Our approaches to the environment

The tools that create a future you desire
must not be harmful to this future.

Our products are designed to inspire the future through creative expression.
That is why we believe our products and corporate activities must not place a burden on that future.
Without a rich natural environment, there is no rich expression.
We are committed to pursuing a balance between environmental conservation and corporate activities
as an "Expression Innovation Company" that will foster the cultures of tomorrow.

Our Mission

Mitsubishi Pencil Group will work to reduce the environmental impact of its business activities throughout the entire supply chain.

We will comply with relevant environmental laws and regulations, respond to social demands, and continuously improve our implementation system and operation methods.

Mitsubishi Pencil Group Environmental Policy

Mitsubishi Pencil's Key Environmental Challenges

Climate change

As the advancement of global warming continues, combating climate change has become a significant global challenge for societies at large.
The Paris Agreement adopted in 2015 also strongly calls for efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
We will forge a path to mitigate climate change by promoting the efficient use of energy and vastly reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.
We will implement activities and disclose information in accordance with the TCFD recommendations.

Information disclosure based on the TCFD recommendations

Targets for 2030 and 2050

	2030	2050
CO₂ emissions	50％reduction	100％reduction
Efficient use of energy	15％reduction	35％reduction
Renewable energy	50％	100％

2030
2050
CO₂ emissions: 50％reduction; 100％reduction
Efficient use of energy: 15％reduction; 35％reduction
Renewable energy: 50％; 100％

We are aiming to achieve a 50% reduction in CO₂ emissions from the Mitsubishi Pencil Group as a whole by 2030 (*1) and a 100% reduction by 2050. To this end, we are also aiming to reduce our energy consumption by 15% (*2) by 2030 and by 35% (*2) by 2050.
In addition, we are aiming to secure 50% of our Group's total energy from renewable energy sources by 2030 and 100% by 2050.

To meet these demands for total carbon emissions reduction, it is imperative for us to also set up a sustainable supply chain management.

*1: Based on CO₂ emissions in 2021.
*2: Based on energy consumption (per unit of sales) in 2021.

Scope of coverage: Changed from the Group's major domestic sites to all domestic and overseas sites (as of December 2023).
Base year: Changed from 2015 to 2021 due to the expanded scope of coverage.

CO₂ emissions

-45%: Total CO₂ emissions in 2023 were approximately 13,953 tons.
Our continuing plan to transition to electricity derived from renewable energy sources has resulted in a 45% decrease in emissions, compared to 2021.
We remain committed to advancing our strategy to promote energy conservation activities and increase the ratio of renewable energy usage, along with emission reductions.; ※About "Scope"

Scope 1: Direct greenhouse gas emissions by businesses themselves (fuel combustion, industrial processes)

Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the use of electricity, heat, and steam supplied by other companies.

※About CO₂ Emission Factors

Electricity: In Japan, the adjusted emission factors of the electricity retailers contracted by each site are used based on the "List of Emission Factors by Electric Utility" published by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan.
Overseas and some sites in Japan use IEA country-specific emission factors.
The emission factor is set to zero for electricity generated through power purchase agreements (PPA).

Fuel: Emission factors by fuel published by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry are used for both Japan and overseas.
Annual CO₂ emissions

We have undergone third-party verification of its CO₂ emissions data in order to improve data reliability.
The CO₂ emissions data (Scope 1 and 2) for 2022 was found to have no deficiencies, and a greenhouse gas emissions verification report was obtained.
Verification procedures are underway for the 2023 emissions data as well.

Energy

-31％: Energy consumption in 2023 was 387 TJ.
Basic unit per net sales was down by 31% compared to 2021, partly due to the effect of increased sales.
We will continue to promote reduction of energy consumption through energy-conservation activities.
Energy Use Trends

Energy use breakdown(2023)

	2021	2022	2023
Electricity (MWh)	42,600	40,521	39,158
Heavy oil A (kL)	362	266	152
LPG (tons)	360	380	351
City gas (thousand Nm3)	4	4	3
Kerosene (kL)	35	24	3
Diesel (kL)	280	217	202
Gasoline (kL)	124	114	244

2021
2022
2023
Electricity (MWh): 42,600; 40,521; 39,158
Heavy oil A (kL): 362; 266; 152
LPG (tons): 360; 380; 351
City gas (thousand Nm3): 358; 371; 346
灯油 (kL): 35; 24; 3
Kerosene (kL): 280; 217; 202
Gasoline (kL): 124; 114; 244

Renewable energy

34%: We have been gradually transitioning to electricity derived from renewable energy sources.
Additionally, in October of 2022, we installed solar panels with a power generation capacity of appromitely 430kW on the roof of the Gunma Plant.
Through such efforts, we have replaced approximately 15 million kW of electricity with electricity generated from renewable energy sources in 2023, resulting in a reduction of CO₂ emissions by approximately 7,000 tons.
The ratio of renewable energy to total energy used is approximately 34%
Annual renewable energy adoption rate

Resources

As a result of intense business activities based on resource consumption through the course of time, we have witnessed the depletion of resources which poses significant
challenges to the global society.
One of such resources is plastic, which is an important material necessary for the high performance and quality of our writing instruments and is recyclable.
We help realize a resource-circulating society by promoting resource conservation, recycling and waste reduction.

Reducing the use of virgin plastic

Use of recycled plastic

Recycled plastic accounted for about 25% of the raw plastic materials we purchased for manufacturing products in 2023. We will continue to increase the use of recycled plastic.

Green-net Products

Green-net, our ecology brand, offers a lineup of products compliant with the Act on Promoting Green Procurement^*1 and Eco Mark certification.^*2

*1 : Products using recycled plastic for at least 40% of their total plastic weight
*2 : Products that use recycled plastic for at least 70% of the product weight

The mainstay Jetstream (SXN-150) is a Green Net product, as recycled plastics account are nearly 45% of its plastics by weight.
We provide other Green Net products as well.

Ballpoint pen made from ocean plastic waste

Jetstream Ocean Plastics was released in July 2022. They are made from plastics recycled from ocean plastic waste collected in Japan and used disposable contact lens cases.
This product is the first product in the stationery industry to have obtained Eco Mark certification in Eco Mark Product Category No. 164: Products made from recycled ocean plastic waste.
It was selected as a Best Product in the Eco Mark Award 2022 organized by the Eco Mark Office of the Japan Environment Association.

A ballpoint pen made from used plastic folders

In December 2022, ASKUL Corporation released the Jetstream Ballpoint Pen Made from Plastic Folders. It uses plastics recycled from used plastic folders collected in Japan by the ASKUL Resource Recycling Platform project.

Reducing plastic usage

Long-lasting Refills: with 70% more ink than standard refills

For “long-lasting refills” (black ink) we launched in December 2021, we have successfully increased the ink volume by 70% compared to our standard product (SXR-80) by making the refill tube thinner, while keeping the same shape and compatibility with the standard product.
Additionally, we have reduced the use of plastic by about 30% compared to our standard product, achieving an environmentally friendly design.

Development of long-lasting products

Development of long-lasting products
Even though ballpoint pens may run out of ink, the pens can still retain a longer product life by replacing refills instead of throwing them away. This can significantly reduce plastic waste disposal.
The long-lasting products account for approximately 55% of the unit sales of our writing materials.
We continue to promote the development and sales of our long-lasting products.

*Pencils and colored pencils are not included.
*Long-lasting products include refillable ballpoint pens, refillable felt-tip pens, and refillable mechanical pencils.

Case for Jetstream Standard (SXN-150): The amount of plastic waste can be reduced by 66% by using one new Jetstream pen (SXN-150) with three refills compared to using four new Jetstream pens.
By changing refills, a product life gets longer, reducing plastic use by 66%.

Reducing plastic use in packaging

Plastics have been used in many writing instrument packages. We are also replacing the plastics used in packaging with paper and taking other measures to reduce plastics consumption.
Paper packaging is used for the following products: "Long-lasting refills" (upper left photo) released in November 2021, "Jetstream Multicolor Multifunction Refills" (upper right photo) renewed in November 2022, "Sharpie Refill uni Refill" (lower left photo) released in February 2023, "Sharpie Refill uni Refill S" (lower middle photo) released in May 2024, "Sharpie Refill S" (lower left photo) released in May 2024, "Sharpie Refill S" (upper right photo) renewed in November 2023. (middle of the bottom row in the photo), which will be released in May 2024, are packaged in paper packages.
We are also in the process of switching to paper packaging for products sold overseas (bottom right photo).

Reducing wastes

Total emissions (waste + valuable resources) in 2023 were about 2,100 tons. Waste plastics (34%), paper (15%) and sawdust (11%). We are reducing the amount of waste plastic through internal recycling, promoting thorough sorting, and increasing the material recycling rate*1. The material recycling rate for waste plastics increased from 9% in 2021 to 29% in 2023. Most of the paper is recycled as material. Most of the sawdust generated during the production of pencils is effectively used as bedding material for dairy and livestock farming. The recycling rate (including thermal recovery*2) is approximately 96%.

*1. Material recycling is the reuse of waste as a raw material for products after being crushed, melted and otherwise processed.
*2. Thermal recovery is the recovery of energy by incinerating waste to use it for power generation and other purposes.

The scope of emission data covers the following domestic sites.
MITSUBISHI PENCIL COMPANY, LIMITED (Head Office, Gunma Plant, Yokohama Office, Yamagata Plant)
Yamagata Mitsubishi Pencil Precision Co., Ltd., Uni Polymer Co., Ltd. (Gunma Plant and Yamagata Plant) and Uni Co., Ltd.

Collecting and recycling used products

Horizontal recycling

In October 2022, we are implementing the "Horizontal Recycling" project to collect and recycle used pens* to demonstrate the reduction of CO₂ emissions by establishing a resource recycling system.
This project is being implemented as part of the Ministry of the Environment's "FY2022 Demonstration Project for a Plastic Resource Circulation System toward a Decarbonized Society".
Horizontal recycling is an activity to make plastic products for the same purpose again from used plastic products. It is a highly challenging and advanced activity to simultaneously reduce CO₂ emissions and the amount of virgin plastic usage, while recycling plastic resources. However, we will continue striving to achieve this goal and make it a reality for us.

*"Used pens" refers mainly to pens that are no longer suitable for replacing refills or are no longer in use.

Environmental pollution

We are striving to control chemical emissions and to reduce water intake to prevent health hazards that
arise due to the chemicals used in products and manufacturing processes and to conserve water resources.

Controlling chemicals emissions

We have established a Chemicals Committee. It is dedicated to creating a database of information on chemicals used in products and manufacturing processes and to managing it properly. In so doing, we comply with laws and regulations concerning chemicals without fail.
We also monitor and manage the status of use of the chemicals in production at individual factories and regularly report on the substances subject to the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) system.
We are also working to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Additionally, we properly implement wastewater quality management in accordance with laws, ordinances and local regulations.

Reducing water withdrawals

Water withdrawals in 2023 was approximately 180 thousand ㎥.
This is approximately 14% less than in 2021, the year with the highest water withdrawals in recent years.
The head office building is equipped with a system that uses rainwater as wastewater for toilets, etc. In 2023, approximately 7% of the water withdrawals at the head office building will be covered by rainwater.
In addition to monitoring water withdrawal, we will continue to promote reductions in water consumption by improving production processes and increasing the efficiency of water use.

Biodiversity

Deforestation due to illegal logging, etc., is rapidly increasing, causing adverse effects on ecosystems including flora and fauna as well as
frequent disasters in recent years such as floods and landslides due to torrential rains, which poses significant challenges to the
international society.
We are addressing the problem by using certified wood for our pencils in order to help protect biodiversity and ecosystems.

Obtaining forest certification for the wood used in pencils.

For the wood used in our pencil products, we procure wood that has obtained forest certification (PEFC^*1 or FSC^*2) and increase the ratio of certified wood in the processing and distribution process.
In procurement, we plan to procure 100% certified forest wood from 2024 onward.
In addition, for the processing and distribution process, our Hi-uni has obtained PEFC certification in November 2022.
We will continue to procure certified wood and expand the scope of certification for processing and distribution processes.

*1 PEFC (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification)
*2 FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)

Supplementary information: Covered period :
Unless otherwise specified, the information provided here is for January-December 2023. Transition data for the past 5 years are also provided as necessary.

Scope of Coverage :
Unless otherwise specified, this applies to all domestic and overseas sites of our group.

Update: May 23, 2024

Sustainability