Environmental Efforts

	◆Eco-mind & Management ◆Eco Products ◆Eco-factories ◆Recycling
[Environmental Vision] As a global citizen, we will globally promote our endeavors for innovation while nurturing the potential of future generations to pioneer next-generation products and services.
Provision of next-generation products and services We will continue to make innovations for highly competitive products and services that will contribute to structuring a sustainable society and undertake the challenge for deployment of new business models. Eco-mind and global environmental management In our entire group, we will promote an eco-mind and the power to transform it into action while establishing and implementing a global environmental management and evaluation system. Collaboration with stakeholders We will strengthen environmental communications and actively endeavor to realize concrete partnerships with our stakeholders while clarifying our objectives and achievements. Factories and offices with a high level of consideration for the environment We will thoroughly carry out activities for the prevention of global warming and continue our efforts to promote resource circulation, and the same time, work to augment our operational bases with consideration for the environment.

Eco-mind & Management
As a company aiming to provide a comfortable living environment, Hitachi Appliances is undertaking companywide activities that promote coexistence with the environment as one major management issue. We are employing an environmental management system based on ISO 14001 standards, in which 5 domestic and 10 overseas production bases have obtained certification. Efforts directed toward cultivating "eco-minded" employees are also being conducted by implementing environmental education through e-learning via the Internet.	Environmental education as part of social contribution activities (Taiwan Hitachi Co., Ltd.)
Eco Products
In order to minimize environmental loads throughout product/system life cycles, we are expanding our range of environmentally friendly products through adopting the Guideline for Assessing Design for the Environment in which efforts are being carried out to achieve greater energy savings and recyclabilitly as well as to reduce product chemical content (reduction of packaging, etc.) Of particular note, we are aggressively promoting the employment of a refrigerant with zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) in products such as air conditioners, air conditioning systems and refrigerators for household use.	Product display at ENEX 2006 Exhibition
Eco-factories
On the production side, in addition to ensuring the reduction of CO2 emissions and VOC (volatile organic compounds) through energy savings, Hitachi is also focusing efforts on reducing environmental loads through the risk management of chemical substances and waste reductions (zero emissions), as well as reducing the use of cardboard and wood packaging used for product packaging.	Internal environmental education is also conducted through the e-learning system
Recycling
Prior to the enactment of the Law for Recycling of Specified Kinds of Home Appliances (commonly known as the Home Appliance Recycling Law) in April 2001, Kanto Eco Recycle Co., Ltd. Was established within the Tochigi Works in 1999 as a recycling plant to handle recycling operations for four categories of used household electrical appliances (TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners). As the only recycling plant in Japan integrated with a product manufacturing plant, feedback from the know-how gained by the recycling plant is evaluated and applied toward product development. Futhermore, we are promoting recycling by processing collected plastic for reuse in product components and materials. In commercial air conditioning systems as well, used equipment is also collected for refrigerant recovery and disassembly and disposal.	Kanto Eco Recycle co., Ltd.