Corporate Social Responsibility Activities
Environment
Konosu Research Institute manufactures the SEED Pure Series and also has eco-friendly equipment. It is proactively committed to the conservation of the global environment by employing eco-friendly technology and equipment such as the efficient use of energy, the reuse of wastewater to reduce water consumption and the recycling of plastics.
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Photovoltaic power generation
A photovoltaic power generation system is installed on the roofs of our buildings in an effort to facilitate the efficient use of resources through the utilization of clean energy and heat-shielding effects.
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Efficient use of energy
We have developed an energy control system. It controls the status of use of every kind of energy, from electricity, gas and water supply to compressed air and high-pressure steam. In this way, we eliminate waste from our use of energy.
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Efficient use of water resources
The manufacture of contact lenses involves the use of a large amount of pure water. We have developed a system for recycling wastewater from the process of refining pure water in a factory.
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Recycling plastic waste
The plastic waste from the manufacturing process is also recycled. In doing so, we choose optimal ways of reusing it both in and outside the factory in accordance with the type and degree of purity of the waste.
Society
As a good corporate citizen, we engage aggressively in activities for energizing society so that as many people as possible can play important roles. We will also contribute to society by offering safe and useful products and services that respect and satisfy customers’ needs.
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Educational activities in Vietnam
Vietnam is undergoing rapid economic growth. SEED ships contact lenses to Vietnam, but the country still has a long way to go in terms of knowledge about the prescription and use of contact lenses. Instead of merely selling products, we want to make our contact lenses available safely and securely to people in Vietnam. Based on this wish and as one of our educational activities, we regularly organize workshops in cooperation with a national ophthalmologic hospital in Vietnam. In June 2017, the prescription clinic dedicated to Japanese-style contact lenses was established.
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New employee training
Our new employees learn that a business enterprise, as part of society, is meant to fulfill its social responsibility in different ways, as well as to make profits. They deepen their understanding about visually impaired persons through participation in the Eye Mate’s walking experience and role-playing for the practice of guiding. By learning the importance of eyesight, they also nurture a sense of responsibility for the safety of their company’s products.
Community
We take part in numerous community events and deepen communication with the local people in an effort to build relationships of trust and vitalize the community. We will also endeavor to create job opportunities.
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Factory tour and experiment class
Pupils from a local elementary school were invited to the Konosu Research Institute and went on a factory tour and attended an experiment class. They received explanations about contact lenses and toured the manufacturing sites. The visitors then experienced the process of swelling, namely moistening and softening a hard lens called a dry lens. They also experienced slime making, among other practices.
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Summer festivals in Konosu and Fukiage
As a local company, we take part in summer festivals in Konosu and Fukiage, both of which are adjacent to the SEED Konosu Research Institute. SEED has a booth at each of these festivals every year. Two years ago, we also joined a procession to worship the site of Konosu Goten palace, which was a project for celebrating the tenth anniversary of the municipal merger of Konosu. The festivals are always bustling, and many of our colleagues deepen their exchanges with the local people.
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Leadership training
We cosponsor the event organized by the Bunkyo-ku Committee of Junior Chamber International Tokyo. The event offers high schoolers, who will lead future generations and are in the process of growing, an opportunity to learn and practice leadership. The aim is to develop human resources to play important roles in globalization and local communities. Some of our staff members participate as advisors to the high schoolers.
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Yushima Chibikko Hiroba (children’s square)
We ran a booth at a festival organized by the Yushima Shiraume shopping street. Our features included a box into which visitors can to put their hand and guess what is inside. Visitors to our booth also experienced making a bracelet of beads with their eyes covered with an eye mask, or joined the Eye Mate’s walking experience. The local people learned about visual impairments in an enjoyable manner.
BLUE SEED PROJECT
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We also recycle plastic waste discharged in the manufacturing process by selecting the most appropriate reuse inside and outside our plants according to their types and purity. In addition, we launched the BLUE SEED PROJECT in June 2019, where we conduct a recycling activity to collect blisters (empty cases) of contact lenses passed into the hands of general consumers to re-commercialize them.
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BLUE SEED PROJECT HP
(Currently available in Japanese only)
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