Corporate Profile | Panasonic Eco Technology Center (PETEC)

Name: Panasonic Eco Technology Center Co., Ltd.
Address: 50 Saho, Kato-city, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan 673-1447
President: Hiroki Kono
Business: Recycling of used home appliances, development, and verification of recycling technology
Products handled: designated products under the Home Appliance Recycling Law:
Flat-panel TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators/freezers and washing machines/clothes dryers
Founded: April 4, 2000
Launched operations: April 1, 2001
Area of site: approx 38,570 square meters
Floor space of structure: approx 15,100 square meters
Capital: 400 million yen

April 2000: Found Matsushita Eco Technology Center in Kato Gun,Hyogo,Japan with a capital of 100 million yen
April 2001: Start recycling of end-of-life home appliances such as TV,AC,WM,RE
Increase the capital to 400 million yen
December 2001: Award "Excellent Factory Prize 2001" by Nikkei Inc.
March 2002: Obtained ISO14001 certification (Japan Audit and Certification Organization for Environment and Quality)
November 2002: Achieve recycling of 1 million units in total
October 2003: Obtained license as industrial waste disposal contractor
November 2003: Award "Wastec 2003"
July 2004: Factory tour participants reached the 30,000 mark
October 2004: Award "President of Clean Japan Center"
at Commendation of Recourse Cycle Technology and System
June 2005: Add "5. the business regarding treatment of industrial waste" to the articles of association
April 2006: Commended by Hyogo prefecture for the contribution of social welfare business
July 2006: Factory tour participants reached the 50,000 mark
April 2007: Achieve recycling of 4 million units in total
February 2008: Developed organic material decomposition recycling technology based on a catalytic reaction; Matsushita Eco Technology Center Co., Ltd. changed its name to Panasonic Eco Technology Center Co., Ltd.; Awarded the Resource Recycling Technology/System Prize, and The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau Chief's Prize
January 2009: Factory tour participants reached the 80,000 mark
March 2009: Awarded Environment goo Kids Section Award
April 2009: Flat-panel TV and clothes dryers were added to the scope of recycling
July 2009: Developed PF separation technology with laser processing for CRT
October 2009: Achieved recycling of 6 millions units in total
November 2009: Factory tour participants reached the 90,000 mark
August 2010: Achieved recycling of 7 millions units in total; Factory tour participants reached the 100,000 mark
September 2010: Developed high-precision resin separating system
April 2011: Achieved recycling of 8 millions units in total
May 2011: High-precision resin separating system awarded for Industry Technology Award by Osaka Industrial Research Association; Developed highly efficient refrigerator line which can handle various types
September 2011: Factory tour participants reached the 110,000 mark
March 2012: Achieved recycling of 9 million units in total; Developed Neodymium recovery technology from outdoor unit of air conditioner
August 2012: Factory tour participants reached the 120,000 mark
March 2013: Developed a highly efficient recycle line for quickly processing tilted drum washing machines, as was previously developed for conventional, vertical drum models
July 2013: Achieved recycling of 10 million units in total
October 2013: Factory tour participants reached the 130,000 mark
June 2014: Improved high-precision resin separating system to enable simultaneous separation of three resin types
October 2014: Factory tour participants reached the 140,000 mark; Ceremony marked the completion of the PETEC Tojo Base and the Tojo Factory of Panasonic Production Engineering Co., Ltd.
February 2015: Received a Letter of Appreciation from the Social Welfare Service Corporation, National Social Welfare Corporation, for supporting the work of physically disabled persons
April 2015: CRT TV recycling ended at PETEC
August 2015: Received the Hyogo Universal Society Building Award (Director's Award for the Universal Society Building Hyogo Promotion Conference)
October 2015: Received the METI Minister Award for Asset Recycling Technologies and Systems
November 2015: Factory tour participants reached the 150,000 mark
January 2016: In order to reorganize the refrigerator line to cope with product changes, a non-chlorofluorocarbon-gas dedicated crushing line was newly added
October 2016: Factory tour participants reached the 160,000 mark
June 2017: Achieved recycling of 13 million units in total
October 2017: Factory tour participants reached the 170,000 mark
May 2018: Reorganized the air conditioner line to reduce the workload
September 2018: Factory tour participants reached the 180,000 mark; Achieved recycling of 14 million units in total
January 2019: Relocated the flat panel TV line in anticipation of receiving an increase of units; First Domestic No CO₂ Emissions Factory
February 2019: Received the ACAP Consumer-oriented Activity Commendation
August 2019: Started using geothermal air conditioning system
September 2019: Factory tour participants reached the 190,000 mark; Achieved recycling of 15 million units in total
November 2019: Completed installation of 2,046 outdoor solar panels
January 2020: Obtained ISO45001 certification (Japan Audit and Certification Organization for Environment and Quality)
April 2020: Factory tours temporarily suspended for the first time due to the declaration of a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
October 2020: Achieved recycling of 16 million units in total
March 2021: Started full-scale operation of cutting equipment on flat-panel TV line; Introduced automatic picking equipment into flat-panel TV line
October 2021: Achieved recycling of 17 million units in total
March 2022: The latter stage process of the refrigerator line was updated (Stage 1 of reorganization construction); Factory tour participants reached the 200,000 mark
December 2022: Achieved recycling of 18 million units in total
March 2023: Completed stage 2 of reorganization construction
February 2024: Achieved recycling of 19 million units in total
March 2024: Introduced heat insulator chlorofluorocarbon recovery unit No. 2.

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