SARAYA Company Information
Saraya Co., Ltd.

Tokyo Saraya Co., Ltd.

Smile Sangyo Co., Ltd.

2-2-8 Yuzato, Higashisumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 1-25-8 Higashishinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, 24-12 Tamate-cho, Kashihara-shi Osaka Japan
Japan 546-0013
Tokyo Japan 140-0002
582-0028

Headquarters
Telephone+81-6-6797-3111+81-3-5461-8101+81-72-978-7800

President andRepresentative Director

Yusuke Saraya

Syuji Saraya

Ryuji Saraya

Year of establishment

1952

1969

1983

Capital

45 million yen

60 million yen

30 million yen

1,288

406

62

Number of employees
Business summary• Development, manufacturing and sales of health and hygiene products and services.
• Consultation for food and environmental sanitation.
• Development, manufacturing and sales of food products.

Manufacturing plastic bottles, operating
business sites

Headquarters

Osaka

Tokyo

Osaka

Research lab

Osaka, Guilin(China)

-

-

-

Osaka

23 cities

1 site--Business Manufacturing Osaka, Iga (Mie), Chonburi (Thailand),sites
Dongguan (China), Selangor (Malaysia)
sites
Main service
23 cities
office in Japan
Overseas bases

Manufacturing 6 sites, sales 23 sites

Consolidated revenue in Japan
Billion yen
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
32.2
5
0
2013

International Organization for Standardization
Certification
Management
System

35.6

37.7

40.8

43.9

2014

2015

2016

2017

Consolidated number of employees
in Japan
100 People
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
1,712
2
0
2013

1,800

1,770

1,805

1,777

2014

2015

2016

2017

Certified Organization (Certified Dept.)

Saraya Co., Ltd.
ISO 9002
Smile Sangyo Co., Ltd.
ISO 14001 Saraya Co., Ltd. Tokyo Saraya Co., Ltd. Smile Sangyo Co., Ltd.
Saraya Co., Ltd. Tokyo Saraya Co., Ltd. Smile Sangyo Co., Ltd.
ISO 9001 Saraya (Dongguan) Hygiene Products Co., Ltd.
Saraya MFG. (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Co., Ltd.
ISO13485 Saraya(Head offic, Development dept. Research Lab,Osaka fac., Iga fac.)
ISO14001 Saraya MFG. (Thailand) Co., Ltd
Co., Ltd. Tokyo Saraya Co., Ltd.
ISO 22000 Saraya(Food Sanitation Instractor, Food Sanitation H. Q. etc.)

Date
13 Dec. 1999
Whole

26 Nov. 2001
13 Dec. 2002
1 Nov. 2005
7 Jul. 2006

In part22 Dec. 2006

Whole

26 Dec. 2008

In part8 Dec. 2008

http://worldwide.saraya.com/

SARAYA wins Japan SDGs AwardSARAYA received the Minister of Foreign Affairs Deputy Director Award at the inaugural Japan
SDGs Awards. The ceremony was held at the Prime Minister's official residence on 26 December
2017, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The award was in recognition of SARAYA’s
contribution to the improvement of hygiene in Uganda, activities promoting biodiversity in
Sabah, Malaysia, and encouraging the use of sustainable palm oil.
About Japan SDGs Awards
The Government of Japan established a cabinet body, the SDGs Promotion Headquarters, headed by the Prime Ministerand composed of all ministers on 20 May 2016, in order to ensure a whole-of-government approach to implementing
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in a comprehensive and effective manner. The Japan SDGs Awards
incentivize and promote good practice.
Cabinet Public Relations Office press release; http://japan.kantei.go.jp/98_abe/actions/201712/26article4.html
UN Secretary-General’s message to Japan’s SDGs Award ceremony; http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/sdgs/japan_sdgs_award_dai1/siryou4.pdf
Ceremony video; https://nettv.gov-online.go.jp/prg/prg16450.html?nt=1

SDG

3

Foreword“We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world
on to a sustainable and resilient path.” This is quoted from “Transforming our world: the Agenda for Sustainable
Development”.
Saraya invented and supplied hand disinfectant liquid soap and its dispenser, and promoted hand hygiene atmany workplaces, schools and public facilities in post WW II Japan when sanitation systems were still poor andhygiene practices were insufficient – the same issues that many developing countries such as Sub-Saharan Africa
and South Asia are still facing today.
In Target 3.1 through to Target 3.3 of SDG 3, it is believed that hand hygiene is the single most importantmeans of preventing infection and a fundamental element of good infection control.
Saraya has vast knowledge, experience and resources with respect to infection prevention and control, and has
been utilizing them to promote hand hygiene through business activity and corporate social responsibility in the
East African region as well as in the South Asian region. This applies especially to Uganda and Cambodia where
its work started.
This report covers eleven goals of SDGs to explain Saraya’s sustainable product development, activities for preserving biodiversity, and the business contribution to improving and controlling global sanitation and hygiene forall stakeholders.
This also contains Saraya’s legacy together with the latest information and statistics (as of JUNE 2018) in orderto provide a clear insight into how Saraya proceeds towards sustainability.
Any questions and queries are welcome and you can contact us by email at <sustainability@saraya.com>.

Index

Guidelines used for reference

Editorial Policy………………………………………………………………………………………………………

1

Top commitment……………………………………………………………………………………………………

2

Reporting period

The report mainly covers achievements inthe 2017 fiscal year (1 November 2016 to 31
October 2017), but also includes some activities
outside of this period.

Reporting scope

SDG 3 : Good Health and Well-being……………………………………………………………

4

Sanitation Legacy………………………………………………………………………………………………

4‘Wash a Million Hands Project’ in Uganda……………………………………………………

5

100% Hospital Hand Hygiene Project ……………………………………………………………

6

Happy Handwash Project in Cambodia…………………………………………………………

7

Maternal Health in Tanzania and Uganda ……………………………………………………

8

Sustaining human behavioral change: hand hygiene as an example……………………

9

Private Organizations for Patient Safety………………………………………………………

10

SDG 5 : Gender Equality…………………………………………………………………………………

11

Promoting Women’s Empowerment……………………………………………………………

11(Environment Management System)
Saraya Co., Ltd.
Tokyo Saraya Co., Ltd.
Smile Sangyo Co., Ltd.
Saraya MFG. (Thailand) Co., Ltd
Saraya (Dongguan) Hygiene Products Co., Ltd.

SDG 6 : Clean Water and Sanitation……………………………………………………………

12

Our Products Concept………………………………………………………………………………………

12

Diversity………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

15

Month of issue

SDG 12 : Responsible Consumption and Production……………………………………

16

Palm Oil Supply Chain………………………………………………………………………………………

16

May 2018 (the next report is to be issued in
May 2019)

Websitehttp://worldwide.saraya.com/doc/SustainabilityReport2018.
pdf

Sustainability Report 2018 We challenge the SDGs!

5

SDG

6

SDG

8

SDG

Editorial policy
The Japanese Ministry of the environment’s
Environmental Reporting Guidelines 2012
GRI (Global Reporting Initiative)“The GRI Standards”

SDG

SDG 8 : Decent Work and Economic Growth………………………………………………

14

Work life Balance……………………………………………………………………………………………

14

10
SDG

12
SDG

13

SDG 10 : Reduced Inequalities

SDG

14

Supporting Independent Palm Plantation Smallholders………………………… 18
Towards Sustainable Palm Oil
SDG 13 : Climate Action……………………………………………………………………………………

20

Environmental Management System……………………………………………………………

20

Green House Gas………………………………………………………………………………………………

21

SDG 14 : Life Below Water………………………………………………………………………………

22

Yashinomi Detergent Legacy……………………………………………………………………………

22

Saraya - a leader in industry and a famiily legacy………………………………………

23

SDG 15 : Life on Land…………………………………………………………………………………………

24

Publication:

Saraya Co., Ltd.

Concept, content
and design:

Atsuko Takahashi

Biodiversity Conservation in Sabah Malaysia………………………………………… 24

Translation:

Junko Shimizu

Business and Biodiversity…………………………………………………………………………………

26

Text editing:

Dr. Anthony Buglass

Leadind by Example - Saraya's commitment to biodiversity……………………

27

Date of issue:June 2018

Contact:

2-2-8 Yuzato, Higashisumiyoshi-ku
Osaka 546-0013 Japansustainability@saraya.com

SDG 16 : Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions……………………………………………

26

Governance………………………………………………………………………………………………………

28

SDG 17 : Partnerships for the Goals………………………………………………………………

29

SDG

15
SDG

16

Infection Control Training

SDG

1

17

Top Commitment
Let’s empower SDGs in Sanitation,
Environment and Health!
Jared Diamond wrote in his book “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed” that any civilization caneasily collapse especially as a result of environmental deterioration. This book tells us that we need to take seriously that even our global society could collapse by the deterioration of the environment.
I visited the cave in Lascaux and saw the paintings by Cro-Magnons. It is easy to see that they had skills andintelligence over 20,000 years ago. Homo sapiens initiated theagricultural revolution 5,000 years ago. The industrial revolution
began 300 years ago. In such a short space of time, we are now
already facing the collapse of our civilization. All society and business has to reform in a sustainable way.
It is very appropriate that the United Nations set the “SDGsSustainable Development Goals” in 2015. These goals should be
acheived by all members of global society.

The cave painting of Lascaux(1) SDGs in SARAYA
It was very gratifying for SARAYA to win the first SDGs Japan Award in Dec. 2017 promoted by the Japanese
Government. It was presented by Mr. Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan, and Mr. Taro Kono, the Ministerof Foreign Affairs of Japan.  The award is given in recognition of our active contributions to the Borneo Conservation Trust in Malaysia, and our activities supporting healthcare improvements in Uganda and Kenya. We are nowclassifying our projects to correspond to the SDGs which are highly relevant to our business activities.
We believe that our projects should have a grass roots connection to local inhabitants and promote local development. Although they are small steps, our aim is to take concrete and constant steps such as these towards
the SDGs. The challenges are described in the following pages.

2) Healthcare and Food Sanitation Development in Uganda and Kenya
We started the project “Wash a Million Hands!” in Uganda in 2010. Since then we
have expanded the activities from public health to the hospitals. We started the local
production of alcoholic hand rub in 2014. We have been collaborating with NGOs.
The Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning (JOICFP)
has been intensively promoting the importance of hand disinfection at the time of birthin village maternity centers to decrease the infection of mother & child at the time ofbirth (from 2011 (cf. p.8))"Alsoft V" was used for infectionof the Marburg virus at
In Kenya, in addition to the healthcare business, we will be starting a pilot study be- control
Kapchorwa Hospital in Uganda
tween 2018-2019 in Mombasa Port to make high quality fish fillets by using a Rapid in 2017.
Freezer, and distributing them for the trial run of a cold distribution chain.

Saraya Sustainability
Sustainability Report
Report 20182018
22 Saraya

UgandaKampara

Kenya
NairobiMombasa

Rapid Freezer in East Africa(3) Borneo Conservation Trust
We maintain the expansion of a green corridor along the Kinabatangan River in
Sabah, Malaysia, which is our raw material supply region, as well as protecting theelephants. We have also started the production of pellets from the empty oil palm
fruit bunch. (cf. p.16-17, 24-25)

Empty oil palm fruit bunch after oil
extraction, and the fuel pellet(4) Rapid Freezer in Cambodia
We have developed a machine called “RAPID FREEZER” (pictured right) to makehigh quality frozen products. Between 2017 to 2018, we conducted a pilot study
in Cambodia to make frozen tilapia fillets and frozen tropical fruits to sell to the
local supermarkets and restaurants, with the aim of creating more value for farmers and fishermen from locally produced products. The project was successfullycompleted, and we are now looking to scale up the operation as a business withcollaborating partners.

Freezing  mangos rapidly to preserve thenatural juices and flavors in a Rapid Freezer(5) Desert Jojoba Oil Plantation in Egypt
A joint venture company “Simmond” was established in 2016 between Professor
Fukui, members of Osaka University, and SARAYA. The purpose is to turn the Egyptian desert green by planting jojoba trees. Jojoba trees bear fruit which produce
jojoba oil, which is very suitable for cosmetic products. We are now developing
cosmetic product lines using the jojoba oil produced from the plantation in Egypt,
and selling them on the market.

Jojoba plantation

Jojoba nursery trees(6) Herbal essence extraction in Tunisia
At the beginning of 2018, we set up a herbal and floral essential oil processing
factory in the middle of farmland at Cap Bon Peninsula in Tunisia. We worked together with local farmers to grow neroli, roses and geraniums. We have alreadyhad our very first harvest of 50 kg of essential oils. We are determined to establish
the technologies and make it ready for local application to increase the income of
the local people, as well as to create a new supply chain for SARAYA.
Although they are small steps, we are now conducting many projects around theworld with the hope of making supply chains more transparent, from the sources
all the way to the consumers, as well as to share the values of sustainable development among the people in the supply chains. I also hope our relentless efforts
and trials will not only be successful for the participants, but also create a newwind of change to establish a better and more sustainable world for everyone tolive in.

Saraya Baute et Sante and Neroli

Harvested Neroli flowers
President Saraya Co., Ltd.

Yusuke Shiro Saraya

3

Good Health and Well-Being
Sanitation Legacy
1952 in Japan
People in Japan were often suffering from outbreaks ofdysentery and food poisoning in 1951 after WWII. There
were over 111,000 patients at the peak of the dysentery
epidemic in 1952. Back then, solid soaps (bar soaps) were
widely available in the market, but liquid soaps were notyet sold in Japan.
In April 1952, Saraya introduced liquid soap with a disinfectant effect along with a dispenser. As the productwas such an innovative and effective approach to improving hand hygiene, it gained people’s trust and gradually
spread to the factories of leading industries such as thepulp & paper and iron & steel sectors, as well as schools
and public offices. In November the same year, the new
regulations from the Japanese Health Ministry for compulsory hand washing and disinfection at food processing facilities came into force. Saraya has been developing
ever since as one of the leading companies in the field of
public and food hygiene.

ʼ52
111,709

120,000

Push type dispensers (1952)‘53
108,009

100,000
80,00060,00040,00020,000
0

'27

'50

'55

'60

'65

'70

'75

Dysentery historical figures

'80

'85

'90

Source: The Survey of the Sanitary Conditions in Japan (1993)

Introduced Alcohol-Based Hand Disinfectant
The “Hand Saniter” was the very first alcohol-based
product Saraya introduced to the world. Saraya has been
researching and developing alcohol-based hand disinfectants (ABHD) ever since. In 1976, MRSA (Methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus) had not been isolated
in Japanese healthcare facilities, but by 1987, MRSA was
isolated from over 58% of patients. In 1996, prevention
and control measures for nosocomial MRSA infection,such as the application of alcohol-based hand disinfectants, finally received medical funding from the government.
The number of MRSA patients in Japan reached
118,539 by 2013. Meanwhile, “Hibischol” (ABHD), which
was first introduced in 1986 at the time of the MRSA outbreak in Japan, has become one of our leading products
as a prevention and infection control measure. In 1995,
Saraya acquired Best Sanitizers, Inc. A joint venture company was set up, and Saraya’s “Alsoft V” was then introduced to the American market through Best Sanitizers.
We launched our new product line called “Viro Stera”
in 2010 which has proven effective against a wide rangeof microorganisms, including non-enveloped virus suchas Norovirus as well as ordinary fungi. It is now being
produced and sold by Saraya Manufacturing (U) Ltd. in
Uganda as Alsoft A.
4 Saraya Sustainability Report 2018

Iga Factory (pharmaceutical factory) established in 1998

Best Sanitizers, Inc. established in 1995

Kentucky Factory established in 2006

Hand disinfectants "Viro Stera" and"Alsoft A"

Sensor activated dispenser "UD-9600S"

SDG

3

‘Wash a Million Hands Project’ in Uganda
Supporting UNICEF
The table on the right is from the “Levels & Trends inChild Mortality Report 2017” from UNICEF, and it showsunder-five and infant mortality rates and number ofdeaths. According to UNICEF, the rate is defined as “theprobability of dying between birth and exactly five yearsof age, expressed per 1,000 live births”. The number of
infant deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa is 1.91 million, which
is nearly 45% of the overall world infant mortality rate.
According to the UNICEF report, it is estimated that
0.26 million infants died in East Africa including Uganda.
Among them, a large number of deaths were caused bypneumonia or acute diarrhea, which can be prevented bybasic hand hygiene practices such as hand washing.
UNICEF stands for The United Nations Children’s Fund.
Saraya has been donating 1% of its net sales from handhygiene products range to UNICEF since 2010. The donation has been used to educate children and mothersin Uganda and promote basic hand hygiene using handsoaps. UNICEF and the Ministry of Health in Uganda havecollaborated to train local volunteers to be hand hygiene
ambassadors. They also promote hand hygiene with Tippy Taps (a simple and ecological hand washing device)throughout the country.
This work has successfully helped prevent infections
such as diarrhea. The donations through this project
have also been used for installing water tanks at schoolsin Uganda and promoting hand hygiene practice through
UNICEF activities. The number of mothers Saraya reached
to promote the importance of hand hygiene in Uganda
topped 1.2 million, and the rate of handwashing after going to the toilet has been steadily improving from 14% in
2007, 33.2% in 2015, to 36% in 2016.

Sub-Sahara

UgandaRwandaBurundiAfricaKenya
Tanzania

Estimates of child mortality in Africa 2016

Country
BurundiKenya
RwandaSouth Sudan
UgandaUN Rep of
Tanzania
Sub-SaharanAfricaJapan
World

Under-fiveofMortality rate Number
deaths(per 1,000 live births)(thousands)

InfantNumber ofdeaths(per 1,000 live births)
Mortality rate

(thousands)

72
49
39
91
53

31
74
14
38
143

48
63
29
59
38

21
53
11
26
65

57

192

40

84

79

2,777

54

1,910

3
41

3
12,598

2
31

2
4,242

Source: Levels & Trends in Child Mortality Report 2017, UNICEF

354 water tanks (60L) with a tap have been installed at schools where
there was no access to water. So far, pupils in 177 schools in the Gulu,
Kitgum, Pader and Abim districts can now wash their hands with cleanwater.

“Wash a Million Hands Project-Uganda”
Promotion Products

5100% Hospital Hand Hygiene Project
Saraya East Africa Co., Ltd.

Saraya Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

A nurse in Gombe Hospital■Comparison of HH compliance and case occurance
80

7

70
■ Compliance50■ Acute Diarrhea

40■ Post C-S Sepsis

30

5
4
3
2

20

1

10
0

M

2

’1

ay

J

’
un

12

0

number of cases(Post C-S Sepsis
and Acute Diarrhea)

660compliance (%)

Saraya chose Uganda as an African hub for promoting
and improving basic sanitation in developing countries,
then set up a subsidiary company, Saraya East Africa Co.,
Ltd. in Kampala.
In 2011, Saraya’s hand hygiene project proposal in thehealthcare sector was selected as the BOP business preparation survey for infection control and prevention using
a new alcohol-based disinfectant in collaboration with
JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). Saraya’s
alcohol-based hand disinfectant Hibiscohl S was installed
at Gombe Hospital and Entebbe Hospital as a case-studyof the pilot project from May 2012 to April 2013.
At Gombe Hospital, a hand hygiene compliance project
was initiated under the supervision of Dr. Lule Haruna.
At the beginning of the project, the compliance rate wasbarely improved and it took some time to reach 70%.
However, since reaching this level, significant results
were recorded. After hitting the 70% compliance rate,
zero case months of acute diarrhea and post C-S sepsis
were recorded, as shown in the “Comparison of HH compliance and case occurrence” chart. Dr. Lule Haruna received the WHO Global Health Workforce Award for thisachievement.
This pilot project has proved that alcohol-based handdisinfectant can be accepted and work effectively in
Uganda. Not only that, the basic hygiene in the healthcare facility drastically improved, and the compliance rate
shows and clearly proves that it can protect the patientsmost vulnerable to infection such as infants and pregnant
women. Other details of the Infection Control Seminars
held in Uganda and Japan are listed in SDG17, p.29.

2 ’ 12 ’ 12 ’ 12 ’ 12 ’ 12 ’ 13 ’ 13 r’ 13 ’ 13 Month
v
c
r
t
b
p
a
l’ 1 g
n
Ap
M
Fe
Ja
De
Se
Ju Au
Oc No

Comparison of hand hygiene compliance rate and20 reported
disease occurrence in Gombe Hospital

East Africa Infection Control Conference 2013
The conference was held in Kampala, the capital
city of Uganda on 21 February, 2013. It wasplanned and instigated by Saraya East Africa Co.,
Ltd., and hosted by Uganda’s Ministry of Healthalong with JICA Uganda Office’s support, andsponsorship from Saraya Co., Ltd. The conference
welcomed Dr. Pittet as a keynote speaker andincluded a speech from Dr. Lule Haruna of Gombe
Hospital. There was a panel discussion between
Mr. Saraya and all the speakers. More than 140
participants from all over East Africa attended theevent. It was reported in Uganda’s national daily
newspaper “New Vision” for two days.

6 Saraya Sustainability Report 2018

SDG

3

Happy Handwash Project in Cambodia

Cambodia

Saraya (Cambodia) Co., Ltd.
The Kingdom of Cambodia is located on the Indochina
Peninsula bordering Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Access rates to a safe water supply is relatively high in thecentral area, whereas in rural areas, water sources (i.e.
rain water, groundwater, river water, lake water or pond
water) are varied and unstable depending on regions or
seasons. Improving the installation rate of flush toilets inthe country is therefore still an issue. On the other hand,
it is reported that the general hand washing compliance
rate is very stable at 50 - 60%.
JICA and Saraya have worked together and launcheda social business pilot project as a preparatory survey
for BOP Business Collaboration. In the urban area, it was
launched in slum areas, the National Maternal and Child
Health Center, and the National Children’s Hospital, as
well as in two health centers and secondary schools ina rural area.
While participating in the pilot project, Saraya set up
a subsidiary company “Saraya Cambodia Co., Ltd.” in
Phnom Penh in 2013. The company seeks a way to breakinto the Cambodian market by introducing locally manufactured products because importing infection prevention lines made-in-Japan is hardly competitive. It has
been reported that the hand washing compliance rates
in hospitals are still relatively low in ASEAN countries including Cambodia, which is the principle measure for infection prevention and control at hospitals.
Saraya hosted the first IC-IPC2014 (International Conference on Infection Prevention and Control at the
Healthcare Facilities in the ASEAN Community) in 2014 topromote hand hygiene at hospitals, and made a presentation of the results of the pilot project at the National
Maternal and Child Health Center and the National Children’s Hospital. It was held by the Health Ministry of theRoyal Government of Cambodia at the International Hotel in Phnom Penh on 19 August 2014, with a joint collaboration between the JICA Cambodia office and Saraya.
It welcomed more than 100 participants from Cambodia
and Japan including the Cambodian Minister of Healthand the Japanese Ambassador from the Japanese Embassy in Cambodia.
In January 2017, Saraya’s proposal “Development ofvalue-added agriculture and fisheries processing business” was accepted by JICA as a Project Investigation for
Overseas Development Project for Small and Mediumsized Enterprises in Cambodia. (Contribution to SDG14.b)

Estimates of child mortality in Indochina 2016

Country
Cambodia
Leo People's
Democratic Rep
Thailand
Viet NamSouthern Asia
UN Rep of
Tanzania
Japan
World

Under-five mortality
Rate
Deaths(per 1,000 live births)(thousands)

Infant mortality
Rate
Deaths(per 1,000 live births)(thousands)

31

11

26

10

64

10

49

8

12
22
47

9
34
1,734

11
17
38

8
27
1,397

57

192

40

84

3
41

3
12,598

2
31

2
4,242

Source: Levels & Trends in Child Mortality Report 2017, UNICEF

The National Maternal and Child Health Center in Cambodia

At the pledge ceremony for the “Clean Care is Safer Care” of ICIPC2014 (International Conference on Infection Prevention andControl at the Healthcare Facilities in the ASEAN Community).
From left to right, Mr. Yusuke Saraya of Saraya Co., Ltd., Professor
Didier Pittet, Cambodian Minister of Health, and the Ambassador
extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Japan in Cambodia.

7

Maternal Health in Tanzania and Uganda

Sub-Sahara

Supporting NGO JOICFP*SDG target 3.1 is to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.
According to the WHO report “Maternal Mortality andProportion Attended by Skilled Birth Attendants”, the SBA“skilled birth attendance” rate in Tanzania is merely 49%,
and the maternal mortality rate is 8 times higher thanJapan.
At Mwamakaranga clinic in Shinyanga, Tanzania, Saraya
supported a refurbishment project led by JOICFP. They
rebuilt a maternal and child health unit and named it the“Milky House for Mothers” where women can visit forantenatal or postnatal check-ups, and actually deliver
their babies at the inpatient care facility. They can alsoseek help for family planning and sexually transmitted
diseases at this unit.
Saraya donates part of the sales from the “LactferrinLab.” cosmetic product line (containing Lactoferrin) to
JOICFP which is an official organization for “White Ribbon
Japan”.
* JOICFP is the abbreviation of Japanese Organization forInternational Cooperation in Family Planning. JOICFP’s
mission is to create a society in which women and girls canmake their own choices regarding their sexual reproductive
health and rights, thereby realizing their potential to
the fullest. Ultimately, JOICFP aims to contribute to theachievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

UgandaAfricaRwandaBurundiKenya

Tanzania

Maternal Mortality and Propotion of attended by Skilled Birth AttendanceCountry
BurundiKenya
RwandaSouth Sudan
UgandaUN Rep of Tanzania
Japan

Maternal Mortality Rate2015 (per 100,000 live births)

48
63
29
59
38
40
5

Skilled Birth Attendance
2005-2016 (%)

60
62
91
19
57
49
100

Source: World Health Statistics 2017 Monitaring forThe SDGs, WHO

White Ribbon Japan for Safe Motherhood

Lactferrin Lab. Moist lift Gel Serum

Promoting Hand Washing to 1.2 Million Mothersin Uganda
Saraya has been promoting the importance of handwashing through the “Wash a Million Hands Project” in
Uganda since 2010. This project not only targets children but also parents and mothers in the villages. Ourambassadors have worked very hard to install and promote “Tippy tap” (a simple and economical hand washing device) and promoted the importance of simple handwashing using soap to over 1.2
million mothers annually.

Hand washing workshop for mothersto-be by hand washing ambassadors.

8 Saraya Sustainability Report 2018

Newly refurbished “Milky House for Mothers” with Mr.Daishima
of Saraya at far right. The logo on the wall is from the trademark of“Lactferrin Lab.”

SDG

3

Sustaining human behavioral change: hand hygiene as an example
Hand hygiene is the cornerstone of infection prevention andcontrol (IPC). When timely and optimally performed, it reduces
healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), antimicrobial resistance, health costs, and saves lives. Poor compliance with handhygiene practices remains both a problem and a challenge for
IPC practitioners all over the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Clean Care is Safer Careglobal programme, launched in 2005, is based around a change
model for hand hygiene promotion. It fosters partnerships andcoordinates activities as set out in its programme plan. By December 2017, more than 140 of the 194 United Nations member
states had pledged their support to implement actions to reduce
HAIs, corresponding to 95% coverage of the world population.
The WHO field-tested and validated, multimodal hand hygiene
improvement strategy comprises five critical components:
1) system change - replacing soap and water handwashing by
alcohol-based handrubbing; 2) healthcare worker training andeducation; 3) evaluation and performance feedback; 4) reminders in the workplace; and 5) promotion of an institutional safety
climate.
WHO, in collaboration with major international stakeholders,
including SARAYA, has coordinated more than 50 national campaigns and launched the global annual healthcare worker callto action; the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands 5th May campaign
to highlight hand hygiene action at the point of care. SARAYA
is a very active member of POPS (Private Organizations for Patient Safety < http://www.who.int/gpsc/pops/en/ >) and promotes, co-organizes, and supports a large number of activities
contributing to improving patient safety worldwide, and saving
lives. Among these activities in 2017, SARAYA supported a very
successful Hand Hygiene Train-The-Trainers programme in Malaysia where key IPC representatives and leaders from all partsof the country received training from collaborators of the WHO
Collaborating Center on Patient Safety in Geneva (WHO CC), tobecome trainers of all Malaysian healthcare workers. The event
was associated with the renewal by the state Minister of Healthof the pledge to Clean Care is Safer Care.
More than a key stakeholder, SARAYA is a real partner of the
WHO CC and was the main sponsor of the International Conference on Prevention and Infection Control (ICPIC) held in Geneva
in June 2017. ICPIC is a chance for IPC stakeholders and key opinion leaders to meet every two years, with more than 1200 participants from almost 100 countries worldwide. As a sponsor of
ICPIC, SARAYA is a major player supporting the sustainability of
IPC over the years.
Changing behavior does not happen without resistance. Why
is Clean Care is Safer Care such a success? Among the many reasons are: system change making behavioral change possible; thefact that the promotional strategy is multimodal and evidencebased and experience-based; the use of a structured ”top-down”
as well as ”bottom-up” implementation strategy; and the development of multiple tools for implementation. Importantly, thepromotion campaign is also linked to positive outcomes, andsuccess and excellence are rewarded. In addition, the strategy
promotes simplification, co-creation, creativity, community experience, silo busting*, the use of social media, and the application of sharing economy principles. SARAYA promoted and facilitated many for these parameters at different levels: continuous
research for the best products; best way to deliver products forhand hygiene; promoting education and training; developing efficient and adaptable tools for communication; and organizing avariety of events and supporting global actions on a large scale.
Among the most remarkable and unique activities by SARAYA
is the project promoting the local production of alcohol-based
handrub in Uganda. Waste products from the extraction of sugar from sugar cane are being used to produce alcohol for handsanitizer use. Adaptation to local resources is absolutely criticalfor sustainability, and this project, which generates local jobs for
Ugandans (currently around 20 employees), is about to becomea model for low-resource countries. It also constitutes a perfect
example of social innovation and of the application of sharing
economy principles, two key elements of long-term sustainability.
The global impact of Clean Care is Safer Care, with estimatesof 5 to 8 million lives saved every year in the world, would not
be possible without the significant contribution of partners suchas SARAYA. Many thanks for your tremendous support that contributes to the long-term sustainability of this successful WHO
programme.

Director, Infection Control Programme & WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety,
The University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine
Geneva, Switzerland

Professor Didier Pittet, MD, MS, CBE* Silo Busting: In business, silo busting means to break up an isolated department in an organization that
operates alone and doesn't share information.

9

Private Organizations for Patient Safety
WHO POPS for Hand Hygiene
WHO established a platform named the WHO Private
Organizations for Patient Safety (POPS), in collaboration
with the WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety at
the University of Geneva Hospitals to improve safety andreduce healthcare-associated infections (HCAI). The participating companies are involved in developing, manufacturing and/or distributing products for hand hygiene,
and the platform will allow WHO and these companies toshare information. It is also aimed at aligning such companies’ promotional messages for hand hygiene productswith WHO recommendations, enhancing the quality ofhand hygiene products, and encouraging product availability and accessibility in all parts of the world. The longterm aim of the collaboration, which currently includes
15 companies from around the world, is to improve theimplementation of WHO recommendations in different
parts of the world, especially in countries with limited resources. <www.who.int/gpsc/pops_hand-hygiene/en/>

POPS Participants as at 2016-2017• 3M• B. Braun Medical AG• BODE Chemie GmbH)• Deb Group• Diversey, now a part of Sealed Air• Ecolab Inc.
• Elyptol (formally SunnyWipes)• GOJO• HandInScan• Laboratoires Anios• MediHandTrace• Ophardt• Saraya Co,. Ltd• Schülke & Mayr GmbH• Surewash
Total 15 companies

Business Call to Action (BCtA)
The Business Call to Action (BCtA) is a project that canachieve commercial and development aims to promote
progress towards the* Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and governments*, by challenging companies to develop inclusive business models that engage
people at the base of the economic pyramid (BoP).
More than 130 companies have agreed to BCtA andmade a public commitment to improve the lives of millions of people by producing commercially feasible
businesses and involving BoP people as its consumers,
manufacturers, suppliers and sellers. In September 2014,
Saraya became an active member of BCtA for its project
aimed at combating maternal and newborn infections in
Ugandan hospitals.

https://www.businesscalltoaction.org/member/saraya* The the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, theUK Department for International Development (DFID), the US Agency for International
Development (USAID), and the United Nations Development Programme, which hosts thesecretariat.

ISO 9001 and 13485
In 2006, SARAYA gained certification for the ISO 9001
Quality Management System and the ISO 13485 medical
devices - quality management system. Other acquiredISOs are ISO 14001 and 22000. (Refer to “Company Information” on the back of the cover)
10 Saraya Sustainability Report 2018STERIACE 100
STERIACE 100 Hydrogen Peroxide Gas Sterilizer
features new technology using peracetic acidfor safer, cheaper and faster sterilization.
The device won the “Industrial Technology
Award” from the “Osaka Industrial Research
Association”

SDG

3

Gender Equality
Promoting Women’s Empowerment

SDG

Equal Opportunities and Treatment

Why We Need Female Leaders

We not only endeavor to make a commitment to equalpay for men and women, but also that there are no gender inequalities in recruitment, promotion, pay rises andpersonnel placement, and provide equal opportunities
for education & training. We continue our effort to prevent internalized discrimination. We hire and train our
employees as professional individuals with high moral
standards regardless of their gender. Female leader training courses and mentoring programmes by the board of
directors for females in management are also available.
Osaka City set up a system to approve a company to becertified as “Osaka City Female Active Leadership” when
the applicant actively promotes “Equal Opportunities
and Treatment”. There are two tiers, and Saraya received
a two stars certificate in 2015, which is the highest level.
In the same year, Saraya was also approved as a leading
company for “Promoting Paternal Involvement”, and not
only that, we won the award as the best of the approved
companies.

From food sanitation to healthcare hygiene, most end
users of Saraya products are female. Even in ordinary
households, our decision makers are mainly female. Thisis the reason why we promote gender diversity and try
our best to place female employees at managementlevel, especially in the product development division, sothat valuable voices are included when making crucial
decisions. The same applies to employees who want tostart a family. We see this positively, as a way of creating
new opportunities for them to gain a new viewpoint asparents, rather than negatively as the loss of employees
when they take their maternity leave.
These are some fine examples of how we promote gender diversity and help female employees play active andimportant roles at Saraya. 80% of the food sanitation instructors are female. The executive director of the Medical Marketing Department is Mrs. Yoko Yoshida, and 70%of the workforce in the Medical Business Division of the
Department are female. These are only a few examples
as more and more women are playing active roles in theorganization.

600
500

FemaleMale
Male

Female400
Gender ratio of total employees

300
200

Male

100

Female0

Gender ratio of under 29
Under 29 30-49 Over 50
Saraya Co., Ltd. / Tokyo Saraya Co., Ltd. Permanent Employee Gender& Age Comparison Chart (as of Oct 2017)“Osaka City Female Active Leadership Leading Company”
Certificate logo (left), and Mr. Saraya delivered a speech at theceremony, receiving the Best Award.

Direct Employment Composition Ratio by Age and Gender at Saraya, Tokyo Saraya and Smile Sangyo

Female (ratio)
Age
SarayaTokyo Saraya
Smile Sangyo

-29

30-49

50-

Male
All agepermanent employee87  (49.2%) 152  (28.8%)31(18.9%) 270 (%31.1)

Other employee54  (87.1%) 183  (86.3%)

110(75.3%) 347 (82.6%)

30-49

50-

All ege90 (50.8%)375(71.2%) 133 (81.1%)598(68.9%)

8   (12.9%)29(13.7%)

73 (17.4%)43(47.3%)

59(28.2%)

Other employee2(40.0%)9(100.0%)23 (79.3%)

34(79.1%)

3(60%)0(0%)

6 (20.7%)

9 (20.9%)

permanent employee

0(0%)

0(0%)

1(%33.3)

1(6.7%)

2(100%)

10(100%)2(66.7%)14(93.3%)

Other employee

48 (52.7%) 150 (71.8%)

36(24.7%)

permanent employee

Total

5(7.9%)   107(29.5%)-29(ratio)58 (92.1%) 256  (70.5%)2(66.7%)9(81.8%)23(82.1%)

39(83.3%)

1(33.3%)2(18.2%)5(17.9%)8(17.0%)188(55.3%)

412(42.1%)

193(44.6%)798(45.4%)

152(44.7%)566(57.9%)240(55.4%)958(54.6%)

11

5

Clean Water and Sanitation
Our Product Concepts
Saraya household products are LAS free

Sophorolipids

Zinc and nonyl phenyl ethers are known to have endocrine disrupting actions. In addition to these chemicals,in 2013, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment added environmental standards relating to water pollution
caused by linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) in order toprotect aquatic life. The Ministry of the Environment reported that aquatic organisms such as salmon and trout,which inhabit relatively lower temperature fresh water inJapan, can be impacted by LAS levels greater than 0.03
mg/l, and the environment for spawning localities shouldhave LAS levels of lower than 0.02 mg/L. The ministry
also reported that saltwater aquatic organisms can be
impacted by LAS levels higher than 0.01 mg/l, and LAS
levels higher than 0.006 mg/l could affect spawning waters.
The Japanese Ministry of the Environment reports that
42,694 tons* of LAS were shipped throughout Japan in
FY 2016 (1 April to 31 March), with an estimated 35,269
tons of the surfactant going through sewage treatment,
and 7,425 tons released untreated into the environment.
Household laundry and cleaning detergents accounted
for 92.0% of this volume.
Saraya has never used LAS in its household products
and has started using novel sophorolipids in its flagshipproducts, such as the Happy Elephant series of household detergents.

A new line of sustainable products made with a uniquetype of biosurfactant was developed by Saraya. Sophorolipids are biosurfactants (naturally-based cleaning agents)
made by fermenting vegetable oil with yeast. In Saraya’scase, this is palm oil. Detergents made with this cleaning
agent rinse away with less water while maintaining stronger cleaning power than other products on the market.
In addition, Saraya has developed a way to produce
sophorolipids with crude
palm oil, removing theneed for the extensive purification required to reachits currently traded state.

AcecideAcecide disinfectant is the first peracetic acid-based chemical sterilant / high-level disinfectant exclusively for medical
devices, instruments, and equipment in Japan.  Before the releaseof Acecide disinfectant, glutaraldehyde preparations were used fora long time for disinfecting endoscopes and other medical devices.  
However, the development of a
substitute has been long overdue
because of several issues such as:* Source: Japan Soap and Detergent Association and Japan Surfactant Industry Association

Professional Detergents

592t

80

Water Surface Tension
70

8.0%

Inferior
60
Surface
ActionHousehold laundries andcleaning detergents

7,425t92.0%

Amount of estamated LAS releaseto the environment in Japan in FY
2016

50

Suface 40
tension(mN/m)
30

Alkyl Ether Sulfate; AES

Ba

Soap

d

Habitable Line for Aquatic Organisms
Japanese killiﬁsh
Oryzias latipes var.

Polyoxyethylene Alkyl Ether; AE
Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate; LAS
Sophorolipids

water ﬂea
Daphnia magna

20
10
0

12 Saraya Sustainability Report 2018

Alkyl Sulfate ;AS

0.1

Only sophorolipids have low toxicity toaquatic organisms at concentrations
expressing surface activity.
1

Go

od

10
100
Concentration (g/L)

1,000

10,000

Low toxicity

slow bactericidal action of glutaraldehyde especially on acidfast bacteria and spores, isolation of glutaraldehyde-resistant acid-fast bacteria from an automatic endoscope washer,and health concerns associated with the toxicity of glutaraldehyde, such as allergy.  Peracetic acid has great promise asa prospective candidate because of (1) its excellent bactericidal activity, even against spores and acid-fast bacteria, andits reported efficacy on glutaraldehyde-resistant acid-fastbacteria, and (2) very low toxicity from its residues and degradation products.  After reacting with organic matter, or as
time passes after draining, peracetic acid decomposes andbreaks down into acetic acid and oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide in a peracetic acid solution also easily breaks down into
oxygen and water.  Acecide disinfectant boasts the quick andexcellent bactericidal activity of peracetic acid and has highstability in solution, and can be used repeatedly to reprocessreusable medical devices such as flexible endoscopes.

Replacement PRTRs
Up until 2009, as part of our environmental management system (EMS), we made concerted efforts to avoid
the use of chemicals listed in PRTRs – an emission inventory that collects and disseminates data on specificchemical releases.
During recent years, however, there have been a series of amendments to the Pollutant Release and Transfer
Register (PRTR). As a result, the PRTR Law contradicts our
mission to provide customers with quality products withhigh biodegradability.
To give an example, polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether, oneof the major substitutes for PRTR-designated polyoxyethylene alkyl ether (AE), is less biodegradable than AE,
meaning that products containing polyoxyalkylene alkyl
ether instead of AE have more impact on the environment (see later sections for more details). With respect
to polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulphate (AES), which has
recently been classified as a PRTR substance, there is no
substitute available as of now.

What Is Carbon Balance?
Against this backdrop, Saraya has developed a new environmental barometer called the Carbon Balance (CB)which is designed to indicate the fossil and non-fossil
carbon content of surfactants. The Carbon Balance (%)
of a surfactant is the proportion of total carbon content
which comes from a non-fossil source (i.e. a CB of 100%
indicates an entirely non-fossil derived surfactant; anda CB of 0% indicates the carbon source is entirely fossil
based). We calculate the total CB of surfactants used in
our products for each year and try to maintain it above
60% as part of our EMS targets. In 2017, 11 surfactants
made up most of those produced in Japan. The total CBof the 11 most frequently traded surfactants was approximately 56.7%.
The CB of Surfactant A (PRTR-designated AE) is approximately 40%, while those of Surfactant B and C, two major
substitutes for AE, are about 20% and 12%, respectively.
Generally, the higher the CB or non-fossil carbon content
of a surfactant, the higher the biodegradability. For thesereasons, instead of avoiding PRTR chemicals which could
end up with less biodegradability, we have decided to use
chemicals with higher CB values.

The following is the carbon balance of AES as an example: 12/(2×3+12)×100

%
80
70
60

Saraya CB
63.3
56.3

66.2
55.6

Japan CB
68.5
54.7

69.1

73.9

55.6

69.1
63.5
57.8 56.1
56.9

77.9

79.7

63.3
56.7

56.3

56.7

50
40
30
20
10
0

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Trend of  Carbon Balance

13

SDG

6

Decent Work and Economic Growth
Work Life Balance
Better Balance between Family and Career
Saraya provides various systems for its employees sothat they can work under different circumstances without losing job satisfaction and with a good work life balance. They can choose how they work flexibly in different
circumstances at various life stages to suit their needs.
For example, starting a family or looking after elderly
parents. In these life changing periods, we need a goodbalance between work and caring for family members at
home.
Prenatal and postnatal maternity leave, childcare
leave, reduced working hours, flexible working hours,
work-from-home, no overtime, restrictions on night workand out-of-hours, and leave for the care of a sick child.
They are available to all for our employees to support
their parenting, and of course they apply equally to bothparents.
For those who need to look after and care for elderly
parents, we provide nursing care leave, nursing care reduced working hours, nursing care flexible working hours,
work-from-home, no overtime and restrictions on nightwork and out-of-hours. Overall applicants for the systems
from 2013 to 2016 are listed below. We launched our
workplace nursery called “Saraya Child Station” in April
2018.

Personal development leave
and Volunteering leave
It is necessary to have a good work life balance to refresh your mind and boost your energy to increase creativity at work. At Saraya, all full-time employees are
eligible for 5 special paid leaves as “Work life balance
special leaves”.
Saraya was certified by the Ministryof Health, Labor and Welfare as a
"Childcaring support company" in
2009, and Saraya Tokyo was certified
in 2014.

Days taken as childcare and nursing care leave from Nov 2014 to Oct 2017at Saraya, Tokyo Saraya and Smile Sangyo

Prenatal & Postnatal
Maternity Leave/Childcare
Leave
Care for old people

FemaleEmployee

Male
Employee

Male Eligibility

51

2

112

2

0

Personal development leave and Volunteering leave

for participating volunteering work at local comVolunteering Leave

munity (except politically or religiously motivated
up to 5days

activities).Participating at gatherings or events of public organizations, local
community.Participating in local activities such as Local Fire Brigade Service, Street
Clean Up and Community Safety Service.Participating in Japanese National Athletics Championships or any otherrecognized sporting events by athletic organizations.Taking part in or supporting NPO activities.Providing support to Child Welfare Facilities.Any other local community activities approved by the company

Personal
Development Leavefor developing personal skills as a professional.Participating at lectures and seminars.Participating at or visiting exhibitions, trade fairs and events.Taking exams or lessons for passing qualifications.Meeting up with people from other industries and sectors

Anniversary Leavefor employees and their family’s anniversaries.Adding to compassionate & bereavement leave or paid marriage leave
to form consecutive days of leave.Birthdays and anniversaries.Any other events approved by the company

for employees and their family’s general healthand health improvement.Medical examination under National Health Insurance Association.Private medical checkups.Routine checkups

for refreshing your mind and body by adding extra holidays to consecutive national holidays

Production Divisions: applied to the dates when approved by the                                          division
Any other Divisions:       can be taken on any date employee chooses

up to 5days
Healthcare Leave
Refresh Leave

2 days

14 Saraya Sustainability Report 2018

Reduced Inequalities
Diversity
Diversity is one of Saraya’s Valuable Assets
Just as biodiversity is the key to ecological resilience innature, diversity at the workplace is one of the importantfactors for company growth and sustainability. The key
characteristics of diversity in the workplace include gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, cultural differences, family, educational background and disabilities.
At Saraya, we implement strategic diversity management in the workplace to attract and maintain global
talent. This brings a positive effect for motivating employees, improving productivity and enhancing the company’s competitive position in the market. We have set
up the “Diversity Promoting Section” within HR at Saraya
headquarters, and are actively promoting the recruitment of elderly people, disabled people and foreigners.
We have been expanding our oversea offices in Asia,
North and South America, Europe, Oceania and Africa.
It is only natural that more and more global talent isneeded in workplaces as globalization expands. Thus wehire employees of various nationalities and ethnic groups
in the Global Operations Division and R&D Division. Approximately 32% of the Global Operations Division and
14% of the R&D Division employees come from countries
other than Japan. Among them, several employees havebeen given management positions, and some of them
have even acquired Japanese nationality and became legally Japanese.

“Diversity Management Selection 100”
In 2012, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Trade and Industry introduced “100 New Diversity Management Companies” to award companies which have improved theircompany value by implementing diversity management.
This initiative awards companies for their contribution topromoting diversity in the workplace by strategic management. They provide opportunities to these diverse
talents so that they can create innovations and promotea management system to create more value. Saraya was
one of the 100 awarded in 2013.

Percentage of companies attaining the legally stipulated disabled
employment rate

2015

Saraya Co., Ltd.
Smile Sangyo Co., Ltd.
Tokyo Saraya Co., Ltd.

2016

2017

100%
100%
100%
Employment rate: Employment rate: Employment rate:
2.05%
2.09%
2.18%
67%
71%
93%
Employment rate: Employment rate: Employment rate:
1.34%
1.41%
1.85%

Innovation and Creativity, Bridges to Sustainability

It was love at first sight for me when Saraya’s homepage showed
me its inspiring vision of improving the well-being of the world
through sanitation, health and the environment. After embracing
the challenge of working in Saraya based in the Land of the
Rising Sun, I’ve been part of the Biochemical Laboratory involvedin the product development and global expansion of products
concerning medical device reprocessing (e.g. Acecide andPowerQuick). Not only do I have the chance to learn constantly,
but also get to interact with colleagues of different nationalities
from all over the globe.

Successful businesses are founded on innovation and creativity.
Many companies in the world have different strategies aiming
to guarantee continuous growth and prosperity. SARAYA is no
exception. When we started speaking about jojoba oil, neroli,
new cosmetics and so on, it sounded like a pipe dream.
I was honored by being asked to contribute to establishing
new bridges for SARAYA to create new products and markets
in the Middle East and North Africa. This option, which is partof a strategy suggested by Mr. Saraya, President of SARAYA, isalso an orientation in complete coherence with international
market trends for the continuous enhancement of healthcare
and cosmetic products. Essential oils and floral waters are major
components of luxurious and famous cosmetics and perfumes,
and the aromas of delicious drinks and food.
Producing these noble essential oils and floral waters: neroli,rose and geranium etc.) through Saraya Beauté et Santé,
recently established in Tunisia, is a real challenge for a Japanesecompany. But this can be a way to create innovative products
and expand into new markets. This also supports SARAYA’s
global policy of sustainability.

(*Kouin yano gotoshi “time flies like an arrow.”)

Saraya Co., Ltd.
Biochemical Laboratory,
MDRG

Glen Lelyn Quan

8

SDG

10

Embracing diversity and celebrating individuality

After almost a decade, "kouin yano gotoshi"*, as a female
foreigner from the Philippines working in a male-dominatedsociety such as Japan, I must say that I am fortunate and thankful
for never feeling discriminated against in Saraya. There may be
cultural differences and possible clashes in personalities, but withmutual acceptance, respect and tolerance, as well as effective
communication, working harmoniously in a diverse environment
like Saraya is achievable without losing one's individuality.

SDG

Saraya Co., Ltd.
Director of Middle East andNorth Africa Business Affairs

Saida Ben Slama

15

Responsible Consumption and Production
Palm Oil Supply Chain
Palm Oil supports global food chain
NPO CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) officially reportsthat 80% of the global deforestation on the planet resulted from agricultural and livestock farming supplying
beef, wood products, soya and palm oil. Until 2005, soya
oil topped the production and consumption figures foroil crops. However, palm oil overtook soya in 2006, and it
has been steadily increasing ever since.

Country of Origin of Palm Oil
55% of palm oil is produced in Indonesia, followed by
Malaysia at 34.6% - so that these two countries together
account for 88.6% of global production. The island of
Borneo is the largest palm oil production location. Sabah
in northern Borneo, is the closest state to Japan. This
is where most of the exported palm oil products comefrom.
85% of palm oils are used in processed foods or deep
fried foods as an alternative to margarines, shortenings
and cocoa butters. The majority of the palm kernel oils

are used as an ingredient in non-edible products suchas soaps, detergents, cosmetics, candles and industrial
products in Japan.
The main reason why palm oil became so popular foroil production is that it is much cheaper compared toother oils. The harvest yield per hectare (FAO Statistics
Division, 2016) of oil palm fruits is 14.24t and soybeans
follows far behind in second place at 2.71t. On top of
that, they are produced in equatorial areas like Malaysia and Indonesia where labor is relatively cheap, which
contributes to the general low price of palm oil. There aresaid to be several issues behind cheap palm oil production such as child labor, forced labor or unlawful working
conditions. As the world faces these issues, Saraya took
action to seek a sustainable development approach for
its whole value chain.

Fruit of the oil palm

Others
11.4%

Malaysia
34.6%
Palm kernel oil

Indonesia
54%

Palm oilPalm oil production
(MT)
70000

(Oil World Annual 2018)

70.5

60000

54.9

50000
40000
30000

25.3

20000

18.3
7.6

10000
0

Palm

4.4

4.2

4.4

Soybean Rapeseed Sunﬂower Palmkernl Cotton

Corn

3.0

Groundnut Olive

2.7
Coconut

Palm oil production (Oil World Annual 2018)t
15 14.24

Yield(t)Area harvested(Mha)346.8612
9
6
3
0

21.138

Oil Palm
Fruits

2.71

Soybeans

41.323
2.04

Rapeseeds

1.84

27.164Sunﬂower
Seeds

Mha
150

100

120

80

90

60

60

40

30

20

0

0

Average annual harvest yield per hectare* andarea of crops harvested in 2016 (FAOSTAT 2018)

87.9%
70.5% 71%

14/15 15/16 16/17

The ratio of Japanesepalm oil imports from
Malaysia*Stated yields represent bulk fruit harvest. Oil content is approximately 20-30% for oil
Harvesting a fruit bunch of oil palm  

16 Saraya Sustainability Report 2018

palm, 20% for soybean, and 40% for rapeseed and sunflower seed.
Palm oil yield is 3.57t/ha and palm kernel oil yield is 0.87t/ha in FY2017 (Oilworld 2018)

JapanSabah

Malaysia
BorneoIndonesia

Oil palm tree

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
In 2004, a Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (NGO)was set up to promote the sustainable production, procurement and use of palm oil products. There are 8
principles and 43 criteria (established in 2013), which
are reviewed every 5 years. CSPO (Certified Sustainable
Palm Oil) is palm oil that is certified by the Roundtable on
Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) according to specific criteria.
The CSPO rate was 21% in 2016 for global palm oil production. RSPO farms can also earn credits according totheir production and shipping volumes.

RSPO 8 PRINCIPLES
1. Commitment to transparency
2. Compliance with applicable laws and regulations
3. Commitment to long-term economic and financial viability
4. Use of appropriate best practices by growers and millers
5. Environmental responsibility and conservatin of natural
resources and biodiversity
6. Responsible consideration of employees, and of individuals
and communities affected by growers and mills
7. Responsible development of new plantings
8. Commitment to continuous improvement in key areas ofactivity

CSPO 2020 Goals
The main ingredients (palm oil and palm kernel oil)of all the Saraya consumer products such as Happy Elephant, use 100% of either CSPO segregation or credits.
We’ve set our goal to use 100% of segregation or identity
preserved RSPO certified oils by 2020.

Types of RSPO Certified Palm Oils Used in Saraya Products

Segregation or Identity Preserved

Segregation: Sustainable palm oil from different certified
sources is kept separate from ordinary palm oil throughout
the supply chain.
Identity Preserved: Sustainable palm oil from a single
identifiable certified source is kept separately from ordinary
palm oil throughout the supply chain.
The Saraya Happy Elephant line has been using segregation
palm oils.

Book & Claim

The supply chain is not monitored for the presence ofsustainable palm oil. Manufacturers and retailers canbuy credits from RSPO-certified growers, crushers andindependent smallholders. RSPO’s endorsement of GreenPalm
ends December 2016. Instead, the Book and Claim supply
chain model will be supported by the trade of RSPO credits.

17

SDG

12

Supporting Independent Palm Plantation Smallholders
Certified Sustainable Palm Kernel Oil
63.58 million tons (19% of overall amount) of RSPO
Certified Palm Oils were Certified Sustainable Palm Oil(CSPO) whereas only 2.75 million tons were CSPK (Certified Sustainable Palm Kernels). There should have been
more CSPO oils produced, but the relatively small size ofpalm kernel oil crushing mills, called “PK crushers”, meansthat they often do not have RSPO certificates. The same
applies to certified palm kernel seeds whose crushers do
not have certificates from RSPO and therefore produce
uncertified oil. The shortage of CSPK pushes up the valueof Book & Claim credits from 70 to 100 USD/t.

An independent smallholder in Gomanton village installs beehives at
an entrance to deter elephants.

Cooperation with Wild Asia
Wild Asia is a social enterprise, which was establishedin 2003 with its headquarters in Malaysia. They havebeen promoting tropical rainforest conservation and supporting smallholders to obtain RSPO certification within
the Wild Asia Group Scheme (WAGS). Younger generation oil palm smallholders in Sabah are acting positively
to obtain RSPO. In fact, they put into practice the WAGS
to reduce pesticide or fertilizer use and increase yields.
Nevertheless, the older generation of smallholders tends
to cling to conservative and traditional methods and theytend to be less willing to accept changes.
Saraya visited one of the WAGS smallholders who was
experimentally using beehive fences as a Borneo elephant or wild boar deterrent. They take advantage of elephant’s natural instinctive behavior to avoid bees. They
also contribute to biodiversity and carefully choose how
and where to grow their crops so that they do not ruin
beautiful sites for tourism.
In 2017, Saraya purchased palm kernel oil book & claim
credits, which are worth 700t, through Wild Asia. These
are the credits which smallholders gained from CSPO
seeds and which were the equivalent of the oil palms
they sold to mill farmers. These smallholders were introduced to the buyers and thus guaranteed its tractability.
What’s more, this scheme also helps support these independent smallholders. Saraya continues to purchase
RSPO credits from smallholders through Wild Asia.

18 Saraya Sustainability Report 2018

The Kemajuan Tanah Julur Collection Center opened in 2017. They
weigh the delivery trucks before and after unloading the fresh fruit tocalculate the actual weight of the fruit. They apply a daily exchange
rate for the purchase. The center enables them to transfer FFB
weighed fruit collectively instead of being sold separately to mills.
Unfortunately, the center does not yet have RSPO certification.

One of the WAGS’s projects: the Award System. Part of the B&C
credits are used as operational payments for Wild Asia. They award
independent smallholders for their achievement, and credits areused to award prizes such as mowing machines. The above picture
was taken on 12 December 2017, when Saraya purchased credits andawarded three independent smallholders.

Towards Sustainable Palm Oil
Over the last decade, I have followed Saraya’s efforts to
support the growth of sustainable palm oil. What has
always struck me is the way they have invested a gooddeal of time and effort to understand the local people
and regions where palm oil is being produced. I think
this is why their support for efforts like the Kinabatangan Wildlife Corridor and other biodiversity initiatives
stands out for me. This local understanding has led themto Wild Asia, where we are exploring how the company
can make a difference to how palm oil is being produced.
At Wild Asia, we work in different ways to create models that can be adopted by the palm oil industry, andwe have been focused on two major themes: (a) making palm oil production environmentally and socially
responsible by adopting the RSPO standard for production; and (b) identifying opportunities for new ideas andinnovations that can be introduced to local producers,
and that help them sustainably improve their environmental and social practices or the management of theirfarms.
One of the first areas we have cooperated in with Saraya
was to provide a direct link between the volume of palm
oil used by Saraya in its production, and an equivalent
volume of RSPO-certified credits (or RSPO Palm e-trace).
What we hope is to be able to progressively widen thesmall producers groups, which are supported by Wild
Asia, and expand the available volumes sold as RSPO
credits. These credits are a tangible and direct financial
incentive that provides a bonus for farmers, and contributes towards the technical support costs for managing
these producers. It is a very simple way to create a link
between the market and the producers.

We have also identified the need for small producers
to reduce farm inputs, because currently a good dealof the farm expenses results from the use of chemicalfertilizers and herbicides. This may be an opportunity to
explore new collaboration projects with Japanese partners as we feel that there is much to be learnt from Japanese farmers that apply kaizen and other methods tokeep small farms productive, efficient and sustainable.
There are also other cooperation opportunities to be
explored to allow local producers the ability to produce
their own fertilizers (Bokashi and others), which provide
alternatives to store-bought chemical fertilizers. Finally,
addressing the pressing need to manage modern waste
in rural farming areas is another area that we have identified. There are little to no facilities in these regions,and much waste is buried or discarded in the waterways. This is not a sustainable solution. What we hope
to identify are partners that are able to help us create
micro-industries around significant waste streams thatcan create opportunities for additional incomes, orways to add value to their farms.
Our direct relationship with Saraya is really just beginning. What we see is that there is a very real opportunity to not only support biodiversity conservation, butalso to support the producers of palm oil that live andwork in the regions where biodiversity is critically important. This is after all, the essence of what the UN’s
Sustainable Development Goals are encouraging corporate and national leaders to work together to address.

http://www.wildasia.org/
http://oilpalm.wildasia.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRJ1ChQFIY0
http://www.wildasia.org/portfolio/reza-azmi/
https://www.sukau.com/conservation-fellows/dr-reza-azmi

Wild Asia Founder

Dr. Reza Azmi

19

SDG

12

Climate Action
Environmental Management System

Saraya Japanenergy intensity

10

20

7
6

15

5
4

10

3
2

5

1

'13

FY
Thousand kWh
Saraya Japan energy consumption
Saraya Manufacturing Thailand energy
consumption
Saraya Dongguan energy consumption
Saraya Japan energy intensity
Total energy intensity

Fuel Comsumption, kL

Energy Comsumption, MWh

8Energy intensity, MWh / 100 million yen

25

9

0

'15

'16

'17

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

4,781

5,224

5,114

5,042

5,168

1,164

1,220

1,200

1,200

1,177

1,339

1,377

1,560

1,641

2,000

14.87
23.08

14.68

13.57

12.36

11.78

21.25

21.25

19.32

19.01

7

21

6

18

5

15

4

12

3

9

2

6

1

3

600

2

300

1

0

'13

'16

0

'14

'15

2013

2014

2015

1,098

1,055

1,045

995

991

47

58

57

55

49

20

23

24

25

21

3.41
3.59

2.96

2.77

2.44

2.26

3.18

3.0

2.63

2.42

Saraya Japan
recycling rate

'17

2016

2017

Total recycling rate

100
95
90
85
80
75
0

'14

'15

'16

'17

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

6,820

6,300

6,720

6,500

5,626

330

390

360

30

290

120

120

130

140

210

21.18
22.58

17.70

17.84

16.00

12.82

19.13

19.14

17.05

13.96

20 Saraya Sustainability Report 20183

Annual Recycling Rate

paper intensity, thousand seets / 100 million yen

paper Comsumption, million seets

24

FY
Thousand sheets
Saraya Japan Paper Consumption
Saraya Manufacturing Thailand Paper
Consumption
Saraya Dongguan Paper Consumption
Saraya Japan Paper Consumption intensity
Total Paper Consumption intensity

900

Saraya Japan
paper intensity
Total paper intensity

8

'13

4

FY
Thousand litres
Saraya Japan fuel consumption
Saraya Manufacturing Thailand fuelconsumption
Saraya Dongguan fuel consumption
Saraya Japan fuel intensity
Total fuel intensity

Annual Paper Consumption

0

1200

0

'14

Saraya Japan paper consumption
Saraya Manufacturing Thailand
paper consumption
Saraya Dongguan paper consumption

Saraya Japanfuel intensity
Total fuel intensity

Saraya Japan fuel consumption
Saraya Manufacturing Thailand
fuel consumption
Saraya Dongguan fuel consumption

Total energy intensity

Recycling rate, %Saraya Japan energy consumption
Saraya Manufacturing Thailand
energy consumption
Saraya Dongguan energy consumption

0

Annual Fuel Consumption

Fuel intensity, kL / 100 million yen

Annual Energy Consumption

'13

'14
FY

Rates

'15

'16

'17

70

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Saraya Japan recycling rate

96%

95%

96%

95%

96%

Saraya Manufacturing Thailand recycling rate

43%

35%

39%

20%

13%

Saraya Dongguan recycling rate

92%

88%

91%

78%

81%

Total rate

92%

92%

90%

89%

86%

Climate Action

Annual Waste Discharged

2000

5

1600

4

1200

3

800

2

400

1

0

0

'13

FY
Tons
Saraya Japan waste discharged
Saraya Manufacturing Thailand waste
discharged
Saraya Dongguan waste discharged
Saraya Japan waste discharged intensity
Total waste discharged intensity

'14

'17

SarayaOsaka Factry
Saraya Iga Factory
Others

10.2%
22.5%

67.3%

140

350

120

300

100

250

80

200

60

150

40

100

20

50

0

'15

'16

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

1,928

2,275

2,090

2,222

2,280

976

1,240

178

239

289

177

152

42

66

78

5.99
6.84

6.39

5.54

5.45

5.20

7.17

6.13

6.19

6.30

FY
Thousand m2
Saraya Japan Factry water supply
Saraya Manufacturing Thailand watersupplySaraya Dongguan water supply
Saraya Japan Factry water supply intensity
Total water supply intensity

'13

'14

'15

'16

water supply intensity, m2 / 100 million yen

6water supply, thouthand m2

7

2400

Waste intensity, t / 100 million yen

2800

Saraya Japanwater supply intensity
Total water supply intensity

Saraya Japan Factory water supply
Saraya Manufacturing Thailand
water supply
Saraya Dongguan water supply

Saraya Japan
waste intensity
Total waste intensity

Saraya Japan waste
Saraya Manufacturing Thailand
waste
Saraya Dongguan waste

Waste, t

Annual Water Supply

0

'17

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

69,242

76,17077,10775,28878,573

26,97428,50528,96930,53929,226

17,828

19,61819,567

24,902

22,996

215
354

214

205

185

179

319

333

320

298

Greenhouse Gas (FY2017)
t
GWP
Scope
1
2
3
Total

CO2
1
CO2
2,163t2,549t357,037t

N2O
310
N2O
0.143tCO2e
44tCO2e

Upstream scope 3
emissions

Corporate Value Chaine (Scope 3) Category
1. Purchased goods and services
2. Capital goods
3. Fuel- and energy-related activities

SDG

13
HFC (Hydro Fluoro Carbon)
1,300
HFC
CO2e
0.05164t
67tCO2eCO2 emission, t CO2 e
333,044t
646t

Downstream
scope 3emissions(not included in scope 1 or scope 2)483t

transportation and
4. Upstream
distribution
5. Waste generated in operations
6. Business travel
7. Employee commuting
8. Upstream leased assets
transportation and
9. Downstream
distribution
10. Processing of sold products
11. Use of sold products
12. End-of-life treatment of sold products

9,200tTotal

Intensity

2,274tCO2e2,549tCO2e
357,037tCO2e
360,915tCO2e

5.18t CO2e/100M yen
5.81t CO2e/100M yen
813.30t CO2e/100M yen
822.13t CO2e/100M yen

0.4 %
0.7 %
98.9 %
100 % %

total
Purchased
Produced
Produced
Sold

FY 2017
5,168 MWh
5,061 MWh107 MWh325 MWh218 MWh

Consumed electricity
Renewable electricity

Ratio

159t
398t
251t
No leased
Included in upstream
Not applicable

38t
4,647tSolar panel in Iga factopy

21Life Below Water
Yashinomi Detergent Legacy
Red TideA “red tide” is a phenomenon which is caused by plankton accumulating rapidly in the water column, resulting
in coloration of the surface water. This is commonly seenat inland seas such as Seto inland sea, Tokyo Bay, Ise Bay
or Osaka Bay. The impacts of “red tides” on fish and shellfish are listed below.
- Decrease in dissolved oxygen concentration- Suffocation due to plankton clogging fish gills- Aquatic life killed by algal toxins
As you can see from the chart “The trend of the number of outbreaks of akashio (red tides)”, the highest frequency of “red tides” was in 1976, when 299 were recorded. The highest levels of damage caused to the local
fisheries occurred 29 times in 1975. Other causes of the“red tides” are new property developments along coastlines which have a negative impact on biodiversity.
Mr. Saraya entered Osaka University in 1970 majoringin the Faculty of Engineering where he studied fermentation engineering. His main research was on removing polluted water from industrial wastewater, rivers and lakes
or nearby seas by using biological methods such as activated sludge or trickling filtration. The laboratory was carrying out field research to investigate the pollution levelof the Inagawa river on behalf of the local government
from Hyogo Prefecture. Mr. Saraya was himself contributing by researching BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) as apollution index of aquatic life populations. His graduate
thesis was research on wastewater treatment using algae
and turning those algae into biomass. He then graduatedfrom the University of California, Berkeley, having studied
Sanitary Engineering in 1975. He joined Saraya in 1976
and the following year, he became the factory manager
at the Saraya factory where he runs a private laboratory.
In 1969, Saraya introduced to the world the Yashinomi detergent, which is very kind to the skin and high inbiodegradability. It was the first of its kind in Japan witha plant based fatty acid. It does not contain phosphoricacid which is one of the main causes of water pollution,and does not form sewage sludge as caused by soap
wastewater. Since then, Yashinomi detergent has been
an iconic and best-selling product for generations in Saraya’s long history.
In 2010, we developed a bio-surfactant called “SOFORO” for laundry detergent for the first time, and it has
been added to various Saraya products, including the“Lactoferrin Lab.” cosmetic brand.
22 Saraya Sustainability Report 2018

350

Number of outbreaks of red tide
Number of damaged ﬁsheries

300
250
200
150
100
50
0

'75

'80

'85

'90

'95

'00

'05

'10

'14

The trend of the number of outbreaks of akashio (red tides) in the Seto inland sea
Source: Japan Fisheries Agency "Red tide in Seto inland sea"

Red Tide Duration Trends
Red Tide duration (1973 to 1882)

Days
-5
6-10
11-30
31Total1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982
143 173 170 216 119
86
74 117
94
87
35
67
41
35
32
23
41
35
37
31
25
23
33
34
31
30
44
27
31
43
7
6
11
14
14
12
13
9
9
5
210 269 255 299 196 151 172 188 171 166

Days
-5
6-10
11-30
31Total2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
52
35
35
44
47
35
41
45
34
42
24
13
13
20
23
22
19
22
13
12
30
34
34
37
25
22
18
27
24
24
9
12
9
15
9
12
11
22
12
19
115
94
99 116 10491
89 116
83
97

Red Tide duration (2007 to 2016)

Source: Japan Fisheries Agency "Akashio in Seto inland sea"

TV commercial of Yashinomi Detergent in 1980

Yashinomi Detergent and Happy Elephant Laundry Powder as of now

Saraya - a leader in industry and a family legacy
It was 1982 when I first learned about the Saraya company. As a privileged guest of the Osaka Junior Chamber,
I was learning a great deal about the business and political world of the Kansai region and the rest of Japan.
This provided me with an encounter with Yusuke Saraya,
then a rising star in the JCI movement.
While at the time I had no interest in cleaning products or health foods, I was intrigued by the drive shown
by Mr. Saraya in exploring new areas of expansion forthe company. What particularly struck me was his keeninterest in finding pragmatic solutions for the prefecture, the region and the country, through his businessventures. Due to the expanding business – both as a supplier of finished products and as a buyer of raw materials – Mr. Saraya’s international network provided a solid
basis for a company development strategy that went
beyond simple business. Saraya is one of the first companies I worked with from Japan to practice corporatesocial responsibility, even before CSR was a well-established term.
In 1994, when the Rector of the United Nations University invited me to help prepare for the Kyoto Protocol, we quickly established a solid base for cooperation.
First of all, I shared my experience with palm oil – as oneof the pioneers of its use in detergents in Europe – andadmired Saraya’s approach of playing a proactive role in
the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil. Saraya subsequently created a platform in Malaysia to offer a sanctuary for elephants in the land around palm plantations.
While the cutting edge proposals to create a corridor for
wildlife along the rivers were not accepted by the RSPO,
Yusuke Saraya persevered and has demonstrated that
this strategy makes sense.

Over the years, I noted the shift in Saraya’s messaging from “disinfecting” to a more all-encompassing “promoting health”. This transformation of the enterprise
was associated with the introduction of new products
like Lakanto, a natural sweetener made from an extractof the Chinese luohanguo fruit. The rapid and clear deployment of the strategy demonstrated the applicationof the principle: “Be impatient to start. Be patient to
get results”. Indeed, a launch on the market that is very
competitive does not bear immediate results. But Saraya
has clearly demonstrated its commitment to becoming
an agent of change. Explorations of other fields, like theproduction of charcoal, demonstrate this desire to takeon one issue after the other.
The Saraya project that has been the most motivating
to me is the “Wash a Million Hands!” initiative in Africa.
This project, supported by UNICEF, introduces simple
and practical steps for establishing local production anddistribution. It shows that Saraya is not limiting its operations to the industrialized world, but is ready to venture
into Africa and take on greater responsibility.
However, the most important role of Saraya has been
to play a critical part in the creation of the Zero Emissions platform in Japan. Mr. Saraya is the President of
ZERI Japan (Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives) andwithout his personal dedication we would never havereached the level of recognition and impact we have today.
When Prof Carl-Göran Hedén, then chair of the UN
Scientific Advisory Council and Member of the Royal
Academy of Sciences of Sweden, declared achieving
zero emissions in industry and society is not only possible, it is indispensable for attaining sustainability, it
was Mr. Saraya who put these words into action so that
this long term goal can indeed be achieved. This year wecelebrate the 20th anniversary of the creation of ZERI Japan. Society needs visionaries to achieve long term goals– not as captains of industry, but as captains of legacy.
The Saraya company clearly offers this legacy!

The Global ZERI (Zero Emission Research and Initiative) Founder

Professor Gunter Pauli

23

SDG

14

Life on Land
Biodiversity Conservation in Sabah Malaysia
Tears of Baby Elephants - The Hidden Pitfalls of Eco-friendliness
An ATV programme called “Toyota Eco Series, the Earth,what a wonderful spaceship” broadcast a documentary
film titled “Tears of Baby Elephants - the hidden pitfalls of
eco-friendliness” on 1 August 2004. It was about the rapid
expansion of oil palm plantations destroying the habitat of
the Borneo elephants in the Borneo tropical rainforest.
At the end of the programme, Mr. Saraya, as the president of a company selling detergents whose main ingredient is palm oil, was interviewed and asked what he thought
about the fact that he was unwillingly helping bring thoseanimals to the brink of extinction by selling so called ecofriendly products. He was genuine and honest and admitted that he had no idea how selling his company’s products
in Japan was affecting these innocent animals in Borneo.
Since then, he took a swift turn and set his company vision
as truly friendly to both people and the environment. Asa start, he launched biodiversity conservation activities in
Sabah, Malaysia.
Right after the interview, Saraya immediately sought out
Mr. Nobuo Nakanishi who is now a member of Saraya anda director of the Borneo Conservation Trust Japan. Then
Saraya made contact with BBEC (Borneo Biodiversity andEcosystems Conservation in Sabah, Malaysia) in JICA. At
the end of the same year, he then applied to RSPO, which
had just been founded in August 2004.

1984

Now

Green areas represent rainforests. O r a n g e a r e a s r e p r e s e n t p a l m
Around 30 years ago this entire area plantations. Now there is very little
was covered by native rainforest. It rainforest remaining, limited to asmall area along the main river.
was a paradise for wildlife.

A baby elephant with its leg tied with a rope which was set as a trapby local hunters. If baby elephants escape from the traps but still havea rope tangled around a leg, this gets trapped under the skin as theelephant grows and ultimately causes the elephant’s death as it canno longer walk. These elephants are called “Tally” (rope) by the locals.
It causes much more severe damage if the rope is wrapped aroundtheir trunks. The TV programme “Tears of Bay Elephants” comes fromthis story. This elephant was the very first to be rescued by Saraya andreceive treatment. It was then released back to the care of its parents.

In Sabah
Mr. Nakanishi joined an elephant rescue mission organized by SWD (Sabah Wildlife Department) in autumn 2004.
In the following January, Mr. Saraya made a public report on
the rescue mission and the possibility of the extinction of
the elephants at the RSPO Seminar in Kuala Lumpur. This report was also broadcast in the TV series as part 2 of “Tearsof Baby Elephants  - the hidden pitfalls of eco-friendliness”.
RSPO RT2 was held in November 2005. Mr. Saraya proposed the “Green corridor project” but initially faced a rejection from growers and couldn’t gain their approval. In
February 2006, Mr. Saraya again proposed the “Green corridor project” at BBEC (Borneo Biodiversity and Ecosystems
Conservation) and this time the same project received full
approval at the conference. The success led to an aerial
photo shooting from a helicopter including the Sabah State
Secretary as a guest.
In February 2007, Saraya started a field trip to Sabah
together with oil palm suppliers and selected eight Saraya
consumer product customers.
24 Saraya Sustainability Report 2018

From right, Sabah State Secretaryand Mr. Saraya. Photo taken in
2006.

Palm Oil Symposium 2007

An orangutan crossing a suspension bridge made from used fire hoses
constructed with the help of Saraya in 2010. This project was carriedout by a joint collaboration with smallholders and their local support.

Areas not currently reserved as protected that lie<\ 5km from a major river.
Forest Retention, restoration as reforestation isdesirable.(Kinabatangan River)
Areas alredy reserved as forest while lie <5kmfrom a major river.
Other part of the permanent forest estate.
Plantation and Private Land.

Green Corridor
This map shows the 5km wide corridors on both banksof major rivers in Sabah. These areas are said to have thehighest populations of wild animals such as elephant,rhino, tembadau, orangutan, colobine monkeys, samber
deer, clouded leopards and sun bears.
The yellow areas at the lower Kinabatangan River are
where land has been developed as oil palm plantations.
As you can see, the green highlighted conservation areas
are divided by the plantations. However, these are essential habitats for wild animals and considerable numbersof wild animals are still living there – they are thus regarded as highly important for biodiversity conservation.
The developed areas along the river must be preserved
as secondary forests so that they can be a sanctuary forwildlife. This is why the Borneo Conservation Trust wasestablished.

Borneo Conservation Trust
In September 2006, Mr. Saraya established the Borneo
Conservation Trust, together with Mr. Patrick Mahedi Andau of SWD (Sabah Wildlife Department) and Dr Toshinori Tsubouchi, COO of then BBEC (Borneo Biodiversity
and Ecosystems Conservation). Mr. Saraya was a trustee
when the trust was launched, and then became Deputy
Chairman in 2013. The trust was approved by the government as an NGO in October 2006. The headquarters was
set up in the SWD (Sabah Wildlife Department) office in
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
BCT’s mission, other than the Green Corridors, includes
wildlife conservation, such as rescuing injured elephants
and isolated orangutans as well as promoting biodiversity conservation activities. Saraya has been donating 1%
of Yashinomi detergents and Happy Elephant products’
sales to BCT since May 2007.
BCT has acquired 80ha of forest under the Green Corridor project (of which Saraya’s forests are approximately
12ha), which is merely 0.4% of its goal of 20k ha. One ofthe possible reasons for the slow growth is that the land
price has risen incredibly and much less land is becoming
available for sale. One of the reasons for this development is that at Sandakan, a transport hub in Sabah, thesecurity situation has deteriorated and is having a negative impact on tourism in the lower Kinabatangan Riverarea, and that leads people to shift to the cultivation ofoil palms.

Threatened Species in Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia (IUCN Red List)
Amphibia Reptilia Mammalia Aves
Total
Critically Endangered
2
1
2
1
6
Endangered
2
1
9
0
12
Vulneable
2
3
11
2
18
Total
6
5
22
3
36

Press conference at the launch of the Borneo Conservation Trust, 12
September 2006
Kinabatangan Green Corridor Project

Lot2

Forest Reserves(FR) and Wildlife Sanctuary
Target area for Green corridor
Plantation

Lot1●

Sg.Lokan FR

Lot8
Lot10aLot10bDeramakot
FR

Materis FR

Lot4
Gomantong FR

Lot5

Lot7

●

Pangi FR

Lot3

Lot9
Pin-Supu FR

Keruak FR

Lot6

SDG

15

This Rescue Center was set up within the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary
in LOT8 conservation area in 2013. Further construction work such as
roofing and installing a sandpit was done in 2017. Saraya supported
this construction work. The rescued elephants cannot be releasedback to the wild as they soon come back to the farmed areas.

* In 2013, an armed force called “Royal Sulu Sultanate Army” invaded Lahad Datu in Sabah from the Philippines. The Department of Foreign
Affairs of Japan has since then released a travel warning: “Recommendation to consider whether it is wise to travel this area”.

25Business and Biodiversity“Biodiversity in Good Company” Initiative
The German Federal Ministry for the Environment set
up the Business and Biodiversity Initiative (BiGC= Biodiversity in Good Company Initiative). This initiative shares
three common objectives from the UN Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) and its grand opening andpress conference was held at CBD at the 9th Conferenceof the Parties in Bonn, Germany in 2008. Saraya signedthe ‘Biodiversity in Good Company’ Initiative Leadership
Declaration and joined this initiative for the cross-sectional collaboration of companies. Mr. Saraya attended
the grand opening and the press conference. At the beginning there were 41 global companies participating,including 10 Japanese companies in 2008, but by 2018,
the total number of global companies shrank to 28 andonly 3 Japanese companies remained. Saraya took part in
COP10 (10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to
the Convention on Biological Diversity) at Nagoya (JPN),
COP11 at Hyderabad (IND), COP12 at Pyeongchang (KOR)
and COP13 at Cancun (MEX). Not only that, Saraya joined
events held in parallel to the COPs and hosted side events
during COP11 and COP12.

‘BIODIVERSITY IN GOOD COMPANY’ INITIATIVELEADERSHIP DECLARATIONAll signatory companies acknowledge and support the three objectives of
the international “Convention on Biological Diversity”:
1. Conservation of biological diversity
2. Sustainable use of its components
3. Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits that arise out of the utilizationof genetic resources.
and commit themselves to:
1. Analyzing corporate activities with regard to their impacts on biologicaldiversity;
2. Including the protection of biological diversity within their environmental
management system;
3. Appointing a responsible individual within the company to steer all
activities in the biodiversity sector and report to the Management Board;
4. Defining realistic, measurable objectives that are monitored and a
djusted every two to three years;
5. Publishing activities and achievements in the biodiversitysector in thecompany’s annual, environmental, and/or corporate social responsibility
report;
6. Informing suppliers about the company’s biodiversity objectives andintegrating suppliers accordingly and step by step;
7. Exploring the potential for cooperation with scientific institutions, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and/or governmental institutions
with the aim of deepening dialogue and continuously improving thecorporate management system vis-à-vis the biodiversity domain.
To demonstrate ongoing commitment, member companies will provide theInitiative with a progress report every two years.

Cancun Business and Biodiversity Pledge
At CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) COP13
held in 2016, the pledge signing ceremony took placeon 2 December  and Saraya joined the ceremony to sign
the pledge, whose three objectives are “Conservation of
biological diversity”, “Sustainable use of its components”
and “Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits that ariseout of the utilization of genetic resources”. (https://www.
cbd.int/business/pledges.shtml)
Mr. Saraya made his presentation in Session E (Supply
Chains and Sustainable Production and Consumption) of
the Business and Biodiversity Forum which was held overa period of three days.

'Biodiversity in Good Company' initiative press conference in Bonn in 2008,
Mr. Yusuke Saraya and Mr. Matthias Machnig (the then Senior Vice-Ministerof Environment of Germany).

CBD COP13 Business and Biodiversity Forum, Session E

26 Saraya Sustainability Report 2018

Leading by Example - Saraya’s commitment to biodiversity
The ‘Biodiversity in Good Company’ Initiative wasfounded in 2008 as a pan-sectoral excellence initiative of companies committed to the preservation andsustainable use of biodiversity as part of their corporate strategies. The aim is to raise awareness ofbusinesses and industry as a whole to their responsibility, and to strengthen biodiversity as a management issue. We are dedicated to the international
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The protection and sustainable use of biodiversity is of existential importance, and businesses must play theirpart in safeguarding species, ecosystems, and genetic
diversity. Industry shares responsibility for the rapid
disappearance of biological diversity, but also has thepotential to develop and implement effective measures to prevent this from occurring.
For companies to make a difference, it is crucial thatthey understand their material impacts and sphere of
influence. Our initiative wishes to strengthen biodiversity as a management topic, taking into consideration the whole value chain, and set the course forsustainable production and consumption. More than
80% of the earth’s surface does not enjoy protectedarea status. So nature conservation demands action
beyond the boundaries of protected areas. Each economic sector has to develop its own management
approaches, including measurement and control instruments, to enable companies to make an effective
contribution to the protection of biodiversity. This
encompasses environmental and climate protection,
combined with nature conservation measures aimed

at conserving or improving the status of species andhabitats, as well as the sustainable use of natural resources.
Saraya has been active as a frontrunner for many
years, opting for a proactive approach, and we areproud to have this company on board. The core responsibility of a business is doing good and avoiding
harm in its core business and value chain. Saraya has
identified its main impacts and is seriously concernedwith improving its environmental performance overtime. Thus, for example, it addresses the devastating
impact of large-scale conversion of tropical forests
into oil palm plantations. Also, the company deals
extensively with enhancing the biodegradability of
its products, while highlighting conflicting goals that
may appear in developing new formulas. Furthermore, it is commendable that Saraya donates 1% of
its total sales of palm oil based products to the Borneo Conservation Trust.
The family-run company demonstrates well how
important the “people behind a company” are. Company President Yusuke Saraya is a board member ofseveral non-profit organizations. He has spared no effort to personally attend and speak at various Conferences of the Parties to the CBD (CBD-COPs) in recent
years. We need business people who actively engage
in these kinds of dialogues and show business commitment to achieving global biodiversity goals.
We wish Mr. Saraya and his team all the best for
the future.

SDG

15
Managing Director ‘Biodiversity in Good Company’ Initiative

Carolin Bossmeyer

27

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
GovernanceParticipant of the Global Compact
The UNGC (United Nations Global Compact) is a voluntary
initiative based on CEO commitments to implement universal sustainability principles and to undertake partnerships
in support of UN goals. There are 161 countries with 9,678
companies (as of April 2018) taking part worldwide.
Saraya joined UNGC in June 2009 and agreed on the 10
principles aimed at protecting human rights, getting rid of
unlawful or unfair labor, promoting environmental responsibility and acting against all forms of corruption. Saraya has
been continuously striving to promote these principles andput them into practice, and act through its Japanese local
network called GCNJ (Global Compact Network Japan).
Mr. Saraya appeared and made a presentation at Session
Part 1 of the “Global Compact China-Japan-Korea Roundtable Conference and Youth & Researcher CSR Forum” which
was held in August 2014. Mr. Daishima from Saraya madea presentation at “SDG Industry Matrix ~Japanese Release
Symposium~” co-organized with GCNJ in March 2017. In
June 2017, Mr. Saraya gave a keynote speech at a symposium, co-organized by JCNJ and Sophia University, on the“Advanced Efforts of UN Organizations and Global Companies to Achieve SDGs”.

UN Global Compact – 10 Principles
Human Rights
Principle 1

Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed humanrights; andPrinciple 2

make sure that they are not complicit in humanrights abuses.

page

17,28

Labour Standards
Principle 3

Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right tocollective bargaining;

Principle 4

the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;

Principle 5

the effective abolition of child labour; andPrinciple 6

the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

17,28
15,28

Environment
Principle 7

Businesses should support a precautionary ap- 12, 13, 22
proach to environmental challenges;

Principle 8

undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and18, 24

Principle 9

encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies

12, 13Anti-Corruption
Businesses should work against all forms of corPrinciple 10 ruption,
including extortion and bribery.

2, 3

Saraya’s GovernanceSaraya is a private company and promotes complianceand ethical behavior in business practices by following
the 10 principles of the UN Global Compact as a guideline. The Board of Directors is structured as shown below
and a board meeting is held monthly.
There are designated staff members in the HR division
who are responsible for receiving complaints of any formof harassment. This service is open to
everyone and it is there to help not only
Saraya employees, but also suppliers
who do business with Saraya.

SarayaTokyo Saraya
Smile Sangyo

Mr. Daishima from Saraya at SDG Indusry Matrix Japanese Release Symposium

Directors
Total Woman Auditors
18
2
2
9
1
1
4
1
1
Mr. Saraya's presentation at Session At Sophia University during United Nations Weeks in OctoberPart 1 of the “Global Compact China- 2017, Mr. Saraya delivered a keynote speech at a symposium,
Japan-Korea Roundtable Conference co-organized by GCNJ and Sophia University on the “Advanced
Efforts of UN Organizations and Global Companies to Achieve
and Youth & Researcher CSR Forum”
SDGs”

28 Saraya Sustainability Report 2018

Partnerships for Goals
Infection Control Training
Disinfection of Medical Instruments in Ugandan Hospitals
Saraya’s project of disseminating full-automatic washingand disinfecting devices for medical instruments in healthcare facilities for infection control and prevention was approved by JICA, and the pilot survey was carried out from
5 December 2013 to 30 November 2016 in 4 hospitals in
Uganda (Mulago National Referral Hospital, Jinja Regional
Referral Hospital, Entebbe General Hospital and Gombe
General Hospital).
The device is specially designed for washing and disinfecting surgical instruments. Instead of the conventional method of using buckets to wash medical instruments by hand in
Uganda, both washing and boiling water disinfection with93 ° C hot water for 10 minutes can be achieved fully automatically. What’s more, it can save energy as well. Gombe
General Hospital is a public hospital but it has no electricity
and no clean water supply either. Thus it was necessary tobuild a solar panel and accumulator system first along witha supply tank and a pump.

Infection Control Training of Ugandan professionals in JapanJICA provided a training program in collaboration with Saraya. The programme was focused on preventing healthcareassociated infections (HCAI). There were 9 participants in total
and among them, two Principal Medical Officers from the Ugandan Health Ministry, and doctors and nurses. It took place from
23 May 2015 to 1 June 2015 mainly at Saraya Headquarters in
Osaka, but also included training in a local hospital.

Infection Prevention Training in Uganda
Japanese hospital infection control personnel acted astrainers in a 3 day infection prevention programme hosted
by the Ugandan Health Ministry and Saraya at Jinja Regional
Referral Hospital and Jinja School of Nursing and Midwifery.
It was tailor made to suit the local needs and attended byhospital managers and infection control officers from 14
major hospitals in Uganda, along with 4 Ministry of Healthpersonnel. It was focused on guidelines for the preventionof hospital acquired infections so that the hospital workers
can apply them in their own workplaces. The participantsacquire knowledge as well as hands-on learning experiencein practical training sessions. The certificate of completionof training was presented by the Ministry of Health together
with Saraya, and was officially included in the criteria for eligibility to promotion in hospitals. There are high hopes thatthe trainees will be good ambassadors and pass on what
they have learnt to others all over the country.

Washer Disinfector AR-40

Power Quick W

Alkaline cleaner for Washer Disinfector

A nurse operating a Saraya AR-40 at a local hospital in Uganda. (July 2016)
Program Curriculum of “Infection Control Training to Ugandan in Japan”
1. Introduction to infection control man- 10. Environmental cleaning and disinfecagementtion

Dysentery historical figures

2. HAI (hospital-acquired infection) Control 11. Hospital waste management, needleSurvey of the Sanitary
Conditions
Japan"(1993)
Committee, Source:
system, The
actualapproachesforstick injuryinprevention
prevention
12. Reprocessing of reusable medical de3. Microorganisms in hospital environments
vices
4. Surveillance of HAI
5. Introduction to infection prevention
6. Hand disinfection

13. Infection prevention along transmission routes
14. Case study 1

15. Case study 2
7. Infection prevention tools for individuals, proper application of hand
16. 5S-KAIZEN-TQM
8. Other standards for infection preven- 17. Hospital visittion
18. Saraya Iga factory tour
9. Infection prevention along transmission
19. Create your own action planroutes
20. Present your action plan

2015 Infection Control Training to Ugandan in Japan

SDG

16
Infection Prevention Training at Jinja Hospital and Jinja School of
Nursing and Midwifery in Uganda

29

SDG

17

60-0377-00-99