In recent years, it has been pointed out that the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of natural capital could have grave impacts on the global environment, society, and economic activities. Against this backdrop, it has become increasingly important to achieve an accurate understanding of the impacts of corporate activities on natural capital and to manage and disclose this information in a sustainable manner.
The Olympus Group recognizes that biodiversity is an indispensable element in the soundness of the global environment as well as in the richness of our lives and has remained continually engaged in initiatives to conserve biodiversity. These include management of water use and wastewater at each site as well as the maintenance of green spaces and community cleanup, forest conservation, and tree-planting activities. In addition, the Group regards the reduction and appropriate management of waste as important initiatives, and thus promotes resource recycling and appropriate processing of hazardous substances while striving to reduce impacts on the natural environment.
Based on such developments of recent years, it is becoming increasingly important to identify risks and opportunities regarding which business activities depend on or have an impact on natural capital and to manage the key risks and opportunities in accordance with international initiatives such as the TNFD*1 and SBTs for Nature.*2 The Olympus Group has adopted the LEAP approach*3 recommended by the TNFD for the achievement of a high degree of balance and compatibility between the conservation of natural capital and sustainable business activities, and is analyzing and evaluating risks and opportunities related to natural capital (land, sea, freshwater, and air) and proceeding with the staged planning and implementation of countermeasures based on the results of these analyses and evaluations.
*1 Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures. An international organization that develops frameworks for appropriately assessing and disclosing risks and opportunities relating to natural capital and biodiversity in corporate activities.
*2 Science Based Targets for Nature. Measurable, actionable, and time-bound objectives relating to the interconnected systems of water, biodiversity, land, and oceans in value chains based on the best available science that allow actors to align with Earth’s limits and societal sustainability goals.
*3 An integrated approach which comprises the four steps of “Locate,” “Evaluate,” “Assess,” and “Prepare,” to evaluate nature-related issues such as interfaces with, dependencies on, and impacts on nature, as well as nature-related risks and opportunities.
| Indexes | FY2026 | FY2027 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Targets | Results | Targets | |
| Water use efficiency | Improvement compared to FY2023 | Improved by 14 % | Continuous improvement |
The Olympus Group uses water mainly in production processes, such as for cleaning components and cooling, as well as in its employee cafeterias. Each site implements thorough management of wastewater quality by establishing more stringent standards than the legal requirements in each region. At the same time, we promote initiatives to reduce water usage and discharge volumes, by setting targets for water use efficiency and implementing measures such as those to improve water usage processes, prevent leakages during equipment inspections, and secondary use of water. Through these initiatives we have achieved a 14% improvement in water use efficiency in FY2026 compared to FY2023.
As a major initiative, Aizu Olympus in Japan is furthering efforts to reduce water use by improving its manufacturing processes. This includes adopting a joining method which does not use soldering (solderless), to reduce cleaning processes themselves, and optimizing the flow volumes of water used for cleaning in the remaining processes. Meanwhile, Olympus Vietnam Co., Ltd. (OVNC) in Vietnam has promoted measures including adjustments to the flow rates of faucets at its facilities, optimization of boiler feedwater settings, and reuse of water during cleaning of cooling towers, to thereby advance efforts to reduce water consumption and promote efficient water resource management. In addition, we have implemented environmental e-learning aimed at all employees, and are working to raise awareness and encourage employees to take action by conveying the importance of conserving water resources and informing them of specific water-saving practices for water used in daily activities and manufacturing processes. Furthermore, we are actively engaged in initiatives in collaboration with local communities for the conservation of regional water resources through activities such as river cleanup efforts.
In FY2027, we will strive to raise the level of water use efficiency through further improvements to our facilities and manufacturing processes and by promoting initiatives for water reuse, while advancing comprehensive water security management that takes into account water stress, water consumption, and compliance.
Olympus Medical Products Portugal, Unipessoal LDA has introduced equipment for the advanced treatment of wastewater from manufacturing processes, and is promoting initiatives for the reuse of the treated water for landscaping on their premises.
URL：https://www.olympus.co.uk/company/en/about-olympus/social-responsibility/environment/ 
Water consumption / Waste water (Environmental Data)(Excel: 99KB) 
| Indexes | FY2026 | FY2027 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Targets | Results | Targets | |
| Waste recycle rate | 87% | 90% | Improvement on the previous fiscal year |
The Olympus Group undertakes initiatives to reduce processing loss through improvements to manufacturing processes as well as those for the efficient use of resources, including mitigating the amount of waste generated thorough separation of discharged waste, extract valuable materials, and promote recycling. In FY2026, the waste recycling rate was 90%, achieving our target.
As a major initiative, Aizu Olympus in Japan has promoted the recovery of value materials from waste cooking oils, recycling of used work clothes, and reducing material waste through improvements to product manufacturing processes.
Olympus Vietnam Co., Ltd. (OVNC) has promoted resource recycling, including the conversion of waste such as plastics, wooden pallets, and nylon into valuable resources. Olympus Medical Products Portugal (OMPP) is meanwhile working to improve sorting accuracy through the installation of “visual guides” near waste-sorting containers. Furthermore, Olympus KeyMed has introduced dedicated food waste collection boxes, and has thereby successfully transitioned from landfill disposal to recycling.
Olympus Surgical Technologies America Inc. in the United States has established a system for the recovery of reusable parts from decommissioned production equipment at its Brooklyn Park site, with these parts reused within the company. The company was thus able to reduce waste and promote the efficient use of resources by extending the service life of these parts. At its Westborough site, the company has implemented recycling of machine oils and metals.
In Japan, we implement on-site inspections of industrial waste processing and disposal contractors to coincide with the conclusion of new contracts or at a frequency of once every three years, to safeguard against illegal or improper disposal by such contractors, and thereby confirm that appropriate outsourced waste processing and disposal is being carried out.
In response to hazardous waste, we are promoting measures such as a changeover to the use of less hazardous materials and to recycling. Despite an increase in the volume of our activities in FY2026, we succeeded in keeping the amount of hazardous waste generated at an approximately equivalent level to that generated in FY2025.
In FY2027, we will continue to promote recycling initiatives by diversifying resource recovery methods and enhancing measures to reduce waste generation.
Olympus Vietnam Co., Ltd. (OVNC) has embarked on an initiative to effectively utilize sludge generated at its facilities as raw materials to produce recycled bricks, which represents a move away from the incineration and landfill disposal of sludge it had traditionally engaged in. After the recovered sludge undergoes processing through dewatering and drying to render it safely usable, it is utilized as raw materials in the production of recycled bricks. This initiative is contributing to reductions in waste and the promotion of resource recycling.
Olympus Surgical Technologies America Inc. recovers resources from approximately 15 tons of food waste, which was previously incinerated, from its cafeteria each year, by separating and composting this waste.
Waste emissions/Landfill (Environmental Data)(Excel: 99KB)
Hazardous waste discharged (Environmental Data)(Excel: 99KB)
The Olympus Group strictly complies with laws and regulations relating to chemical substances in Japan and overseas. We restrict the use of hazardous substances in our products and manufacturing processes to provide safe and reliable products based on legislation such as the REACH Regulation and the RoHS Directive. We are also undertaking initiatives to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals in our products and manufacturing processes with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of chemical substances. We are contributing to the realization of a sustainable society by promoting the introduction of alternative materials and technologies.
We consider the safety and health of employees who handle chemical substances at manufacturing and research and development sites as its highest priority, and therefore promote the creation of safe workplaces by regularly holding safety education and training, providing appropriate protective equipment, and improving working environments. We furthermore conduct emergency drills premised on minimizing damage in the event of a chemical leak or spill while maintaining appropriate management conditions for chemical substances by means of inspection and patrol activities.
In Japan, we undertake initiatives for appropriate management and reduction of discharges of substances subject to the PRTR Law, as well as for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other chemical substances in order to minimize the impacts from the use of chemical substances on people and the environment. In workplaces at which chemical substances are used, we conduct environmental impact assessments prior to introducing new chemical substances and promote substitution with safer chemical substances while implementing measures to reduce risks. In addition, to improve the accuracy and efficiency of information management as part of chemical substance management, we have implemented IT systems integrated throughout the Group at our major development and manufacturing sites in Japan.
We hold regular meetings for exchanges of opinions on chemical substance management for environmental, health, and safety personnel at our development and manufacturing sites. At these meetings, we share information on trends in revisions to chemical substance regulations and challenges in site operations, while also discussing ways to address challenges common to the entire Olympus Group. In FY2026, we visited each site with a view to improving the implementation of compliance assessments, during which we observed the implementation of on-site workplace inspections and verified operational statuses. Based on the results of these actions, we have established Olympus-wide operational guidelines for compliance assessments. We also presented examples of specialized training programs and examples of improvement initiatives and best practices in chemical substance management implemented at each site. We are undertaking initiatives to improve the overall level of chemical substance management throughout the entire Olympus Group via mutual provision and accumulation of advice and insights, as well as by strengthening our collaboration, through exchanges of information such as these.
We conduct emergency response drills premised on hazardous chemical leaks at manufacturing and development sites of the Olympus Group. Such drills are used to facilitate knowledge acquisition on emergency response procedures and regularly confirm the status of emergency response equipment and protective gear to thereby ensure that we are prepared in the event of any emergency.
| FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | FY2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emissions and Movements of PRTR Class 1-Designated Chemical Substances | 12 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 18 |
* Scope: Manufacturing and development sites in Japan
| FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | FY2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emissions (t) | 41 | 45 | 47 | 36 | 53 |
* Scope: Manufacturing and development sites in Japan
