Environment

Murata has long pursued product-making that harmonizes with local communities under its principle to be “a company whose presence in local communities is a source of pride and joy to those communities.” If environmental pollution arises, it can seriously affect the health and lives of local people, not to mention the natural environment. Therefore, we regard environment pollution risk as a core issue and ensure responsible actions, always being mindful of the potential impacts of our business activities on the local environment. Additionally, while stricter regulations are being introduced as a recent global trend, we are promoting active initiatives ahead of such enforcements. Through these efforts, we will reduce environmental impact wherever possible and make products in harmony with the local communities.

Murata aims to reduce environmental burden and realize manufacturing that harmonizes with society by pursuing sustainable business processes that are not restricted to conventional frameworks.

At Murata, we strictly comply with environmental management requirements and applicable laws and regulations based on our group-wide EHS (Environment, Health & Safety) Management System. Specifically, we identify risks and opportunities related to environmental pollution prevention, review legal and other requirements, and conduct operational controls, education and training, internal audits, and management reviews, promoting comprehensive environmental conservation activities. In addition, the Sustainability Committee, chaired by the Representative Director and President, and the Environment Committee, chaired by the Executive Vice President, each hold a meeting twice a year to formulate policies for preventing environmental pollution and to report on and deliberate the progress of our initiatives, in order to ensure continuous improvement.

Link: Environmental management

To achieve “what Murata wants to be,” we discuss risks and opportunities related to preventing environmental pollution and identify the issues to be addressed based on progressive international standards and trends in industrial organizations.

Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are said to be one of the causes of air pollution. Murata has endorsed the initiatives of four electrical and electronics industry organizations, including JEITA, and has been voluntarily working to reduce VOC emissions since 2000. This has been achieved through measures such as introducing regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) at business sites with high VOC emissions and implementing material substitutions.
In recent years, there has been a global trend toward stricter VOC regulations. At Murata, the amount of VOCs used is increasing in line with production growth. Therefore, starting in fiscal 2022, we expanded the range of VOCs targeted for reduction and launched additional measures to further reduce emissions.
In general, VOCs are abated by burning the emissions. However, this method generates CO₂ deriving from the fuel and VOCs, leading to a climate change risk. Therefore, moving forward, we will not only maintain combustion treatments but also reduce the amount of VOCs used in our manufacturing processes, thereby contributing to a society that balances air pollution prevention with climate change mitigation.

In the event of an environmental incident, the released chemicals can contaminate the air, water, and/or soil and affect the local residents and ecosystem. Therefore, since the 1990s, Murata has worked to prevent environmental incidents and aimed to achieve community-friendly manufacturing. Contamination risks still remain in our business activities, and we will continue our efforts to prevent environmental incidents.

In addition to the challenges outlined, we will continue to advance our environmental contamination prevention efforts, including preventing soil and groundwater contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to achieve community-friendly manufacturing.

Since 2000, Murata has been voluntarily working to reduce emissions of 20 specific VOCs by introducing regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) and by implementing material substitutions.
To achieve further reduction in VOC emissions, we will expand the types of these VOC targets and continue to reduce the amount of VOCs used in the manufacturing process as well as the amount of VOCs generated during conventional treatment, thereby contributing to the prevention of air pollution and the creation of a decarbonized society.

The amount of VOC emissions was 1,544t in fiscal 2024. We reached the goal of reducing emissions compared to the figure in fiscal 2021, which was our 2022-2024 medium-term target.

Murata endeavors to reduce risks in order to keep effluent levels below regulatory limits. By analyzing past events with potential for regulatory limit overruns, we undertake efforts that specifically target high-risk factors. For example, we have revised our risk methodologies to ensure rigorous assessments and introduced our own standards to prevent leaks and releases of chemicals while they are stored and transferred.

During fiscal 2024, two cases occurred where a liquid chemical leak exceeded regulatory limits. In these cases, small amounts of vehicle oil and wash water from equipment cleaning for disposal leaked, exceeding the regulatory limit at the boundary of our property. Neither incident had a significant environmental impact on the surrounding community. Following our report to the authorities, no administrative enforcement actions, such as suspension of operations, fines, or cleanup orders, were imposed.

Soil and groundwater contamination surveys and decontamination

Murata has been quick to carry out surveys on soil and groundwater contamination caused by past business activities and has actively worked toward early remediation since the 1990s.
Specifically, depending on the properties of the soil, the concentration of contamination, and the location of the contaminating source, we apply the in-situ bio method, the in-situ iron powder method, the in-situ oxidation and decomposition method, or other decontamination methods using state-of-the-art technologies to decontaminate the area according to the source of contamination. In addition, we install wells at the boundaries of the facilities in question to enable us to monitor the status of decontamination of the groundwater.

Communications with local residents about environmental risk

In addition to aiming to reduce the environmental load of our business activities, Murata works to establish mutual trust with local communities.

During fiscal 2024, the Murata Group’s plants received 10 complaints regarding noise and other matters, and we quickly resolved these issues in consultation with local residents.

We also strive to promote information disclosure, by such means as inviting local residents to tour our operating sites, so that they can better understand our active environmental efforts.