DENSO Hungary Eliminates All Waste

TOKYO - DENSO Corporation today announced that DENSO Manufacturing Hungary Ltd. (DMHU), in Szekesfehervar, the Republic of Hungary, achieved zero emissions producing no landfill waste. The Hungarian company has become DENSO’s first overseas manufacturer to eliminate all waste sent to landfills.

“In manufacturing diesel injection pumps and other products, DMHU use to generate 1,000 tons of waste material each year. It was common to dispose as much as 500 tons of that waste to landfill sites in 2000” said Yukimasa Ohoka, president of DMHU. “Since October 2002, DMHU has made concerted efforts as a model plant for zero emission activities by establishing separate collection systems and recycling routes for all refuse created in the production process as well as in the offices and the cafeteria.”

DMHU eliminated waste by:

• Distilling solvent - Ninety-four percent of solvents used for washing parts are distilled for reuse, and the remaining solvents containing too much oil to distil are burned as thermal energy.
• Introducing biological treatment technology water-soluble cutting oil used for machining processes is treated by bacteria to produce soil for farming or gardening.
• Composting garbage - Waste from the company cafeteria and pruned branches from the company grounds are composted for tree and flower fertilizer.

As a result, DMHU reduced the cost of waste disposal from approximately 147,000 Euros in 2000 to 31,000 Euros in 2002.

“DENSO has achieved zero waste emissions at its 14 operations and seven affiliates in Japan, and is promoting zero waste activities at several of the company’s model plants abroad. DENSO will continue to tackle the issue of reducing the environmental burden of the whole group” said Koichi Fukaya, president-elect and CEO and current leader of the environment management at DENSO Corporation.

DENSO Corporation, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan is a leading global supplier of advanced technology, systems and components. Worldwide, the company employs 90,000 people in 31 countries and regions, including Japan. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003 totalled US$ 19.4 billion. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya stock exchanges.