Topic
Achieving Zero Emissions Through Cooperation between Four Group Companies (South Korea)

Hanwook Techno Glass (HTG), Asahi Glass Fine Techno Korea (AFK), Asahi PD Glass Korea (PGK), and AGC Display Glass Ochang (ADO), which all manufacture glass substrates for flat panel displays, achieved zero emissions through mutual collaboration in the second half of fiscal 2009 (July to December 2009). Specifically, they had built a joint recycling support network and held meetings three times a year to share good recycling examples and information about recycling companies, while searching for a company to which they could entrust the recycling of sludge and enhancing employee education on the sorting of waste. As a result, they were able to improve their recycling rate substantially.

Person in charge at ADO

Persons in charge at HTG

Persons in charge at AFK and PGK

Recycling Rates at the Companies

Recovering and Recycling CFCs

AGC Chemicals Company manufactures HCFCs and HFCs as substitutes for CFCs. To fulfill its responsibility as a manufacturer of these products, which are supplied to home electric appliance manufacturers and automakers, the Chemicals Company has been recovering and recycling used CFCs at the Asahi Glass Chiba Plant since 1997. As the global warming potential (GWP) of CFCs is from hundreds to ten thousand times higher than that of CO₂, recovering and recycling greatly contribute to the prevention of global warming. In fiscal 2010, we recovered and decomposed CFCs in the amount of about 2.5 million tons in CO₂ equivalent (as compared with 2.0 million tons in fiscal 2009) at the Chiba Plant.

Recycle Developed in Cross-Industrial Collaboration (Europe)

AGC Glass Europe, (AGEU) which manufactures and sells raw and processed glass for the construction, automotive and solar industries, has developed several ways of recycling glass cullet that does not meet AGEU strict technical specifications for recycling in flat glass production. One recent successful application is the recycling for paving materials which is developed in collaboration with the road construction company. The pieces of broken painted or mirror glasses are incorporated in the asphalt of top road layer for the reflective surface and the aim is to permit better road visibility at night (especially such as poorly illuminated roads). Several real-life tests were carried out in Belgium and France with good results in terms of road performance and reflecting characteristics.

Technicians from Belgian official road laboratory testing the asphalt incorporating the glass

A practical test in Belgium, with the reflecting road surface being used in a poorly illuminated tunnel

Recycling ETFE Fluorinated Resins (Japan)

Guardrails for which ETFE caps are used

AGC Matex, which manufactures and sells a range of plastic products, has been recycling used ETFE films into caps for the support posts of expressway guardrails for sale. Conventional caps for the support posts were made from metal, but replacement with plastic ones has been fostered to reduce damage to vehicles caused by the caps separating from the support posts in the event of collision. ETFE films are highly weather-proof and have high permeability. These films are therefore used for greenhouses and sports facilities and also as front and backing sheets for photovoltaic modules. Weather-resistant caps made from ETFE films do not need to be repaired or replaced for long periods. Because of these features, as many as 240,000 ETFE caps have already been used and this is the same as recycling about 24 tons of ETFE film. The company also aims to recycle used ETFE films into fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) coatings, which represent one of its main products.