Awareness of global environmental issues are on the rise, and number of companies that operates business globally are growing. Under these circumstances, demand for service and work uniforms based on products employing advanced technology to minimize environmental burden has been increasing. MIDORI ANZEN, which is Japan’s top manufacturer of service and work uniforms, will globally distribute the products based on TORAY’s ecodear®PET to deliver products that contribute to tackling global environmental issues, to companies in Japan and other parts of the world.
Ever since its inception in 1952, MIDORI ANZEN, under its motto of "Service for Safety, Health and Comfortable Environment,” has developed and introduced numerous products such as uniforms, safe and hygienic protective equipment including safety shoes and helmets, equipment for environment improvement, health care and medical equipment, as well as electrical measuring equipment by constantly incorporating the opinions from workplaces. Based on its management policy of preservation of global environment and realization of a society that can be developed in a sustainable manner, MIDORI ANZEN in 2000 gained ISO14001 certification and all of its Japanese sales branches, which had been working on the introduction of the “Eco Action 21” certification since 2010, completed the registration process in January 2013.
In its efforts to reduce environmental burden, MIDORI ANZEN introduced building a resource recovery and recycling system (approved as National Permit System in Japan) for uniforms and helmets.
Under its management policy that all business strategies must place priority on global environment in an effort to help realize a sustainable low-carbon society, Toray Group has been implementing the “Green Innovation Business Expansion (GR) Project” in a group-wide effort.
Currently the Japanese government is aiming to contribute internationally to the reduction of environmental burden worldwide by spreading its public green purchasing system in addition to the country’s outstanding Japanese green innovation technologies and products. MIDORI ANZEN and Toray are determined to contribute to the realization of a sustainable low-carbon society through the global offering of the well-trusted plant-based polyester fiber products which are compliant with the world’s most advanced public green purchasing criteria.
The product profile is as follows:
1. Product name: High-performance workwear “Plantex” series
2. Fiber content: 100% polyester (ecodear®PET accounts for approximately 57%)
3. Product characteristics: MIDORI ANZEN VERDEXEL products that allows better mobility
4. Scheduled launched: Autumn-winter season in fiscal year 2014
5. Sales plan: 300 million yen in fiscal year 2014, 3.0 billion yen in fiscal year 2017
〈Glossary〉
*1 “Law on Promoting Green Purchasing” (Japan)
Law Concerning the Promotion of Procurement of Eco-conscious Goods and Services by the State and Other Entities (official name). Enforced in April 2001, the law requires the country and public agencies to practice green purchasing and seeks local governments, businesses and people to do the same.
*2 “BIO-PET Criteria”(Japan)
They are plant-based non-biodegradable plastic product criteria. With the Cabinet decision of the “Basic Policy on Promoting Green Purchasing” on February 5th, 2013, they were added as the new criteria for judging the use of synthetic fibers manufactured and processed from plant-based non-biodegradable plastic for “Uniforms”, “Workwear”, “Curtains” and “Needle-punched carpets”, etc.
*3 “Green Innovation Products”
Toray Group’s “Green Innovation Products” play an important role in areas that offer solutions to global environmental issues and resource- and energy-related issues. The Group has set its own criteria for these GR products.
〈Reference〉
Profile of MIDORI ANZEN
(1) Representative: President and Chief Executive Officer Fujio Matsumura
(2) Address: 4-3, Hiroo 5-chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
(3) Established: June 1952
(4) Business: Manufacturing and sales of protective equipment such as safety shoes and helmets, office and industrial uniforms, equipment for environment improvement such as air cleaners, health care and medical equipment, as well as electrical measuring equipment and leather shoes.
Profile of Toray
(1) Representative: President Akihiro Nikkaku
(2) Address: 1-1, Nihonbashi-Muromachi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
(3) Established: January 1926
(4) Business: Manufacturing and sales of the following products, among others: fibers and textiles, plastics and chemicals, IT-related products, carbon fiber composite materials, environment and engineering and life science.
