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In 1994, Murata pledged “to always make sure not to make products that waste resources and energy and not to use production methods that destroy the environment, and to strive toward coexistence with the environment” and has proactively worked on resource conservation and recycling, including achieving zero emissions (zero waste to landfill)*1 within Japan in 2003. At the same time, the future risk of resource depletion is increasing due to global population growth and economic development. Marine pollution caused by waste and the impact of incineration on climate change are also growing concerns. To combat these issues, Murata swiftly responds to trends in resource circulation by undertaking efforts such as switching to sustainable resources for components and recycling harmful and non-harmful waste generated during manufacturing into valuable resources. We are committed to promoting measures that effectively address the risk of resource depletion and measures that mitigate climate change. Through these efforts, we maintain and improve natural capital with the aim of creating a recycling-oriented society.
To realize a sustainable global environment through co-creation with stakeholders and to spread it to our own business and to society.
Link: Investing in R PLUS JAPAN, a Company that Recycles Used Plastic
This means not only eliminating waste that goes directly to landfills, but also including residue and other waste materials produced during intermediate processes. However, this excludes waste that must be landfilled to be properly disposed of.
Rate of use of sustainable resources: This indicates weight percentages of recycled materials of 24 resources with a high risk of depletion.
Resource recycling rate: This indicates weight percentages of Murata’s recycled waste (waste + valuables) resources.
The rate of use of sustainable resources is merely an estimate, as public information on recycling rates is used for calculation.
Initiatives that contribute to the improvement of resource recycling rate
Initiatives that contribute to the improvement of the rate of use of sustainable resources and the resource recycling rate
Initiatives that contribute to the improvement of the rate of use of sustainable resources
Based on our environmental management system, we at Murata promote environmental initiatives that include creating a recycling-oriented society. As part of environmental efforts, we identify risks and opportunities related to recycling and managing waste, verify legal and other requirements, implement operational controls, and conduct education and training, internal audits, and management reviews. The CSR Management Committee, chaired by the President, and the Environmental Committee, chaired by an Executive Vice President, each hold meetings twice a year to formulate policies for creating a recycling-oriented society and to report on and deliberate the progress of related initiatives.
Link: Environmental management
Murata has long been committed to not only complying with laws and regulations, but also promoting initiatives based on the 3Rs—Reduce (minimizing waste generation), Reuse, and Recycle—including those involving hazardous waste. In recent years, the risks of resource depletion have been increasing. Additionally, marine pollution caused by waste and its impact on climate change have also become growing concerns. While continuing with these basic efforts, Murata will also work on switching to using recycled materials for components and reducing waste-derived thermal recovery volume. Our technological capability that contributes to smaller size and profile, lighter weight, higher efficiency, and longer life of components, combined with our monozukuri (manufacturing) capability drawing on a sophisticated collaboration of material and product development, production techniques, procurement, and manufacturing functions, inspires further innovation and promotes resource recycling. At the same time, Murata understands that our solitary efforts have their limits―we therefore co-create with external partners and together seek to build a recycling scheme and develop technologies. Murata will also endeavor to expand and further deploy existing projects, including the scaling of closed-loop recycling of used PET films. We will put effort in the use of sustainable resources for components through existing initiatives and further innovation, as well as co-creation and expansion of previous and current efforts with external partners. Together with the circular use of waste generated during manufacturing, we aim to create a recycling-oriented society through these efforts.
We aim not to use virgin material from 24 resources (such as Ni and Ag) corresponding to the following in our products.
We will conduct our business activities so that we can use resources sustainably in the future, through means such as switching to resources that do not correspond to (1) or (2) above and using recycled materials.
To achieve zero emissions, Murata has been focusing on eliminating landfills and engaging in measures such as material recycling and thermal recovery (heat recovery) of waste, including hazardous waste. In recent years, in addition to eliminating landfills, we have been requested by stakeholders to use processes with a lower environmental load, for example, discontinuing thermal recovery. In consideration of these requests and social trends, we are now aiming to implement processes that will work in harmony with the rest of the world even in 2050. Toward that end, we are also engaged in "resource recycling" initiatives, where we reuse all the waste generated during our manufacturing processes as resources at our company as well as other companies.
In 1994, Murata pledged “to always make sure not to make products that waste resources and energy and not to use production methods that destroy the environment, and to strive toward coexistence with the environment” and has proactively worked on resource conservation and recycling. These efforts promote 3R activities and zero emissions (zero waste to landfill) to mindfully use finite natural resources and reduce environmental impact. A variety of waste is generated during our process of making electronic components, from material manufacturing to calcination and molding. We reviewed and revised the production materials and process to ensure that these waste materials are sorted and separated properly. We also encourage creating and adding recycling methods and routes in cooperation with industrial waste disposal operators. As a result, we achieved zero waste to landfill at all business sites in Japan during fiscal 2003. In fiscal 2024, the Murata Group achieved a global recycling rate (excluding landfills) of 98%.
In 2022, Murata became the first company in the electronic component manufacturing industry to successfully create a system for recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films used in the manufacturing process of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) to reuse them as PET films for the same purpose. Previously, used PET films for MLCCs were sent to thermal recovery or cascade recycling. This new system contributes to reducing waste and CO2 emissions as it enables cyclic use of PET materials over a long period. Additionally, we actively participated in projects that aim to achieve a “society that continuously recycles PET materials” beyond the boundary of industrial PET films in order to fulfill our responsibilities as an enterprise that uses plastic resources.
Link: Murata to Begin Closed-loop Recycling of PET Film from Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors Link: Cross-industry collaboration in PET chemical recycling to expand sourcing of feedstocks for non-food contact materials
In 2024, Murata invested in R PLUS JAPAN, which engages in projects that recycle used plastics. As we shared the common desire to “To create a society where plastic, as a valuable resource, continues to circulate indefinitely.” we decided to become a member of R PLUS JAPAN. Through R PLUS JAPAN activities, we aim to address environmental issues such as marine plastic pollution and climate change by working with external partners, while also promoting the recycling of plastic materials generated at our manufacturing sites.
Since 2021, Murata Electronics Singapore (Pte.) Ltd. has been using membrane distillation units (MDU) instead of conventional sedimentation to process plating waste liquid. The MDUs adopt new technology developed jointly with Kurita Water Industries Ltd. These units can condense waste liquid to reduce its volume to 1/60 of its original volume through a process combining reverse osmosis and membrane distillation. This process does not use any chemicals, and thus prevents entry of any foreign contaminant to the waste liquid. Intermediate waste is also recovered and reused as new products, which contributes to improving the recycle rate and promoting a circular economy.
Murata has developed the technological capability that contributes to smaller size and profile, lighter weight, higher efficiency, and longer life of components, and delivered products to a wide range of markets. Notably, the development of techniques to downsize the multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) is a key achievement that responds to the needs of society, improving convenience in people’s lives and contributing to the use of sustainable resources. These developments significantly reduce materials used in products, which makes possible a more efficient use of finite resources.
Link: MLCC Products that Put Environmental Load Reduction into Practice Based on 'Light, Thin, Short, and Small' Characteristics
Murata ships chip components on tapes wound into reels. Shortening the intervals between products during packaging significantly reduces the amount of packaging material used, which led to a 50% reduction in material volume for some multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). This effort contributes not only to the reduction of resource consumption and waste generation, including paper and plastic, but also to the decrease of CO2 emissions and water usage. Furthermore, it enhances production line efficiency by reducing the frequency of component replenishment.
Link: Environmentally friendly narrow-pitch taping (0201, 0402, 0603 inch sizes compatible)
In the fashion world, most used apparel products are incinerated or sent to landfills, which fuels climate change and other major environmental issues. To tackle this problem, PIECLEX offers eco-friendly “electric fibers” made from plant-derived materials and delivers P-FACTS, which is a truly sustainable fashion option where the fibers eventually biodegrade and turns into compost that grows the next generation of plants. Through collaborative efforts with apparel and fiber manufacturers, we encourage making products from compostable materials. Furthermore, based on the concept of using and reusing in the local area (“regional cyclic use”), PIECLEX collects, sorts, and composts used products in a transparent and reliable way to finally deliver them for use as compost for agriculture and forestry. This initiative reduces the amount of apparel products incinerated or sent to landfills, contributing to reduction in CO2 emissions.
Link: Circular infrastructure P-FACTS for casual environmental contribution (Japanese)
Currently, food disposal directly leads to resource waste, and greenhouse gas emissions produced during the process of disposal are causing environmental issues. To tackle these social issues, Murata is developing a technology that turns unused biomass resources, including food waste and agricultural residues, into ethanol by enzymatic reaction. We are building on high-efficiency process technologies for organic and inorganic material production cultivated through the course of our electronic components manufacturing business. We are aiming for practical application of this new technology, working in collaboration with food companies and agricultural corporations that supply unused biomass resources, as well as enterprises that use the produced ethanol.
The total amount of waste increased in FY2024 due to an increase in the production volume. Additionally, the total waste emissions per basic unit of sales worsened since new wastes were generated due to raw material changes.
Link: Murata value report：Use of sustainable resources Link: Independent Assurance Statement
Amounts less than the specified unit are rounded off, so the breakdown and total may not match.
Hazardous waste: The definition varies by country. In Japan, it refers to specially controlled industrial waste.
In Japan, Murata maintains zero landfilling since fiscal 2003. However, this excludes waste that must be landfilled as the appropriate method of treatment.