Residential Air Conditioner Recycling Fee to be Revised

Currently, the fee imposed for recycling home air conditioners is 2,100 yen (approx. US$22.40). Commencing April 1, the new fee will be 1,575 yen (approx. US$16.80).

Japan's Home Appliance Recycling Law was instituted on April 1, 2001 as a measure to promote the recycling of reusable parts and materials of appliances discarded from home and office environments as a means of reducing the volume of such waste and to promote reutilization of resources. Appliances to which the law applies include air conditioners, televisions, refrigerators, freezers and washing machines.

The recycling fee levied against MHI's residential air conditioners has already been revised on three previous occasions: in April 2007, November 2008 and April 2011. The decision to lower the fee effective this April 1 was rendered based on projections of improvement in the bottom line from the company's home air conditioners. The anticipated improvement reflects higher prices for recycled resources against the backdrop of robust market prices, coupled with success in reducing recycling and related costs.

Earlier MHI drew up a "Basic Policy on Environmental Matters" targeted at enabling the development of a sustainable society, and in line with this policy the company has consistently sought to ease environmental burdens in all areas of its business activities. Going forward, the company will continue to apply its full complement of technological capabilities and provide society with environmentally friendly products and technologies at appropriate cost as its way of contributing to the creation of an affluent society in which environmental, social and economic demands co-exist harmonically.