Water Conservation

Our Fujinomiya Factory in Japan's Shizuoka Prefecture is an example. Water conservation efforts at the factory have saved ¥1.1274 billion* yearly.

Photographic paper is one of the main products of the Fujinomiya Factory. The region is blessed with abundant water, which is essential to making paper. There are many paper mills in the area.

During water shortages — due to low rainfall or a drop in the water table — the local government gives priority to agriculture. Factories are ordered to minimize use of both surface and underground water. So the Fujinomiya Factory must conserve water to keep running.

The factory installed water-saving production facilities between 1990 and 1992. But further measures became necessary to support expanded production. An initiative launched in 2002 has yielded major results.

The plant's Utility Supply Section calculated the minimum water requirements for each production process. It then monitored water usage and instructed workers to conserve water. Processes that used well water were shifted to recycled water.

The factory now conserves water throughout the year, not just during the summer, when most shortages occur.

The Utility Supply Section also developed simulations to predict fluctuations in the water table over ten-year periods. This permits prediction of major water shortages so that extraordinary measures can be taken.

As a result, the factory reduced water consumption by 13% in 2005 and by 22% in 2006, compared to 2002. Besides reducing costs, this also supports sustainable water usage, which is essential to ongoing plant operations.

Return on investment in water saving at Fujinomiya Factory

• * Approximate figure calculated at ¥200 per ton, based on environmental accounting standards.

The Shimizu River, which runs through the grounds of the Fujinomiya Factory, is a water source for the community (left). Local residents and volunteers from the factory clean the river every year (right)