Environmental Initiatives
Message from the Management
2006 Environmental Activities
Akita Elpida started its new operations in Oct 2006 as a member of the Elpida Group companies. As for the Environmental Management System, we established and started running the EMS at the beginning of the business of the company, and were certified for the ISO14001: 2004 for the requirements for an environmental management system in Jan 2007. Also, for the 2006 business year, despite having completed the establishment of a new management in quite a short time, we were able to achieve the excellent result in the main area of our environmental activities such as expanding the products portfolio for resource conservation and environment friendliness and cutting down energy use and industrial wastes.
In the 2007 business year, we further expanded the portfolio of resource conservational and environment friendly products and reduced the energy use per unit of production value by developing the smaller multi-layer high density packages and their manufacturing technology. Akita Elpida also worked at aligning the areas subject to the ISO14001 certification in order to build the EMS that is well integrated with the whole Elpida Group's environmental management system. Akita Elpida understands that every aspect of its business activities is closely linked to the environment. We will endeavor to carry out the environmentally responsible practice in delivering a better business result, listening to our customers, local supporters and all the stakeholders.
The 3 targets of Environmental Activities
Akita Elpida, as the new central base for the assembling and testing of semiconductor products, promotes the environmental activities aiming at the following 3 points,.
- To expand the resource conservative products line up, by developing and increasing the production of layered package products, optimizing the technological expertise we have for the world's thinnest layered-chip package.
- To reduce the energy use per unit of production value, by improving the productivity and continuously driving the development of manufacturing technology such as standardizing materials and tools.
- To adopt the Third Party Legal Audit in addition to the internal auditor's check for the compliance with environmental regulations.
A lovely natural setting where swans and water fowls
Akita Elpida is located near several wetland areas. In the spring the marsh lilies bloom, and migratory birds and water fowls visit throughout the year. Among our environmental preservation activities we have worked with the local community to have the wild bird hunting regulations reviewed and the area designated as one where hunting with firearms is prohibited. In future we will continue to engage in environmentally responsible activities in cooperation with local residents
Communication Activities
Collaboration with charity calendar exhibition
The Elpida Memory Group has collected unwanted calendars and diaries and passed them on to a Charity Calendar Exhibition held by the Hiroshima Kenaf Network. Akita Elpida has supported this activity since 2006. The calendars were sold at the exhibition, and the profit was donated to welfare groups
Exchange with local community
Akita Elpida is actively involved with local community for improving and promoting its environmental 
responsible activities. This time, Akita Elpida Memory has toured other local corporations and learned how industrial waste is disposed of by other companies.; This has enabled us to make practical improvements directed toward the mid-term theme of "zero emissions" and to achieve our targets.
We will not forget the importance of communicating with local community for driving our environmentally responsible activities.We drive our environmentally responsible activities, paying good attention to the importance of the communication with local community.
Akita Beautiful Sunday
April every year is clean-up month in Akita, and the second Sunday is designated as "Akita Beautiful Sunday." In part of this prefecture-wide campaign for the better environment, Akita Elpida cleans up the surrounding roads and nearby areas.
This was the second "Akita Beautiful Sunday" that the company took part since joining the Elpida Group. More than 30 employees braved the chilly cloudy weather and laboriously cleaned and removed refuse of the surrounding area. We are committed to continue this kind of environmental activities upon the belief that each participant's awareness and action significantly contribute to the cleaner Akita.
The PP Band Handicraft Workshop
We offered a PP band handicraft workshop as part of our environmental conservation activities and social contribution activities. Made of polypropylene and used for packages such as carton boxes, PP bands come along with shipments to the factory from our customers. The PP bands we collect from the shipments are recycled as plastic material, which is one of our recycling promotion activities.
The handicraft workshop, which was offered in the local nursing home as our new recycling effort of the PP bands, was highly appreciated by not only the senior residents there but all staff members. Through our social contribution activities like this, we will continue to work hard to promote the 3 R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), raise our employees’ environmental awareness, and further enhance their motivation to contribute to the society in addition to more involvement in the local community.
Special On-the-Go Class for Environmental Awareness
For our active involvement in the local communities, we conducted a special class for environmental awareness at Kawazoe Elementary School nearby. The missions of this special on-the-go class are to support development of human resources for the future by providing the children with opportunities to learn about the global environment, which we believe will eventually lead to further growth of the community. Designed for the 6th graders using DVDs as educational materials, this class deepens their understanding and knowledge of the environmental issues such as global warming, and encourages their active participation in the discussion about the contents and measures to take to solve the problems. Akita Elpida will continue to enhance its employees’ further awareness of the environment and sense of commitment to society and humanity in addition to active involvement in the local communities through educational activities like this.
