The YAMADA HOLDINGS Group, in line with its environmental policy, has helped to reduce its impact on the environment in society as a whole by completing the product life cycle within the Group. This has been done by constructing a system to reuse and recycle used electrical appliances collected from customers.
In accordance with relevant laws, YAMADA DENKI properly disposes of waste material from its stores as well as discarded home appliances from customers not covered by the Home Appliance Recycling Act. Specifically speaking, home appliances taken in store are classified into one of three categories: reuse, recycle, or dispose. Products that meet the Company’s criteria are given a new lease of life at reuse plants as reused products and sold at YAMADA Outlet & Reuse stores and other stores. As for products that don’t meet the reuse criteria but which can be recycled, these are meticulously sorted at recycling plants and separated into component materials such as iron, aluminum, and stainless steel. This then goes on to be reused as raw materials in lots of other different products. Waste is outsourced to an external recycling company for recycling. Products that cannot be recycled are disposed of in landfill.
Additionally, in the housing segment, wood is pre-processed at factories for more efficient use of resources. We are also making efforts to reduce industrial waste, including packaging and waste materials form construction sites.
Going forward, we will increase the number of products that can be reused and recycled by building systems and using machines with advanced sorting functions, leading to a reduction in waste.
YAMADA Environmental Resources Development Holdings is engaged in the business of reuse, reducing waste and its proper disposal (recycling), and using recycled materials with a focus on electrical appliances. The Company efficiently collects used products and reuses them wherever possible to resell and deliver on to customers. The Company also comprehensively recycles products that cannot be reused, with the recycled materials used as raw materials for new products.
Regarding the reuse of home appliances, the YAMADA HOLDINGS Group is building a complete distribution network for the reuse of home appliances, from the repurchase of quality products through to recycling and sales, centered on CIC which develops environmental resources. Our reuse centers provide a service that allows customers to purchase reused home appliances with peace of mind by giving every product a thorough cleaning, check and repair, as well as a warranty of up to 24 months from the day the product is purchased. In May 2022, a new plant was built in Gunma Prefecture with the aim to increase production of reused products. The new plant is equipped with an automated warehouses that stores various used home appliances sent from all over the country, as well as an automatic washer for washing machine drums. In July 2024, we started construction of the Yamaguchi Plant in order to achieve our production target of 300,000 units for fiscal 2026. As for the reuse of computers, INVERSENET recovers second-hand computers for resale. Looking ahead, we will continue to make the most of our advanced technological capabilities to increase the number of reused products.
YAMADA DENKI collects used small home appliances at all of its stores based on the Act on Promotion of Recycling of Small Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Small Home Appliance Recycling Act*). Used home appliances collected in stores are sorted by high-precision machines within the Group (Azuma Metal) and meticulously classified by material, such as plastic and metal, for recycling. In July 2024, a new recycling plant was completed in Gunma Prefecture. We will continue to promote resource recycling efforts as a unified Group.
* A law that encourages the formation of a circular economy whereby a government-certified business operator collects and processes electrical machinery and appliances, excluding the four categories of home appliances subject to the Home Appliance Recycling Act (TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators and freezers, and washing machines and clothes dryers).
As well as reusing and re-marketing used home appliances received from customers, materials made from recycled resources are developed into ecofriendly products and then sold. We have introduced shopping baskets, pallets for reuse factories, and carry handles for small appliances made from recycled plastic materials, contributing to sustainable efforts. In the future, the Group will aim to develop and sell products in various fields such as housing.
Pallets at the Reuse Fujioka Plant
YAMADA DENKI donates 10 yen for every used ink cartridge deposited at one of its reusable ink cartridge collection boxes in each of its stores. In the fiscal year ended March 2024, approximately 0.79 million cartridges were collected with 8,341,490 yen donated to the Foundation for Orphans from Automobile Accident. The amount of carbon emissions was also reduced by 60t through the collection and sale of ink cartridges.
Since February 2020, YAMADA DENKI has been using electronic shelf labels (electronic prices) for its digital home appliances. Electronic pricing not only reduces the amount of paper and ink used, but also helps to streamline inventory management and reduces workloads for employees.
Electronic Shelf Labels (electronic prices)
Our Group manages water treatment properly during the reuse process in environmental projects, striving to conserve water resources by reducing water usage through recycling and other means. Our reuse production plants consume approximately 30,000 m³ of water annually. Our automatic washing tub cleaners adopt a recycling system that filters and reuses hot water without using detergents. Hypochlorous acid water is used for refrigerator disinfection, aiming to reduce environmental impact. We will continue to focus on water resources initiatives, working to maintain and manage the natural environment to preserve biodiversity.
Housetec, which has housing and environmental equipment as one of its core businesses, is engaged in the water environment business and is focusing on the development and sale of septic tanks. The installation of septic tanks for new home builds is stipulated in law in Japan (excluding planned sewerage treatment areas). As such, single-type septic tanks that handle only wastewater from toilets, and combined-type septic tanks that treat all domestic wastewater, including from the kitchen and bathroom, have become widely used. The revised septic tank law that came into effect in 2020 encourages existing singletype septic tanks to be converted into combinedtype tanks. The combined septic tank developed by Housetec is designed to replace single septic tanks, achieving space efficiency. In addition to its energy-efficient design, it uses lightweight and highly durable DCPD* resin, providing strong resistance to disasters such as earthquakes, with a proven track record of installation in various locations. Our Group companies, Nikka Maintenance and Chubu Nikka Service, are involved in the maintenance, inspection, and installation of septic tanks, supporting our customers’ living environments. We will continue to focus on the development, dissemination, and maintenance of environmentally friendly septic tanks, aiming to further improve water environments and promote biodiversity through water conservation efforts.
*DCPD: Dicyclopentadiene
