For the Global Environment

Protect the Global Environment by Saving Resource and Energy

Our Sustainability decisions are made by the Sustainability Committee based on a concept of the globally accepted environmental management standard “ISO14001,” and the Sustainability Promotion Committee together with its affiliated Sustainability subcommittees and projects are promoting environmental activities.

The KOSÉ Group Basic Environmental Policy

Since 1991, the KOSÉ Group has been promoting its Corporate Message of “Creating Beauty in a Sustainable World“ and works toward environmental conservation through our business activities. To realize a healthy future for an Earth where everyone can feel secure, we work with all stakeholders affiliated with our Group in all our business activities, have established the following Basic Environmental Policy, and respond to various environmental issues.

1.With consideration for the whole value chain, we will work together with stakeholders to reduce environmental burdens and conserve the environment.

Ⅰ. Climate change: We will contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through energy conservation, conversion to renewable energy, and promotion of the use of low-carbon materials.

Ⅱ. Water: We will work to conserve water resources by improving efficient use of water, reducing water consumption through water conservation and reuse, managing wastewater quality, developing products that use less water at the production and use stages, and engaging in groundwater recharging activities.

Ⅲ. Waste reduction and resource recycling: We will work to achieve a circular economy through efforts such as plastic waste reduction, recycling activities, and lighter packaging materials. Our Measures for Circular Economy.

Ⅳ. Biodiversity: Recognizing our dependence and effects on natural capital, we will work to conserve and restore biodiversity.

Ⅴ. Forest and Marine Conservation: We will take initiatives to reduce deforestation and contribute to marine conservation.

Ⅵ. Pollution prevention: We promote the prevention of environmental pollution through appropriate management of the pollutants generated in our business activities.

2.We will provide products and services with consideration for the environment.

For the overall life cycle of products, from procurement, production, and sales to disposal and recycling, we will work to reduce environmental burdens.

3.We will observe environmental laws and regulations in Japan and overseas as well as stakeholder agreements, industry norms, and our own internal standards.

In all aspects of our business activities, we will actively support environmental improvement activities and environmental conservation projects at each factory in addition to complying with the related regulations and agreements.

4.We will build an environmental management system and develop ongoing environmental conservation activities in all regions where we do business in Japan and internationally.

In accordance with the KOSÉ Group Basic Environmental Policy, we are promoting an environmental management system centered on the Sustainability Committee, which supervises overall sustainability management. The committee, chaired by the President & CEO, reports to the Board of Directors.

5.We will communicate with society.

We will disclose environmental information to stakeholders in a timely and appropriate manner, engage in dialogue and collaboration with stakeholders, and strive to enhance our trustworthiness in society.

6.We will educate and enlighten our employees on environmental issues to raise their environmental awareness.

We will strive to raise employee awareness based on the idea that the starting point of our activities is our employees.

Response to Environmental Laws and Regulations

KOSÉ is diligently working on initiatives to decrease the environmental load as possible as we can to avoid the impact on the environmental pollution.

Compliance with environmental law

Environment conservation-related laws and regulations including the Basic Environmental Law, we are committed to comply with laws and regulations compliant with ISO14001 to strictly adhere to local codes and regional conventions. We specifically have implemented a unified “Environment Manual” that is common and shared between Manufacturing and Distribution Departments to empower each office, affiliate, and regional center to respond to situations on their own. We are also monitoring the regulatory environment in order to quickly and appropriately respond to any change in the future.

Response to Chemical Substances

Various ingredients (chemical substances) are used in the production of cosmetic products. In accordance with our corporate policy, the KOSÉ Group strives to use ingredients that are as gentle as possible for people and to the environment.
We also have an important responsibility to strictly control the chemical substances we use. The KOSÉ Group therefore maintains its own thorough management standards, which are in turn based on the relevant laws and regulations, for the storage, management, and disposal of chemical substances at our factories and laboratories, business sites that handle chemical substances.

In accordance with the PRTR*1 (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) Law, we have established a system for managing the amounts of applicable chemical substances released and transferred, and monitor and measure the amounts of these chemical substances emitted into the environment. Through this system, we are striving to reduce the use and emissions of such substances while strictly adhering to all applicable laws and regulations.

1:PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) is a system for recording on an annual basis what kind of chemical substances are released, where and in what amounts. The PRTR system is specified under Japan’s 1999 Act on the Assessment of Releases of Specified Chemical Substances in the Environment and the Promotion of Management Improvement, which is more commonly known as the PRTR Law or the Chemicals Management Promotion Law.

Emissions of PRTR Law Class I Specified Chemical Substances(FY2022:April 2022 -March 2023)

Units: t (tons)

Number*2 Substance name*2 Emission amount Amount transferred (amount disposed of)
Atmosphere Public waterways Soil Sewerage Wastes
82 Silver and its water-soluble chemicals 0 0 0 0 0
207 2,6-Di-tert-butyl-4-cresol 0 0 0 0 0
273 1-Dodecanol 0 0 0 0 0
275 Sodium dodecyl sulfate 0 0 0 0 0
334 Methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate 0 0 0 0 0.138
405 Boron compounds 0 0 0 0 0.19
407 Polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers (limited to those where the alkyl group is from C-12 to C-15, and mixtures thereof) 0 0 0 0 1.09
409 Sodium poly(oxyethylene) dodecyl ether sulfonate 0 0 0 0 0.88
412 Manganese and its compounds 0 0 0 0 0

2: From Attached Table 1 of 2008 partial revisions (Ordinance No. 356) of the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Law, which specifies monitoring, etc. of specified chemical substances emitted to the environment and promotes improvements in the management of those substances.
Target substances: Class 1 designated substances under the PRTR Law, with an annual handling volume of 1 ton or more (0.5 tons or more for Specified Class 1 substances) per business site.
Target factories: KOSÉ Corporation Sayama Factory, Gunma Factory, KOSÉ R&D Laboratories and ALBION Co., Ltd. Kumagaya Plant and R&D Center.

For the Global Environment