Astellas recognizes that since the use of sustainable resources is essential for continuing its business activities, it must play an active role in the creation of a recycling-oriented society. We have established an Environmental Action Plan and are moving forward with steps to effectively use water resources and recycle waste materials (reuse, recycling, and use of all thermal energy) as initiatives contributing to a recycling-oriented society.
Effective Use of Water Resources
Environmental Action Plan (Measures for the Conservation of Resources) Improve water resource productivity by around 20% of the fiscal 2016 result by the end of fiscal 2025. |
Effective Use of Water Resource
The effective use of water resources serves as a useful indicator for gauging society’s impact on biodiversity. Astellas assesses the relationship between water resources and economic activity using a water resource productivity index, and has been striving to improve this index. Water resource productivity for fiscal 2023 improved significantly by 65% compared with the base year of fiscal 2016.
Changes in Volume of Water Resources Withdrawn and Revenue
| Fiscal 2016 | Fiscal 2021 | Fiscal 2022 | Fiscal 2023 
| ||
| Volume of water resource withdrawn (thousand m³) | 8,774 | 7,394 | 6,864 | 6,497 | |
| Japan | Service water and industrial water | 7,705 | 6,737 | 6,231 | 5,952 |
| Groundwater | 758 | 458 | 434 | 346 | |
| US | Service water and industrial water | 146 | 53 | 55 | 61 |
| Groundwater | - | - | - | - | |
| Established Markets | Service water and industrial water | 145 | 128 | 129 | 124 |
| Groundwater | - | - | - | - | |
| Greater China | Service water and industrial water | 21 | 19 | 15 | 14 |
| Groundwater | - | - | - | - | |
| International Markets | Service water and industrial water | - | - | - | - |
| Groundwater | - | - | - | - | |
| Revenue (billions of yen) | 1,312 | 1,296 | 1,519 | 1,604 | |
| Water resource productivity (billions of yen／thousand m³) | 0.15 | 0.18 | 0.22 | 0.25 | |
| Improvement from Base-year | - | 17% | 48% | 65% | |
No water was withdrawn from a source other than service water, industrial water, or groundwater.
Target: Production facilities and R&D sites in Japan and overseas (Note: The amount of water withdrawn as indicated in the Environmental Initiatives section includes the amount of water used at our head office.)
* The indicators subject to independent assurance are the volume of water resource and water resource productivity
Recycling of Water and Reducing Water Consumption
Astellas’ operations use only water drawn from service water, industrial water and ground water. Water used in work operations is treated in accordance with wastewater discharging standards and returned to an aquatic environment. In addition, Astellas is continuously working to reduce water consumption while minimizing process wastewater.
Risk Assessments
Water is indispensable for Astellas’ research and production activities. Each business site obtains necessary government approval to use water, and wastewater is discharged after being treated to satisfy wastewater discharging standards.
Moreover, Astellas uses Aqueduct provided by World Resources Institute to analyze water risks specific to the operating regions where its plants and other facilities are located.
The Astellas Group on a global basis does not currently withdraw water from water bodies in areas concerned with water resource depletion. As water risks may emerge in the future as a result of climate change, we are conducting risk analysis and taking steps to minimize our dependence on such resources, and also regard this as an effective means of ensuring business continuity.
Waste Management
Environmental Action Plan (Waste Management) Improve waste generated per unit of revenue by around 10% of fiscal 2016 result by the end of fiscal 2025. |
Waste Management
Astellas is promoting efforts to reduce the waste landfill volume to as close to zero as possible through the proactive recycling and reuse of waste materials. Moreover, Astellas also evaluates the relationship between the waste generation volume and economic activities with the index known as the Waste generated per unit, and the Company is making efforts to improve it.
In fiscal 2023, the waste generated per unit improved 23% over the base year (fiscal 2016).
Changes in Waste Generation Volume and Revenue
| Fiscal 2016 | Fiscal 2021 | Fiscal 2022 | Fiscal 2023 | |
| Waste generation volume (Tons) | 13,810 | 13,882 | 13,541 | 13,010 |
| Japan | 11,726 | 10,158 | 9,787 | 9,354 |
| US | 54 | 576 | 780 | 921 |
| Established Markets | 1,976 | 3,043 | 2,866 | 2,655 |
| Greater China | 54 | 105 | 109 | 81 |
| International Markets | - | - | - | - |
| Revenue(billions of yen) | 1,312 | 1,296 | 1,519 | 1,604 |
| Waste generated per unit (Tons/billions of yen) | 10.5 | 10.7 | 8.9 | 8.1 |
| Improvement from Base-year | - | -2% | 15% | 23% |
Target: Production facilities and R&D sites in Japan and overseas (Note: The amount of water withdrawn as indicated in the Environmental Initiatives section includes the amount of water used at our head office.)
*The indicators subject to independent assurance are the waste generation volume and waste generated per unit.
Waste Management in the Value Chain
In waste management, it is also important to prevent environmental pollution being caused by hazardous waste generated by research centers and manufacturing plants and the illegal disposal of that waste. As a means of prevention, we first examine appropriate methods of waste disposal, and then conduct regular on-site assessment that waste treatment contractors are using appropriate waste treatment methods.
Handling status of High-Concentrate PCB-contaminated Waste Storage
We have been systematically conducting detoxification of any high-concentrate PCB-contaminated equipment that is stored by Astellas. All PCB waste was treated during fiscal 2023.