We recognize that it is our corporate social responsibility to contribute to the realization of a sustainable and recycling-oriented society while efficiently utilizing limited resources. EDION Group actively disposes of used home appliances, which are subject to the Home Appliance Recycling Law, recycles small home appliances, recycles Styrofoam, and collects small rechargeable batteries. We are working toward realization.
Compliance with the Home Appliance Recycling Law
In order to conserve natural resources as much as possible, reduce waste, and reuse them as circulative resources, the Act on Recycling of Specified Household Appliances (commonly known as the Home Appliance Recycling Act*) was enacted in 1998, and a system for recycling resources was established. With manufacturers, retailers, and consumers each fulfilling their respective roles, society comes together to reduce the burden on the environment. At EDION, we work on recycling every day to help with the system that promotes waste reduction and effective use of resources.
- *The Home Appliance Recycling Law is a law that promotes recycling by mandating the collection of retailers and the remanufacturing (recycling) of four types of home appliances: air conditioners, televisions, refrigerators/freezers, and washing machines/clothes dryers. It also mandates manufacturers, etc. (manufacturers and importers) to recycle these appliances.
Collection results of 4 home appliances (number of units)
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air conditioner | 358,101 | 380,353 | 342,789 | 363,334 | 364,252 |
| TV set | 266,022 | 307,582 | 301,524 | 290,522 | 285,389 |
| Refrigerator / freezer | 299,258 | 291,097 | 280,149 | 282,696 | 269,169 |
| Washing machine / clothes dryer | 394,211 | 411,664 | 385,528 | 363,990 | 355,429 |
Promotion of recycling of small household appliances
In 2013, the "Act on Promotion of Recycling of Used Small Electronic Devices, etc." (commonly known as the Small Home Appliance Recycling Law*1) was enacted to promote the recycling of used small home appliances by having government-certified businesses (certified small home appliance businesses*2) collect and process used small home appliances over a wide area. In cooperation with our subsidiary and certified business, ER Japan*3, we are actively collecting used small home appliances at directly managed stores of EDION CUSTOMER CHOICE (merged in April 2025)*4. By building a collection system that is unified throughout the group, we are promoting the creation of a circular society through safe and reliable recycling.
- * 1 What is the Small Home Appliance Recycling Law? It covers almost all electrical machinery and equipment except for the four items (TV, air conditioner, refrigerator / freezer, washing machine / dryer) subject to the Home Appliance Recycling Law, and is manufactured by the national government, local governments, and manufacturers. It is a system that establishes responsibilities for collection and recycling by traders, retailers, consumers, etc., and promotes wide-area and efficient collection and recycling of used small household appliances.
- * 2 What is a small household appliance certified business operator? A person who can properly recycle used small household appliances (to carry out a recycling business, submit a recycling business plan to the national government, and the economy and industry It is a business operator certified by the government as a person who has been certified by the Minister and the Minister of the Environment.
- * 3 In the Hokkaido area, IR Japan does not collect directly.
- * 4 franchised stores, also offer a “courier recycling” service that collects used small household appliances packed in cardboard at home.
Collection amount of small household appliances recycling (t)
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDION | 5,730 | 6,354 | 5,494 | 5,223 | 4,988 |
| thank you | 353 | 379 | 301 | 287 | 260 |
| Municipality | 2,810 | 2,036 | 2,355 | 2,881 | 1,721 |
Promoting reuse of home appliances
We trade in used personal computers and purchase mobile phones, etc., and recycle them as reused products at our subsidiary, E.R. Japan, etc.
We remanufacture products using safe and secure processes that emphasize compliance.
Home appliance reuse results (number of units)
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| computer | 10,932 | 7,067 | 3,657 | 6,901 | 3,360 |
| mobile phone | 2,507 | 7,410 | 9,424 | 11,531 | 27,657 |
Collection of small rechargeable batteries and button batteries
Collection of small rechargeable batteries
In April 2001, the Law Concerning the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources was enacted, obliging battery manufacturers, manufacturers of devices that use batteries, and importers to collect and recycle small rechargeable batteries. We are also working to collect small rechargeable batteries at each store in order to promote recycling activities. If you have a small rechargeable battery to be collected at the store, please hand it directly to the staff.
*Some stores may not collect small rechargeable batteries, so please inquire with each store about whether or not they can be collected.
[Rechargeable batteries to be collected]
・ Rechargeable batteries with the following recycle symbol
* For safety, please insulate the metal terminals with tape or the like.
[Rechargeable batteries not subject to collection]
- Pouch-type or laminate-type batteries that are not stored in a hard case
・Disassembled batteries or damaged/swollen batteries
Collection of button batteries
Currently, some coin cell batteries contain trace amounts of mercury. In order to protect human health and the environment and promote proper recycling, we are a button battery collection cooperating store of the Battery Industry Association, and at each store in accordance with the collection standards of the Battery Industry Association. We are working to collect used button batteries. If you bring the button batteries to be collected at the store, please hand them directly to the staff.
[Batteries to be collected]
- Button batteries with a diameter of 12 mm or less (button batteries beginning with the model code LR, PR, or SR)
* For safety, please insulate the metal terminals with tape or the like.
[Batteries not subject to collection]
- Lithium coin batteries (batteries with a diameter of 12 mm or more that begin with the model code CR or BR)
Styrofoam volume reduction and recycling
We have introduced volume reduction machines to nine locations that generate a large amount of polystyrene foam, which is used for packaging home appliances, and are working to recycle it. In fiscal 2023, we processed 324 tons of polystyrene foam into recycled resources.
In addition, by dissolving and reducing the volume of polystyrene foam during processing, the number of trucks used for transportation is reduced to 1/20 of the usual number, which also reduces CO2 emissions.
Upcycling efforts
As a result of the unification of the uniforms worn at Sankyu's (merged in April 2025) sales stores (formerly Hyakuman Volt) to EDION uniform design from October 2022, the old-design uniforms (approximately 1,000 pieces) that were no longer needed were not simply treated as "waste (garbage)," but instead were recycled into automotive interior materials, utilizing the recycling know-how of Chikuma Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "Chikuma").
This recycling not only reduced waste, but also reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at the disposal stage. In addition, the method of transportation from Sankyu's (merged in April 2025) base to Chikuma's recycling facility utilized the regular delivery route of SBS Toshiba Logistics Co., Ltd., which reduced CO2 emissions. The reduction in CO2 emissions through these efforts is 691 kg. We will continue to focus on environmentally friendly efforts.
