Contribution to Environment:

We at GC strive not only to make highly unique products that meet customer needs, but also to make clean products by giving thorough consideration to the manufacturing process and global environment. We will continue to make environmental efforts around the world so that we can maintain a harmonious coexistence with lives on earth.

Environmental Policy:

In 1997 we established our “Environmental Policy” and kicked off full-scale efforts on environmental management. In April 2005 we added explanations to the Environmental Policy, defining specific guidelines by which all employees could help safeguard the environment.

Environmental Policy and Explanations:

GC Corporation shall set forth the following items by considering it an important mission, as a company providing health through dental medicine, to drive environmental management activities by maintaining harmony with the natural environment and coexistence with the local community.

1. Create environmentally friendly products, drive resource-saving and energy-saving and reduce waste materials in our business activities to maintain and improve the healthy environment.

   “We will develop products that reduce environmental impact by focusing on recycle, reuse, reduction, biomass, etc., save resources and energy (electricity, water, gas, heavy oil, etc.), drive the recycling and utilization of recycled resources, and strive toward resource and energy savings in all aspects of our business based on environmental impact assessment.”

2. Observe environmental regulations and other requirements we agree with.

   “We will observe at the minimum all relevant legal standards, regulations, agreements made with local government bodies, and the requirements set by communities and industry associations regarding the environment.”

3. Set environmental objectives and targets and make efforts to achieve these objectives/targets, and also review them once a year together with the environmental policy, in order to drive the continuous improvement of our environmental management systems.

   “We will clearly define measures to achieve the targets and conduct various audits, etc., in order to further improve and enhance our management systems designed to safeguard the environment and reduce the environmental impact of our products. We will also confirm the validity of our environmental policy and all management systems through a management review conducted at the end of each year.”

4. Prevent contamination so as not to trouble the community, not only during normal operations but also in case of an emergency such as an abnormal circumstance or accident.

   “If we should negatively impact the global environment or if a negative impact is anticipated, or when an accident or other problem has occurred through use of our product, we will implement an appropriate solution sincerely in a timely manner and undertake to prevent any recurrence of the problem. We will also conduct emergency drills periodically so that the procedures to be taken are communicated and clearly understood by all employees.”

5. Provide education so that all employees will gain a basic frame of mind regarding the environment and act in a manner consistent with our environmental policy.

   “We will develop an educational plan and educate all people working for the organization regarding the safeguarding of the environment and environmental impact of our products, to raise their awareness of the environment and urge them to act in line with our environmental policy.”

6. Make our environmental policy available to the general public through cards, etc.

   “We will distribute ‘Environmental Policy Cards’ and use the website to actively disclose information regarding our environmental management activities both within and outside the company, and then use the feedback received in our future activities.

Environmental Management System:

Based on the Mid-Term Environmental Management Plan developed according to the Environmental Policy, each business site is developing its own targets reflecting the local environment and specific business operations of the site while examining specific measures to achieve these targets, in order to reduce the environmental impact. The implementation condition of these measures is checked by the Environmental Management Committee and through internal environmental audits. The audit results are reported at the Management Review Meeting, etc., and if necessary, a management system review is conducted and the review results reflected in activities in the next year onward. The details and outcomes of activities carried out each year are compiled by the Administration Office (General Affairs Unit, Material Manufacturing Department’s General Affairs Section) into an Environmental Report,” which is published for the employees and the general public. These steps are carried out cyclically and continuously to increase the completeness of our systems and further enhance the level of target achievement.

Overview of Environmental Management:

 

Creation of Environmentally Friendly Products:

When developing a new product, we conduct product assessment to evaluate the CO2 emissions generated in relation to the product to ensure that the product will be environmentally friendly. We are also making active efforts to adopt new packaging materials or changing existing materials to minimize waste, while incorporating ideas to improve the usability of containers.

ISO14001 Certification:

Fuji Oyama Factory received the ISO 9001 Certification in November 1998. This was the first to received the certificate among the dental equipment/material manufacturer in Japan. Our group company, GC Dental Products Corporation also received the certificate in December 2000.

Environmentally Friendly Products:

Example of product: UNIFAST III

40-g liquid bottle
This bottle offers the following advantages over conventional glass bottles.
Environmentally friendly (eco-friendly)

300-g powder bag
This bag offers the following advantages over conventional polyvinyl bottles.

Environmentally friendly (eco-friendly), excellent storage stability of content

Plastic case
Environmentally friendly (eco-friendly)