History of Environmental Preservation Activities

Record of environmental preservation activities by Kikkoman Group

August, 1970 The Antipollution Committee was established.
December, 1972 The Environmental Management Department was established. (Measures Section and Investigation Section)
October, 1976 The Environment Analysis Center was established. (Certified Environmental Survey/Measurement Services)
April, 1992 The General Environment Protection Committee was established.
October, 1992 Kikkoman Group Environmental Principles was formulated and announced.
March, 1993 Voluntary Action Plan on Environmental Preservation (Voluntary Plan) was formulated.
May, 1997 Noda Plant (currently Noda Factory, Kikkoman Food Products Company) acquired ISO14001 certification.
November, 1998 Kikkoman Annual Environmental Report was disclosed.
August, 1999 The General Environmental Preservation Committee was established (reorganized into the General Environment Protection Committee).
February, 2000 Goals for greenhouse gas reduction and waste and byproduct recycling were determined and announced.
July, 2000 Environmental Accounting was disclosed in the Kikkoman Annual Environmental Report.
January, 2001 Participation in the United Nations Global Compact Initiative was announced.
July, 2001 Kikkoman Group Annual Environmental Report was published.
March, 2003 ISO14001 certifications for major factories abroad were acquired.
June, 2004 Kikkoman Group Annual Environmental Management Report was disclosed on the website.
June, 2005 Environmental Preservation Activities Case Book was published.
December, 2005 Participation in Eco Product Exhibition was started.
February, 2006 ISO14001 certifications for all major bases were acquired.
June, 2006 Kikkoman group Corporate Citizenship Report was published.
March, 2008 Kikkoman’s Guidelines for Containers and Packaging were determined and announced.
February, 2009 Caring for Climate was signed.
June, 2011 Kikkoman Group Batch ISO14001 Certification was acquired in Japan.
June, 2015 CEO Water Mandate in the UN Global Compact and Water Project were signed.
February, 2019 Participated in Plastic Resource Recycling Declaration by Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Record of Awards (since 1995)

1995 The 15th Kinoshita Prize (Grand Prix of the Package Industry)
<By the Japan Packaging Institute (JPI)>
To Kikkoman Corp. for developing the bag-in-box (BIB) octopost with resource-saving cardboard.
1997 Excellent Greening of a Factory Award
<By the Hokkaido Regional Office of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry>
To the Chitose Factory, Kikkoman Corp. as a model factory promoting greening.
1999 Award for Technological Research of JSBBA
<By the Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry (JSBBA)>
To Kikkoman Corp. for developing a method of extracting high-purity polyphenol from grape seeds (the byproducts of wine production), and assessing its functionality.
1999 Waste Reduction Award Program (WRAP) Award
<By CalRecycle (California, US)>
To the California Plant, Kikkoman Foods Inc. (KFI) for its waste reducing and recycling efforts.
[The same award was also given in 2001-06 and 2008-11.]
2001 The 7th Architectural Culture Award of Chiba Prefecture
<By Chiba Prefecture>
To the Noda Head Office, Kikkoman Group for the functionality and cultural traits of its architecture, including energy efficiency by using the latest and more innovative technology, aiming to become an office with reduced environmental impact.
2001 Nikkei New Office Promotion Award
<By Nikkei Inc.>
To the Noda Head Office, Kikkoman Group for its energy-saving design and effective use of rainwater, in an effort to promote the creation of new, comfortable and functional offices.
2001 The 23rd Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award (for the Food Industry sector of the Environmental Conservation Category)
<By the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries>
To Kikkoman Corp. the Award for the Food Industry sector of the Environmental Conservation Category for its efforts that included sustaining and improving the environment through energy saving, waste reuse, its environmental management system, etc.
2002 The Examination Committee Encouragement Prize of the Environmental and Energy Saving Architecture Award
<By the Institute of Building Environment and Energy Conservation>
To the Noda Head Office, Kikkoman Group for its energy-saving design, lighting adopting louvers, effective indoor air-conditioning system, and use of rainwater.
2003 Special Award for Production under the Nikkei Advanced Business Operation Award
<By Nikkei Inc.>
To Kikkoman Foods Inc. (KFI) for its enhanced productivity, environmental measures, international competitiveness, and expansion of soy sauce consumption.
2003 The 4th Sustainable Architecture Award
<By the Japan Institute of Architects>
To the Noda Head Office, Kikkoman Group for its excellent ideas and outstanding techniques that will open up new horizons in the age of a global environment.
2004 2003 Award of the Director-General of the Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau
<By Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry>
To the R&D Division, Kikkoman Corp. for using soy sauce oil as fish feed, as an excellent example of a resource recycling technology system.
2004 2003 Award for Technological Research of JSBBA
<By the Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry (JSBBA)>
To the R&D Division, Kikkoman Corp. for employing its applied technology of firefly luciferase to develop excellent products.
2004 2003 Excellent Corporation Award
<By the Sustainable Management Rating Institute>
To Kikkoman Corp. for its excellent practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) management that serves as a model for other companies.
2004 Pollution Prevention Award (PPA)/Sacramento Sustainable Business (SSB) Award
<Sacramento County>
To the California Plant, Kikkoman Foods Inc. (KFI) for its efforts to save energy and water, prevent pollution, and reduce waste.
[PPA was also granted in 2005 and 2006; SSB was granted in 2007-09 and 2011.]
2004 The 23rd Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Award for the Greening of a Factory
<By the Japan Greenery Research and Development Center>
To the Chitose Factory, Kikkoman Corp. (currently Hokkaido Kikkoman Company) for its efforts to maintain natural forests as places of comfort for local residents.
2007 Sacramento Environmental Commission (SEC) Award
<By the Sacramento Environmental Commission (environment conservation organization of Sacramento County, US>
To Kikkoman Foods Inc. for being a company actively working on environmental activity.
[The same award was also granted in 2009.]
2009 Food Packaging Award of the Japan Packaging Contest 2009
<By the Japan Packaging Institute (JPI)>
For newly adopted 750-ml and 500-ml PET bottles for Kikkoman soy sauce.
2010 Honored by the Singapore government
<By the Singapore government>
To Kikkoman (S) Pte. Ltd. (KSP) by the Singapore government for its contribution in promoting a clean and green Singapore, and presented a heritage tree called the “Rain Tree.”
2011 Special Award “Ten-year Award” of the Society of Heating, Air-conditioning and Sanitary Engineers of Japan (SHASE) (The 11th one)
<By the Society of Heating, Air-conditioning and Sanitary Engineers of Japan (SHASE)>
To the Noda Head Office, Kikkoman Group for its maintenance and enhanced management of high comfort and energy saving performance in the indoor environment.
2012 Green Leadership Award
<By the Business Journals (Trade paper)>
To Kikkoman Foods Inc. (KFI) for being a leading company for the future with its beautiful environment among those in Sacramento, California, US.
2013 EDEN Award (2013)
<By the Dutch government and other institutions>
To Kikkoman Foods Europe, B.V. (KFE) for its continuous contribution to the Water Resource Preservation Project at Lake Zuidlaardermeer, Groningen Province, the Netherlands.
2016 Nikkei New Office Promotion Award (in the Kinki Area)
<By Nikkei Inc.>
To the Kinki Branch Office, Kikkoman Group, for its good management and control of the intellectual asset and information, its high capability of intellectual production utilizing information technology (IT), its establishment of comfort and convenient working environment and its high contribution to natural environment and local society.
2017 2016 Award for the Excellent Energy Management Factory, by the Kanto Regional Office of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
<By the Kanto Regional Office of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry>
To the Noda Factory, Kikkoman Food Products Company, for its reduction of energy consumption and CO2 emissions accomplished with reviewing and improving efficiency of usage of the boilers.
2018 The Japan Marketing Association Director’s award of the Japan Packaging Contest 2018
<By the Japan Packaging Institute (JPI)>
For the soft plastic (PET) tabletop bottle, “Mippu Eco Bottle,” of Kikkoman soy sauce.
2019 The 25th Award “Tasukarimashita Award.” (Prizes in the food and beverage category)
<By the SANKEI LIVING SHIMBUN Inc.>
For Newly developed home use okara products, “Kikkoman Tonyu Okara Powder,” for its easy to use in cooking.