Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), the maker of Subaru vehicles, recognises the integral relationship between the environment and its business activities and services.

Its environmental efforts extend far beyond the automotive manufacturing sector of its business.

FHI has a commitment to producing products that are friendly to the earth, society and people.

FHI has set itself a goal of being an “intelligent company that is friendly to the global environment.”

To this end, it is constantly refining and increasing its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of each stage of its operations, from product development through to manufacturing, usage and disposal.

The company has achieved great success in reducing waste products and energy consumption associated with manufacturing processes.

FHI has been able to exceed its carbon dioxide (CO2) emission targets, due to the promotion of energy conservation programs at factories and other facilities, the introduction of natural gas-fuelled cogeneration facilities and other measures. FHI uses weight-saving technologies to improve vehicle fuel consumption. It is also striving to reduce CO2 emissions in its non-automotive areas too, including fuel-efficient general use engines and wind turbine electric power generation systems.

FHI operates the Eco Technologies Company. It is aimed at helping create pleasant living environments and promotes recycling via a broad array of vehicles and equipment to collect, transport and recycle waste products; intermediate waste processing systems and waste transport systems for high-rise buildings.

It also supplies wind turbine systems to provide clean energy.


FHI has achieved zero emission levels at its automobile plants in Gunma, Japan. The Gunma Manufacturing Division eliminated industrial waste, previously used for landfill, in 2001. The division comprises four major automobile production plants: the Main, Yajima, Ohta North and Oizumi Plants. Zero emission status was achieved at Gunma a year earlier than expected.

As part of its company-wide zero emission goal for production processes, FHI announced in January 1999 that it planned to reduce, then eliminate, industrial waste in the Gunma Division by March 2002 and also at the Utsunomiya Manufacturing Division, which makes aircraft, rail cars and ecology-related products.

In the fiscal year 1999, 1,003 tonnes of landfill was produced at Gunma, reducing to 43 tonnes in the fiscal year 2000 – a 99.3% drop. By the end of the fiscal year 2000, with less than one tonne of landfill waste at Gunma, FHI declared the four plants to be within tolerance levels for zero emission.

FHI had earlier identified 61% of waste at the Gunma Division as being incinerated. With the goal of removing incinerators, the Division turned waste originally destined for burning, into recyclable resources.

Dewatered sludge, which took up 43% of the waste ashes, is now recycled as cement materials. Refuse paint, which was 26% of waste, is turned into anti-vibration insulator materials, cement compounds and blast-furnace reducing agents.

Other flammable waste and non-vinyl chloride resins are categorised into 25 recyclable uses and incinerator use at Gunma was discontinued on December 12, 2000.

Non-incinerated waste from Gunma is also extensively recycled. For example, soft vinyl chloride plastics are automatically sorted, using recently installed sorters on the shop floors, then recycled. FHI also achieved zero emission at its Saitama Manufacturing Division by the end of March 2002. It produces general purpose engines and generators.

In North America, Subaru was the first automotive manufacturer to receive the stringent ISO 14001 environmental management standard at its SIA manufacturing facility in Lafayette, Indiana, and the first to achieve zero landfill status. Since then, Subaru has achieved ISO 14001 accreditation across its entire North American operation, including administration offices, distribution warehouses and service technical training centres.

FHI is one of the biggest contractors to Boeing outside of North America and in this role it has to meet stringent environmental guidelines in manufacturing techniques and materials usage. FHI makes centre wing sections for the Boeing 777 and the new midsized 787. These products are designed for their high strength and low weight, in turn contributing to the class-leading fuel efficiency of the finished aircraft. (Source: Fuji Heavy Industries 2007 Social and Environmental report.)

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