Developing Environmentally Friendly Products

The green products that we have in mind reflect environmental considerations not just when they are used, but at all stages from design through production, sales, and incorporation into the final product right up to final disposal. This means eliminating what in Japanese are called the three M's–muda (wastefulness), mura (unevenness), and muri (overburden)–at all stages to make products having value for the customer, the local community, and our employees.
The first step is using management systems for occupational health and safety, quality, environment and other aspects as development and promotional tools to create green processes that eliminate the three M's; the second, taking usage and final disposal into due consideration, reducing the environmental impact to create green products. These key concepts of green processes and green products lie behind TAIYO YUDEN Group's approach to developing green products.

The magnitude of a product's impact on the environment is mostly decided at the product planning and design stages. TAIYO YUDEN Group's Product Assessment Rules call for a product assessment evaluating, at all steps from product development and design right up until disposal, such issues as occupational health and safety considerations and the effects that the product will have on the environment.
There are three evaluations from planning and development through to mass production in the product assessment. The first, during planning and development, is an evaluation based on investigation results of the materials used, analysis results of the past, and other research. The second, during test planning, is an evaluation of process design and development. The third is an evaluation performed at the mass production trial stage.

The TAIYO YUDEN Group completed its changeover to RoHS-compliant products in March 2005. Product information on the TAIYO YUDEN website specifies whether a product complies with the RoHS Directive.
We are also in compliance with the REACH Directive in accordance with the laws to be enforced. Going forward, we will also disclose SVHC (substances designated as "of very high concern" in Europe) and file and disclose data about them.