Sustainability

SDGs Contribution Product Certification Program

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The SDGs Contribution Product Certification Program is designed to support the realization of sustainability across the Zeon Group by certifying those of our products that are expected to make a significant contribution to solving social issues as “SDGs Contribution Products”.
Through this program, we aim to identify our portfolio of products that contribute to creating social value and promote greater focus on their development, manufacturing, and sales. In doing so, we seek to achieve both meaningful contributions to society and sustainable growth as a company, while further advancing our sustainability management.

Certification Criteria

The program was launched in April 2024 with three certification criteria: the level of contribution toward solving social issues, the scope of that contribution, and business sustainability. In FY2025, we adjusted the certification criteria to bring them more closely into line with the program’s objectives. The revised criteria are: the level of contribution toward solving social issues, business sustainability, and innovation.

SDGs Contribution Product certification criteria

Program Operation

Product certification is conducted annually. Upon receiving applications from business divisions, the SDGs Contribution Product Certification Subcommittee, which operates under the Sustainability Committee, conducts a review. Based on the results of this review, the Management Committee, which serves as the Company’s highest decision-making body for business execution, makes the final decision on certification. In principle, certification remains valid for three years.

SDGs Contribution Products certification process
SDGs Contribution Products certification process

Scope Expansion

From FY2025 onward, the scope of certification was expanded beyond Zeon Corporation to cover the products of all Zeon Group companies.

Certified SDGs Contribution Products

In addition to the 39 products certified in FY2024, 6 products in FY2025 and 1 product in FY2026 received certification, bringing the total number of SDGs Contribution Products to 46.

Products newly certified since FY2025 include optical films, RIM formulations and RIM moldings, and Cyclo Olefin Polymer (COP) molded products for cell culture plates.
These 46 certified products currently account for approximately 39% of Zeon's consolidated net sales.

Reference: Major SDGs Contribution Products
Products name
* Photos illustrating product applications		 Applications and contribution points Relevant SDGs
Solution-polymerization styrene-butadiene rubber (S-SBR)
Main application:
Fuel-efficient tires
Contribution points:
  • Achieves wet grip, rolling resistance, and abrasion resistance at a high level, all three at once, through control of the molecular structure
  • Reduces GHG emissions from improved automotive fuel efficiency
  • Helps prevent air pollution: improved abrasion resistance suppresses the generation of dust
Cyclo Olefin Polymer (COP)
Main application:
Medical test devices, containers for pharmaceutical manufacturing, and medical packaging
Contribution points:
  • Contributes to improving the quality and accessibility of medical services used in inspection and analysis, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and drug transportation and storage based on properties such as high moisture barrier, chemical resistance, high purity, and sterilization compatibility
Lithium-ion battery binders
Application:
Lithium-ion batteries
Contribution points:
  • Contributes to extending the lifespan and increasing the power output of lithium-ion batteries by providing resistance to expansion and contraction associated with charging and discharging, as well as increasing output through the activation of chemical reactions
  • Contributes to reducing GHG emissions during driving and preventing air pollution when used as a power source for EVs
  • Enables the miniaturization and enhanced performance of mobile devices, electronic devices, and other products, thus contributing to industrial development and economic growth
Optical film (ZeonorFilm®)
Main application:
Optical film for TVs, smartphones, and tablets
Contribution points:
  • Contributes to waste reduction through processes that reuse film scraps and other materials
Reduced to 50% or less of GHG emissions from raw materials
  • Contributes to reduced power consumption through its use in energy-efficient televisions
RIM formulation and RIM moldings
Main application:
Body panels for trucks and buses, construction machinery, and agricultural machinery
Contribution points:
  • CO2 emissions throughout the lifecycle, from raw material procurement and production to disposal, are lower than those of other resins
Reduced to 70% or less from FRP (SMC method) and to 40% or less from other thermofomed materials
  • The energy required from manufacturing through disposal is about half that of conventional resins (polypropylene, PP)
  • Contributes to reducing CO2 emissions by improving fuel efficiency through weight reduction of trucks and buses
  • Supports thermal recycling and material recycling, contributing to waste reduction

Plans Going Forward

As part of our Medium-Term Business Plan: STAGE30, we have set a target of achieving “a 50% sales ratio for SDGs Contribution Products” by 2030. Going forward, we aim to expand our portfolio of SDGs Contribution Products across the entire Group and strive to achieve the above target.

Sales ratio of SDGs Contribution Products: results and targets
Sales ratio of SDGs Contribution Products: results and targets