Approach in region

Panasonic aims to create factories that are opening to and living in harmony with local communities to offer firsthand opportunities to local residents to observe our environmental activities. As a model factory, we designated Kusatsu area, Shiga, Japan as ‘eco ideas’ Factory Biwako. Through cooperation among industry, universities, local communities, and the local government, the factory has undertaken various environmental and community activities. In June, Home Appliance Group issued the Declaration for Environment. Our ‘eco ideas’ Factories concept will be introduced to a plasma display factory in Amagasaki, Hyogo, and a semiconductor factory in Uotsu, Toyama.

To reflect the opinions of residents in local communities in our environmental sustainability management, we are working on exchanging opinions, as well as releasing and sharing information.

February: Participated in Kusatsu Environmental Conference for Children for the first time (Organized by Kusatsu city government)
May: Holding of an environment conference with local neighborhood associations (Organized by Home Appliance)

We actively participate in local events to communicate our activities and receive comments.

August: Biwako Peron Boat Competition (Organized by the executive committee; Biwako Broadcasting Co., Ltd.)
October: Biwako Environmental Business Exhibition (Shiga Prefecture) Global warming prevention fair in Biwako (Kusatsu City)

We keep the garbage generated from canteens and supply it to local farmers. The garbage will then be processed to make fertilizer for their farming. This activity started in fiscal 2007 in cooperation with an NPO. By supporting forward-thinking farmers' environmentallyconscious farming, we aim at contributing to the creation of a society where food resources are properly recycled.

Exchanges with local communities

As a part of Love the Earth Citizens' Campaign, we proactively participate in local clean-up campaigns and offer our sports ground as a space for exchanges between local residents and employees working in Kusatsu.

July: Biwako Day clean-up campaign (Shiga Prefecture)
May & November: Flea market (Kusatsu citizens' conference) Picking up litter program (Kusatsu City)
August: Summer festival (Organized by Panasonic)
Year-round: Lending out our sports ground for rugby, football, and baseball games

Panasonic offers environmental education opportunities to raise people's awareness of the environment by presenting energy conservation technologies through refrigerator and air-conditioner factory tours. The eco-factory tour in March 2008 was attended by 70 sixth-grade students at Kusatsu City Tamagawa elementary school in Shiga, Japan. Students took a factory tour and made their own thermos bottles using a vacuum heat insulation material. To familiarize them with environmental issues, we conducted a variety of programs, such as a program using Eco-Promise Sheets for CO₂ emissions reduction. We also conduct factory tours for the general public and for various organizations.