Responsibility)

Protection of the Global Environment

To hand down the beautiful earth to the future is a task shared by the international community and also a major challenge.
The TANAKA Precious Metals is pursuing every possibility to minimize the environmental impact of its business activities.

2050 Statement on Carbon Neutrality

In April 2022, we made TANAKA Precious Metals Statement on Carbon Neutrality to declare that we aim to make our CO2 emissions net zero in 2050. A company-wide project team headed by the CEO has also been launched to take measures to achieve carbon neutrality such as the improvement of energy efficiency in plants and the development of products that contribute to a decarbonized society.

TANAKA Precious Metals Statement on Carbon Neutrality

カーボンニュートラル宣言

The TANAKA Precious Metals will take on the challenge of addressing global warming, a social issue on a global scale, by aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and actively introducing technologies that contribute to a decarbonized society within the Group and in society.
To reduce greenhouse gases arising from business activities, we will continuously undertake emission reduction activities, such as increasing energy efficiency, improving manufacturing processes and adopting the use of green energy, at our plants and offices.
At the same time, we will provide products that meet the expectations of customers working toward a decarbonized society, including catalysts that contribute toward greenhouse gas reduction and high-performance materials such as those used in electric vehicles. We will also strengthen our precious metal recycling business to contribute toward a circular economy, thereby creating a prosperous and sustainable future for the Earth with our own hands.
We will consider tree-planting and activities to preserve forest rejuvenation such as the creation of Tanaka Forest.
The TANAKA Precious Metals aims to achieve carbon neutrality through these activities.
In fiscal 2022, we will form a company-wide project team directly controlled by the CEO to consider and implement specific measures. The TANAKA Precious Metals will continue to provide value to customers and society as a whole through products and solutions that apply the unique characteristics of precious metals.

Commitment to the Prevention of Global Warming

The TANAKA Precious Metals sets a target of reducing per-unit energy consumption in domestic bases by 1% each year to conform to the Ac t on the Rational Use of Energy of Japan. In fiscal 2022, our global CO2 emissions decreased by 3.5% from the previous fiscal year. On the other hand, our per-unit energy consumption grew by approximately 3.5% (a decrease of 32.5% from the fiscal 2013 level) from the previous fiscal year.
We will continue to enhance our energy-saving efforts including increases in the efficiency of various devices and the improvement of their operation.

Company-wide target》Reduction of per-unit energy consumption by 1% each year

Energy Consumption and Per-unit Energy Consumption by Year (in Japan)

CO2 Emissions by Year (global)

CO2 Emissions by Facility (in fiscal 2022)

○Introduction of Photovoltaic Power Generation

Mitomo Semicon Engineering Co., Ltd. introduced photovoltaic power generation in fiscal 2022. While the operation started in the middle of the fiscal year, the introduction resulted in an 8% reduction of annual energy consumption in the whole plant in fiscal 2022.

Solar panels installed in Mitomo Semicon Engineering

List of the Plants That Have Introduced Photovoltaic Power Generation

Metalor Technologies International SA, a Group company, has introduced photovoltaic power generation at its bases in Switzerland, France, the US, Mexico, China and Hong Kong and reduced CO2 emissions in the Metalor Group as a whole by 13%.

Cleuville, France
Cleuville, France

San Luis Potosí, Mexico
San Luis Potosí, Mexico

Aiming to Establish a Sound Material-cycle Society

The TANAKA Precious Metals has continuously recycled precious metals since its founding. Today, all employees engage in the recovery of the bullion under the slogan "Any bullion is Money" and even trace amounts of bullion attached to uniforms, etc., in addition to bullion in production facilities, are carefully recovered.
In the TANAKA Renaissance Plan, which is a medium-term plan initiated in fiscal 2021, we reorganized our activities in the three fields of direct materials, indirect materials and industrial waste to enhance our measures to establish a sound material-cycle society and realize a Circular Economy.

Direct Materials Cyclical Use of Precious Metals

Bullion Flow Diagram of the TANAKA Precious Metals (fiscal 2022)

Resource productivity (Gross margin on sales/Amount of external procurement)

Cyclical use rate (Recycled amount/Total amount of bullion inputs)

Resource productivity represents the profit per ton of externally procured bullion and can be regarded as the earning power from an environmental perspective. The cyclical use rate indicates the ratio of the amount of bullion recycled internally to the total amount of bullion inputs and has been around 80%. In the future, we will improve those environmental indicators to contribute to the establishment of a sound material-cycle society and the realization of a Circular Economy*.

* Concept to concurrently achieve a sound material-cycle society and economic activities. It is required to generate wealth from waste materials and from waste in business activities.

Indirect Materials Recycling of Copies of the CSR Report

We have set up an upcycling system to print the CSR Report on LIMEX sheet and collect the copies that employees have finished reading to recycle them.

As an initiative to recycle indirect materials, we started to print the CSR Report on LIMEX* and collect the copies that employees have finished reading to recycle them in fiscal 2019. In our past efforts, the copies were recycled as coasters and cups and then distributed to all employees in our previous activities. This time, as the third measure, we recycled the collected copies to produce trays that will be used to deliver lunches at nine junior high schools in Kamakura, instead of reusing them within the company, to make a social contribution more widely.

* LIMEX is mainly made from limestone, which can be extracted from the earth almost inexhaustibly. This new environmentally friendly material uses almost no water or wood chips and can substitute paper and plastic. Each copy of the TANAKA Precious Metals CSR Report 2023 saves approximately 15 liters of water.

Industrial Waste Reduction of Industrial Waste

The TANAKA Precious Metals sets a target of reducing industrial waste emissions in domestic bases by 1% each year.
In fiscal 2022, we reduced industrial waste emissions by 25% from the previous fiscal year as a result of our new initiative to convert waste liquid into valuable materials. We will promote further measures to ensure that we can control the waste generated in association with the expansion of our business.

Company-wide target >> Reduction of industrial waste emissions by 1% each year

Industrial Waste Emissions by Year (global)

Breakdown of Industrial Waste Emissions in Fiscal 2022 (in Japan)

Reduction of Water Consumption

While there is growing concern over water shortage on a global scale, we are making efforts to reduce water consumption in our business activities. In the water use of the TANAKA Precious Metals as a whole by plant, Shonan Plant and Tomioka Plant account for around half of the water consumption.
We will continue to strive for the effective use of water resources through the recycling of water in our plants based on effluent treatment along with the improvement of processes.

Water Consumption by Year (in Japan)

Breakdown of Water Consumption in Fiscal 2022

○Identification of water risk

We recognize water use in all plants and the average amount of rainfall in the region where each of them is located. Assuming that the plants face higher water risk during a period with low rainfall, we are working to reduce water consumption.

Correlation Between Water Use and the Average Amount of Rainfall (example)

Environmental Management System

All of our production bases in Japan have obtained ISO 14001 certification for their environmental management systems and make continuous efforts to perform environmental conservation activities. In particular, we set targets for the Group as a whole to reduce CO2 emissions (for prevention of global warming) and industrial waste emissions (for the establishment of a recycling-oriented society) and eradicate environmental incidents (for prevention of pollution), and aggressively strive to meet the targets.
To promote environmental conservation activities in a steady and smooth manner, we have set up a Group-wide structure with the Central Environmental Committee, which is composed of plant managers and facility managers, at the top. In addition, SHE* Promotion Office Manager Council, as well as the Environmental Managers Sub-committee composed of environmental managers, holds a meeting periodically to share information and exchange opinions actively.

* SHE: Safety, Health and the Environment

Structure to promote environmental conservation activities

List of the Facilities That Have Obtained ISO 14001 Certification

Environmental Incident Eradication Activities

To prevent water pollution, air pollution, etc., we have voluntarily set internal standard values that are even stricter than the levels required by laws and regulations.
Defining the cases where the voluntary standard values are exceeded as environmental incidents, we promote various measures to prevent the occurrence and recurrence of them.

Major Internal Rules

Number of Environmental Incidents

Prevention of Environmental Pollution

As to the substances specified under the Act on Confirmation, etc. of Release Amounts of Specific Chemical Substances in the Environment and Promotion of Improvements to the Management Thereof (PRTR* Act), we notify the national government of the amounts released in the environment and the amounts transferred to outside the facilities.
We will continue to be committed to the proper management of chemical substances in business activities to prevent environmental pollution.
Prevention of Environmental Pollution
* PRTR: Pollutant Release and Transfer Register

Total Release and Transfer Amounts of PRTR-designated Substances (in Japan)

Conservation of Biodiversity

In fiscal 2020, we launched an initiative to grow orange daylilies and coastal daylilies in the houses of the employees who applied for it, as well as the premises of our plants, and return the increased plants to a river bed of Tsurumi River in Yokohama, Kanagawa and Koajiro no Mori (Koajiro Forest) in Miura, Kanagawa, which are original habitats of the flowers. Now, beautiful flowers of orange daylilies and coastal daylilies bloom every summer.

<Purpose of this initiative>

Hybrid ryegrass, which is known to cause hay fever, grows in river beds and parks and is difficult to eliminate by weeding. Therefore, we plan to plant indigenous species that are endangered in the region such as orange daylilies and coastal daylilies to cover the ground with them and control the growth of the community of hybrid ryegrass. We protect coastal daylilies, which are sometimes targeted by robbers, by growing them in safe places such as the houses of employees and the premises of our plants and offices.

In May 2023, we organized an eco-tour for volunteers in Koajiro Forest for the first time in four years. A total of 40 employees and their family members joined the tour and worked for the conservation of coastal daylilies. They also strolled through the forest and around a tidal flat.

<Purpose of this initiative>

When the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in March 2011, a tsunami also hit Koajiro Bay several times and destroyed almost all of the community of coastal daylilies in Koajiro Forest that lived along the coast. The remaining 28 coastal daylilies were protected by Non-Profit Organization Koajiro Outdoor Activity Organizing Committee, which has worked to restore the community since then.
While this initiative is supported by several companies, the TANAKA Precious Metals also joined them in fiscal 2018.

Opening of an "eco cafe"

On September 18, 2019, we opened an "eco cafe" in our Headquarters in Tokyo Building. A small aquarium was created in the office building on the day and many employees enjoyed watching creatures from Tsurumi River.


  • Small aquarium

Moreover, Dr. Kishi gave a lecture on the Multi-nature River Development Blooming Dolphin Hill Project while a workshop was also organized to create a "basin address," which aims to recognize each location from a natural perspective. Thus, the event offered an opportunity to carefully think about various issues ranging from biodiversity to disaster prevention.


  • Lecture by Dr. Kishi

  • TANAE, Akira, then president,
    also joined the workshop

By coincidence, Typhoon Hagibis hit the Kanto Region and caused severe damage on October 12, three weeks after the event. Those who attended the workshop provided comments such as "I was able to respond calmly because I knew my basin address" and "I was watching the situation of the river whose basin covers the location of my house through live cameras of the local government, instead of collecting information on another river where the embankment collapsed."