Statistics

DOMESTIC

17,000 tons of used dry-cell batteries, 8,000 tons of used fluorescent lamps and 6,000 tons of other mercury wastes are collected each year from all 47 Prefectures of Japan and treated at Itomuka Plant

Ever since the inception of our company in 1973, we have been treating and processing various types of mercury wastes, including dry-cell batteries and fluorescent lamps, based on our advanced mercury-refining technology. Each year, we treat a total of 30,000 tons of mercury waste— of which used dry-cell batteries account for 17,000 tons and used-fluorescent lamps account for 8,000 tons. The remaining 6,000 tons of waste is comprised of other mercury-containing products (i.e. measuring devices such as thermometers, sphygmomanometers and manometers and vaccinations that include thiomersal) and mercury-contaminants (i.e. mercury-contaminated soil).
Furthermore, our work supports the industrial sectors of Japan. For example, we have been commissioned by non-ferrous metal refineries to treat their mercury-containing sludge. Here, we remove the mercury from the sludge and send back the mercury-free sludge which contains precious metals such as gold and silver.

INTERNATIONAL

We have been importing and treating mercury waste such as fluorescent lamps, HID lamps, dry-cell batteries, button cell batteries, sludge, catalyst etc. from Asian countries, in accordance with the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.

We have been working with customers below.
- Waste Management companies
- Manufacturing companies
- Oil and Gas companies

By importing and treating waste from abroad, we contribute to the mercury waste treatment processes of other countries.

1. Taiwan: Collected and treated button cell batteries, and HID lamps
   Since 2006, we have been treating and processing imported dry-cell batteries, button cell batteries and HID lamps from Taiwan. Initially, our main area of work was with dry-cell batteries. However, nowadays, we receive more button cell batteries and HID lamps, which have higher levels of mercury concentration.
2. Philippines: Collected and treated used fluorescent lamps
   We treat used-fluorescent lamps that are collected from Japanese companies situated in the Philippines. Our work started in 2002 and since then, we have been collecting fluorescent lamps each year.
   In order not to limit our involvement in the Philippines to Japanese companies, we have installed an intermediate fluorescent lamp processing system for local companies. By working hand in hand with local companies who crushes the lamps on their premises, this system will reduce inefficiencies by only requiring the remaining mercury waste to be sent to Japan for final treatment.
3. Indonesia: Collected and treated mercury waste from oil companies
   Some oil and gas fields have relatively detected high mercury in southeast asia including Indonesia.Since 2016, we have been treating and processing imported mercury waste such as oil sludge, elemental mercury and filters generated from oil companies in Indonesia.