Tokyo - The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced that Yokohama Tire Philippines Inc. (YTPI), a key production and sales location for passenger car tires in the Philippines, had achieved "complete zero emissions"*1 - that is, no waste is subject to direct landfill disposal. In June 2010, Yokohama Rubber conducted on-site investigations of all contractors commissioned to dispose of waste from the plant (based on the disposal flowchart of each contractor), confirming achievement of "complete zero emissions."

YTPI began efforts toward "zero emissions"*2 - landfill disposal less than 1% of total waste - in 2006. Starting by recycling paper waste from offices, the company conducted Recycle Collection Events of recyclable resources that grew to include PET bottles, plastic containers and used cans, separated and collected by each department or manufacturing process. In November 2009, a team of Zero Emission Responsible Officers ("ZERO") representing each department and manufacturing process was formed to promote zero emissions activities, including monthly patrols. In this way, the entire company, with the participation of each of its employees, worked to achieve the goal via thorough, affirmative separation of recyclable resources. It is similarly working now to achieve "100% waste recycling."*3 As part of CSR efforts, the company strives also to contribute to the local community: Employees construct planters, chairs, tables, trash boxes, etc., using waste rubber materials and used containers from the plant, and distribute them to schools, hospitals and public facilities in the region.

Under a basic policy of asserting world-class strengths in technologies for protecting the environment, as stated in its "Medium-Range Management Plan: Grand Design 100 (GD100)," the Yokohama Rubber Group has endorsed the concept of "top-level environmental friendliness." A priority issue in that declaration is the reduction of waste emissions at domestic and overseas production sites. Domestically, all eight production sites have maintained "complete zero emissions" since March 2006, and had achieved 100% recycling of industrial waste by the end of FY2009. All overseas production sites aim at achieving "complete zero emissions" by the end of FY2011. Along with YTPI and Hangzhou Yokohama Tire Co., Ltd., a key production and sales location for passenger car tires in China, having met that goal, the Yokohama Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a key production location for passenger-car, truck and bus tires in Thailand, has achieved "zero emissions."

*1:No waste is subject to direct landfill disposal.
*2:Less than 1% of the total waste volume is subject to direct landfill disposal.
*3:No waste generated in the course of business activities is subject to final disposal(= landfill disposal + incineration without effective utilization).