Environment : Green Logistics

Making best use of that products are shipped from the same warehouse, Panasonic has transported products in consolidated cargo (transport/load of different products at the same time) in collaborating with its sales division. Under the system finalizes orders two days before the transportation, which was started in 2017, the followings have been realized: 1) allocation of a tack for the transportation one day before the transportation instead of on the transportation day, and 2) consolidated transportation of different products such as water heaters and air conditioners. As a result, the number of ordering trucks for transportation has been reduced, which has contributed to CO₂ reduction, and at the same time, actions for transportation risk have been realized. In fiscal 2023, the total number of actually ordered trucks for consolidated transportation was 4,699 trucks (116% year-on-year), whose loading rate at the same time was 44%, and CO₂ reduction effect was equivalent to 145t per year; for the subject transportation, 6.8% of CO₂ was reduced.

Aiming for higher efficiency in transporting products, Panasonic is expanding its our efforts to land imported products at a port close to the target sales area in Japan. Conventionally, landing of products was centralized to a port near the West Japan Global Logistics Center (GLC) in Amagasaki City in Hyogo Prefecture, stored at the West Japan GLC, and then transported to respective locations as required. Landing the products at ports closer to the target sales areas can reduce the distance required for land transport within Japan, thereby contributing to reducing not only CO₂ emissions but also inbound and outbound deliveries between sites as well as distribution costs. In fiscal 2022, we strengthened activities for products other than washing machines and televisions that we had been working for to reduce CO₂ emissions because of their high sales volumes, and rolled out the activities of unloading our products at ports close to the sales area to other product categories such as air conditioners, hair care and beauty products, vacuum cleaners, heaters, and DVD recorders, and further reduced the volume of long distance domestic transportation volume. From now on, we will continue to expand the scope of products and also further refine the projection of sales demand in various regions, optimize the stock amounts held in those areas, and expand the landing products at ports near target sales areas.

As an activity to reduce logistics waste, in fiscal 2015, we started recycling and reusing used stretch films with Nozoe Industry Inc. (Nozoe), and in fiscal 2023, we have continued the activity. It used to that all the stretch films used for shipment were discarded after use, however, the used films are now recycled and used as raw materials for polyethylene bags by Nozoe, while Panasonic has purchased the bags made of recycled materials. As Chinese government started banning imports of waste plastics in the end of 2017, Panasonic’s other sites who did not have business contact with Nozoe in Japan started similar activities with Nozoe. In addition, with the launch of full operation of Nozoe’s recycling factory in Saitama Prefecture led to expand our recycling scheme for used stretch film in Kanto region. As a result, the total 329t of stretch film was recycled. In FY2019, we have started to purchase recycled products from Nozoe in Panasonic, to further increase purchase volume of Nozoe’s recycled products. We continue to make effective use of used stretch films, while reducing logistics wastes.