Resource recycling initiatives for plastics
Start of bottle-to-bottle, horizontal recycling of PET bottles
The SUGI Pharmacy Group, in collaboration with its supply chain companies, started a bottle-to-bottle, horizontal recycling initiative in which used PET bottles are collected and recycled as new PET bottles. More than 10 stores in Aichi and Saitama Prefectures served as bases for PET bottle collection. Since FY 2023, stores all over Japan have participated in this initiative.
In this initiative, we install new recycling boxes at SUGI Pharmacy stores and aim to collect used PET bottles of good quality, meaning that the labeling and the cap have been removed and the bottle has been washed. The bottles collected at a store are transported to a SUGI Pharmacy distribution center by a truck on the way back from the delivery of merchandise to the SUGI Pharmacy store. The bottles are then processed for volume reduction by a company contracted for compression processing and for resin regeneration by a recycler. After that, our partner beverage manufacturers manufacture beverage products using the recycled PET bottles as their containers.
Going forward, we will work to improve the efficiency of the collection scheme and reduce the cost of recycled PET resins by encouraging more supply chain companies to participate in collection.
A person using a “Bottle Squash” volume reduction machine
The machine grants SUGI Pharmacy points according to the volume of collected bottles and automatically screens only those PET bottles that do not contain any residue.
Customers can enjoy participate in resource recycling. (The machine has been introduced to a limited number of stores.)
Recycling resources in coordination with government agencies
Collecting PET bottles in coordination with Shizuoka City
Participation in a sponge recycling program
We have participated in a sponge recycling program in collaboration with 3M japan Limited and TerraCycle Japan LLC. Our stores will serve as collection bases in the program.
Participation in the verification tests for a medicine sheet recycling program
Two stores of the SUGI Pharmacy Group in Yokohama City have participated as collection bases in Japan’s first consumer participation type used medicine sheet (PTP sheet) recycling program organized by Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare Co., Ltd. and started jointly with TerraCycle Japan LLC in Yokohama City.
In Japan, approximately between 10,000 to 20,000 tons of medicine sheets are produced a year. As they are indispensable packaging materials for pharmaceuticals, it is difficult to reduce their consumption, and their consumption is expected to increase going forward with the advancement of societal aging. However, few consumers recognize them as a recyclable resource, and the collection volume is small. Therefore, unlike for PET bottles, recycling mechanisms for medicine sheets have not been established.
By serving as collection bases for medicine sheets of prescription drugs and OTC pharmaceuticals sold and/or used by the SUGI Pharmacy Group, we will increase the awareness of them as a recyclable resource among customers and patients and contribute to the creation of a mechanism to recycle them as a resource.
Reducing the use of plastic
We continue to charge for plastic checkout bags to reduce their use.
No. and weight of used checkout bags
| FY 2019 | FY 2020 | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of used bags (unit: 1 million bags) |
262 | 144 | 43 | 65 | 102 |
| Weight of used bags (unit: ton) |
2,000 | 1,100 | 328 | 507 | 800 |
Strengthening resource recycling initiatives for clothing and textile goods
Recycling of used uniforms as display fixtures
The SUGI Pharmacy Group has introduced PANEKO@, a sustainable board made from discarded clothing. Used uniforms of store employees are collected and recycled as display fixtures made of PANEKO@.
Role as a collection base for textiles and clothing
Clothing items are collected at our stores in Okazaki City and Chiryu City, Aichi Prefecture.
Strengthening resource recycling initiatives for food (food loss reduction)
Promoting temaedori (taking from the one in front)
We have been implementing the “temaedori” (taking from the one in front) initiative together with the government agencies concerned and JACDS member companies. This initiative is aimed at reducing food waste by encouraging customers who plan to eat food right away to choose from and purchase products in the front.
At the same time, we will promote the initiative to reduce the food-loss-and-waste ratio through the promotion of selling out by revising food disposal standards, the reduction of excess inventory by revising inventory standards for bread, and the optimization of inventory by introducing automatic order placement for food.
Strengthening the promotion of selling out of foods whose best-before date is approaching
By introducing a closeout sticker issuing machine, we have increased productivity by reducing the burden of in-store work to sell out of foods whose best-before date is approaching. Through this effort, we have strengthened the promotion of selling out of foods whose best-before date is approaching.
Donation to food banks
We have started the donation, to food banks, of foods that cannot be sold due to an approaching best-before date or damaged packaging although it is safe to eat them. As these foods are provided free of charge to facilities, groups, and needy households that need them, we can reduce food loss and waste while solving social issues.
Start of the donation of rice to Second Harvest Nagoya
Running a food drive
We ran a food drive at various events that we held in coordination with government agencies. Going forward, we will run a food drive not only at events, but also at our stores to expand our activities so that we can work with local residents to address issues.
The SUGI Pharmacy Group will strengthen its efforts to resolve the social issues of food waste and poverty.
*A food drive means an activity in which people bring surplus food from their homes and donate it to local welfare organizations and facilities, food banks, and the like.
Reducing marine plastic waste by installing water stations
We have endorsed the “work together to install water stations” challenge of the Sutehaji Project, which will be carried out by co-creation partners of TEAM EXPO 2025 (Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai), and participated in the project as a co-creation partner. Through the installation of water stations, we aim to contribute to the reduction of PET bottle use and marine plastic waste
Reducing marine plastic waste by installing carbonated water vending machines
Through the installation of carbonated water vending machines, we will contribute to the reduction of PET bottle use and marine plastic waste.
Visualization of water consumption aimed at conserving water resources
In FY 2022, we started the visualization of water consumption as part of efforts to conserve water resources in our business activities. We will implement effective measures to conserve water resources going forward by analyzing changes in water consumption over time and comparing and analyzing water consumption among different store types (in terms of size and services).
- Water consumption※
-
755,045 m³／ per year
※Calculated as an estimate by dividing the amount of water charge by unit charge rate (Obu City, Aichi) (FY 2022 results).