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

Number of employees

1,288

406

62

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

Business summary

Manufacturing plastic bottles, operating
business sites

Headquarters

Osaka

Tokyo

Osaka

Research lab

Osaka, Guilin(China)

-

-

-

Osaka

Business Manufacturing Osaka, Iga (Mie), Chonburi (Thailand),sites
Dongguan (China), Selangor (Malaysia)
sites
Main service
office in Japan

23 cities

23 cities

1 siteOverseas bases

Manufacturing 6 sites, sales 23 sites--

International Organization for Standardization
Certification
Management
System
ISO 9002
ISO 14001
ISO 9001
ISO13485
ISO14001
ISO 22000
ISO 9001

Certified Organization (Certified Dept.)

Date

Saraya Co., Ltd.
Smile Sangyo Co., Ltd.
Saraya Co., Ltd. Tokyo Saraya Co., Ltd. Smile Sangyo Co., Ltd.
Saraya Co., Ltd. Tokyo Saraya Co., Ltd. Smile Sangyo Co., Ltd.
Saraya (Dongguan) Hygiene Products Co., Ltd.
Saraya MFG. (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Saraya Co., Ltd.
(Head office, Development dept. Research Lab, Osaka fac., Iga fac.)
Saraya MFG. (Thailand) Co., Ltd
Saraya Co., Ltd. Tokyo Saraya Co., Ltd.
(Food Sanitation Instructor, Food Sanitation H.Q. etc.)
Saraya Manufacturing (U) Ltd.

13 Dec. 1999
Whole

100 People
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
1,800 1,770 1,805 1,777 1,822
202014 2015 2016 2017 2018

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

In part22 Dec. 2006

Whole

26 Dec. 2008

In part8 Dec. 2008

Whole

20 Feb. 2019

Consolidated number of employees
in Japan

Billion yen
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

‘60

‘65

‘70

‘75

‘80

‘85

‘90

‘95

‘00

Trends in consolidated revenue in Japan

‘05

‘10

‘15

‘20

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 handhygiene at many workplaces, schools and public facilities in post WW II Japan when sanitation systems werestill poor and hygiene practices were insufficient – the same issues that many developing countries such as SubSaharan Africa 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. Thisapplies especially to Uganda where its work started.
This report covers twelve of the 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 Oct.
2019) in order to 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>.

Editorial policy
Guidelines used for reference

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

Reporting period

The report mainly covers achievements in the 2020
fiscal year (1 November 2019 to 31 October 2020),
but also includes some activities outside of thisperiod.

Reporting scope(Environmental Management System)
Saraya Co., Ltd.
Tokyo Saraya Co., Ltd.
Smile Sangyo Co., Ltd.
Saraya MFG. (Thailand) Co., Ltd
Saraya (Dongguan) Hygiene Products Co., Ltd.

Month of issue

April 2021 (the next report is to be issued in
March 2022)

Website
htt ps : / /s a raya .wo r l d / i m a ge s /s e c t i o n s /s u sta i n a b i l i t y /SustainabilityReport2021.pdf

Sustainability Report 2021
We are committed to the SDGs!
Publication:

Saraya Co., Ltd.

Concept, content:

Atsuko Takahashi

design:Atsuko Takahashi

Translation:

Yukiko Maguire-Morioka

Text editing:

Dr. Anthony Buglass

Date of issue:

March 2021

Contact:

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

Index
SARAYA Company Information…………………………………………………………………………… IFC
Editorial Policy……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
The SDGs of SARAYA in COVID-19……………………………………………………………………… 2
The SDGs and the Lancet Countdown……………………………………………………………… 4
SDG 3 : Good Health and Well being…………………………………………………………… 5
Helping mothers and children in East Africa…………………………………………………
Epidemics and SARAYA……………………………………………………………………………………
COVID-19 Pandemic and SARAYA …………………………………………………………………
SARAYA’s Donations in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic …………………
SDG 5 : Gender Equality…………………………………………………………………………………
Promoting Women’s Empowerment……………………………………………………………
SDG 6 : Clean Water and Sanitation……………………………………………………………
Nature-based Solutions……………………………………………………………………………………
SDG 8 : Decent Work and Economic Growth………………………………………………
Work Life Balance……………………………………………………………………………………………
SDG 9 : Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure…………………………………………
Establish Cold Chains in Cambodia and Eastern Africa………………………………
SDG 10 : Reduced Inequalities…………………………………………………………………………
Diversity………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
SDG 12 : Responsible Consumption and Production……………………………………
Palm Oil Supply Chain………………………………………………………………………………………
Sustainable Procurement…………………………………………………………………………………
SDG 13 : Climate Action……………………………………………………………………………………
Environmental Management System……………………………………………………………
Greenhouse Gas………………………………………………………………………………………………
Carbon-neutral…………………………………………………………………………………………………
SDG 14 : Life Below Water………………………………………………………………………………
Saraya and ZERI Japan………………………………………………………………………………………
Commitment to making a difference for generations…………………………………
SDG 15 : Life on Land…………………………………………………………………………………………
Biodiversity in Sabah Malaysia………………………………………………………………
Kinabatangan Green Corridor…………………………………………………………………
Desert Greening Project in Egypt……………………………………………………………
SDG 16 : Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions……………………………………………
Governance………………………………………………………………………………………………………
SDG 17 : Partnerships for the Goals………………………………………………………………
Infection Control Training………………………………………………………………………………

5
6
8
10
11
11
12
12
14
14
15
15
16
16
17
17
19
20
20
20
21
22
22
24
25
25
26
27
28
28
29
29

1

SDGs of SARAYA in COVID-19

2020 was a special year for the world: COVID-19 madedestructive changes in society and business. The changes
are taking place very fast, and we need to make a huge
effort to control the situation, even as they continue into
2021. In the face of such changes, SARAYA seeks to makemore commitments on SDGs in Sanitation, Health and Environment around the world, with the belief that we are“The Citizens of the Globe and its Community”. We are
therefore focusing even more on the sustainability of our
projects, both at global and community levels, to bringthem into harmony.
(1) COVID-19 and our efforts
COVID-19 has affected countries all over the world. All
global SARAYA locations have made significant efforts insupplying ABHR (Alcohol Based Hand Rub) for hand disinfection, dispensers, PPE, and other products to prevent
COVID-19. We have been acting with urgency, and worked
hard to keep up with supply and demand. In addition,in those countries and local governments where people
cannot afford enough hand disinfectants, we made many
donations, as shown in the charts of page 10. We wish to
apply the SDGs in such a way that “We pledge that no one
willl be left behind” – but our best efforts are still small
relative to the great need.
SARAYA set up a joint venture company “SARAYA Mystair
India” in 2019. With respect to India, and with the hopethat we can contribute to India through our business activities, I would like to quote the story of the Dancing Shiva.
In India, they say when Lord Shiva dances, the world isdestroyed, and then Lord Vishnu creates a new world outof the destruction. In this way, destruction and creation
are two sides of the same coin. After the destruction by

A bronze sculpture of Shiva as Lord of the Dance

2 Saraya Sustainability Report 2021

COVID-19, we must therefore have hope for the future, andfulfil our mission to restore the world. Like Ganesha, theHindu god of wisdom, we wish to restore and develop theworld with a cheerful and positive attitude.
(2) Production in the world against the background of COVID-19
The COVID-19 epidemic broke out in Wuhan, China at theend of 2019, and quickly spread around the world, creatinga huge demand for ABHR. The challenge for us has been to
supply products with enough liquids, bottles and pumps.
In Japan, the Kanto factory of SARAYA Japan in Ibaraki Prefecture was inaugurated on 4 March 2020, and played a big
part in responding to this increased demand.
Our factories In the USA, France, Poland, China, and Malaysia also worked hard to match the increased demandfor ABHR. In particular, our Ugandan factory had to copewith 20 times the usual demand. In addition, 100 new competitor companies were quickly registered in the country,
making for a tough competitive environment. In the end,
despite the competition, we successfully delivered goodevidence-based products to the market in Uganda and Kenya. We plan to open a similar factory in Egypt in November
2021. We continue to look for local production around theworld to supply ABHR quickly and locally.
(3) Standard precaution and UHC (Universal health Coverage)
For infection prevention, there are “Standard Precautionary” measures that apply to any infection. This starts withhand hygiene, then the use of masks, gloves, and gowns,
etc., called PPE (personal protective equipment). COVID-19
has clearly shown that having an adequate supply of these
items is essential for the prevention of infectious diseases.
In addition to vaccines, UHC (Universal Health Coverage)
should be ensured so that everyone has access to suchstandard precautionary equipment. The UHC objectives aremainly fulfilled in the developed countries. Now SARAYA will

Borneo Conservation Trust (cf. p.26)

focus on supplying these products to southern Africa, west
Africa, and south America.
(4) Therapeutic lotion for infections with Jigger
We established local subsidiaries to operate our businessin Uganda in 2010, and in Kenya in 2016, with the aim of
improving hygiene with hand disinfection and hand washingin east Africa. During the marketing activities, we discovered that jigger is a serious problem in local communities.
We therefore responded by developing a therapeutic lotion
to treat jigger (tunga penetrans) infections in 2020, andplan to start marketing the lotion in 2021.
(5) Climate Emergency Declaration and biogas production
We partnered with Dr. Ryoichi Yamamoto, Professor
Emeritus of the University of Tokyo, to launch a network of
local governments and corporations to respond and cooperate in the fight against global warming. With this initiative,
we intend to raise awareness on climate emergencies, andtake action on greenhouse gas reduction among communities, local governments, businesses and citizens nationwide,
promoting innovation in the field of clean and renewableenergy.
In the UK, Herriard Bio Power Ltd., a subsidiary of SARAYA
and KSN, uses food waste and agricultural waste to makemethane, for the generation of electricity and renewable
power. We plan to launch similar projects in communities
with Japan. (cf. p.21)

SARAYA's ABHR and auto-dispensers

Tungiasis caused by infection with the female ectoparasite Tunga
penetrans (jigger)

The inaugural meeting of Climate Emergency Network (cf. p.21)(6) Plastic pollution in the ocean
We are working with Blue Odyssey, and their boat “Porrima”, to launch a global campaign for the promotion of SDGs
and the reduction of carbon emissions through innovativetechnology once the COVID-19 crisis is under control.
(7) SDGs in SARAYA’s Initiatives
We are tackling global issues such as:

In April 2020 RKE Bio Groupe UK started to operate the Herriard Bio
Power Anaeobic Digestion Facility.

①Global warming and climate change,②Declining biodiversity,③Resource depletion and sustainable use of global resources,④Plastic pollution in the oceans,⑤Widening gap between the rich and the poor

In response to COVID-19, national barriers are now being raised higher nationalism becoming rampant in somecountries. We should overcome such issues by harnessing a
network of stakeholders, and improve the situation quickly
and as much as possible.
For this reason, I believe that SARAYA’s mission of “Improving the sanitation, the environment, and health of theworld” will be realized effectively through the SDGs format.
Therefore, we will continue to cooperate with our customers, suppliers, world organizations, governments, local governments, NGOs, NPOs, and other organizations, in order toachieve such goals according to the SDGs mission.

MS. Porrima will start "Blue Odyssey" for the campaign "Stop theplastic pollution in the ocean".

President and CEO Saraya Co., Ltd.

Yusuke Shiro Saraya

3

The SDGs and the Lancet Countdown
The SDGs are integrated and indivisible

The Lancet Health and Climate Change Countdown

On the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development:“They are integrated and indivisible and balance thethree dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental.”
The three aspects - economic, social and environmental - are interconnected in each of the SDG goals. If we
can reduce the mortality rate of children in developing
countries by promoting sanitation, it will alleviate female
fertility, and thus reduce poverty, promote education andwomen’s participation in society, reducing population
growth in developing countries while helping to lower
environmental impacts.
Protecting wildlife habitats by preserving and restoring
natural forests is also a way to combat climate change.
And the following “Lancet Health and Climate ChangeCountdown” report details how climate change will damage human health and cause economic losses.

Led by the leading medical journal, the Lancet, the“Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change: responding to converging crisis” report, published on December 2, 2020, showed that disease transmission increased globally for all diseases tracked.
This research project, made in collaboration with theWorld Health Organization (WHO) and 35 internationalorganizations to analyze the link between health and climate change, launched in 2015 and report annually on
the progress of policy recommendations made by theLancet Commission on Health and Climate Change until
2030.

The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change 2020:
Children are among the most susceptible to diarrhoeal disease, and experience the most severe effects
of dengue fever. Trends in climate suitability for disease transmission are particularly concerning, withnine of the ten most suitable years for the transmission of dengue fever on record occurring since 2000.

Change in climate suitability for infectious diseases
Solid lines represent the annual change. Dashed lines represent the trend since 1950 (for dengue and malaria) and 1982 (for Vibrio bacteria).

4 Saraya Sustainability Report 2021

SDG

3

Good Health and Well-Being
Helping mothers and children in East Africa
UNICEF Project - One Million Hand Washing Project
The map of the African continent on the right, colorcoded by deaths per 1,000 children under the age of fivein 2019, shows that sub-Saharan Africa is estimated tohave 2.87 million deaths, accounting for 55.3 percent of
the global total. Since 2010, Saraya has donated a percentage of sales of its leading brand hand-hygiene products to support the Japan Committee for UNICEF’s efforts
to educate and promote proper hand washing with soap
among children and mothers in Uganda. With Saraya’s
support, UNICEF is promoting its activities, such as the installation of hand washing facilities in schools in Uganda
and hand washing awareness. (Details: https://tearai.jp/)

91 <81 to 90
71 to 80
61 to 70
51 to 60
41 to 50
31 to 40
21 to 30
11 to 20
<10_

Uganda Government &Private Sector Partnership Projects
The Ugandan Government launched a new policy to improve the reproductive health service. The “Strengthening Quality of Care for Sexual and Reproductive HealthServices through Public Private Partnerships in Uganda(SARAYA safe motherhood project)”, organized by theJapan Trust Fund (hereinafter referred to as JTFP) andsupported by the International Planned Parenthood Federation, started in June 2018 with the participation of
the governments of Uganda and Japan, SARAYA, Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU: Ugandan members of IPPF,
NGO) and other NGOs such as JOICF etc. The funding wasprovided by JTF (75%) and SARAYA (25%).
As a part of this project, an infection control and prevention initiative started at district clinics in Gulu, Lira,
Apac and Luwero, on the outskirts of Uganda’s capital
city Kampala. SARAYA Manufacturing (U) Ltd. and SARAYA
Co. Ltd. are participating in this project. The launch event
was held on 24 August 2019, welcoming the guest speakers: Hon. Dr. Sarah Opendi the Minister of Health of the
Republic of Uganda, the Ambassador H.E. Kazuaki Kameda of the Japanese embassy in Uganda, Professor Didier
Pittet, and representatives of RHU. Mr. Takeo Hojo of Saraya Manufacturing (U) Ltd., also spoke of the challenges
faced in Uganda by Uganda’s healthcare environments
and Saraya. Professor Didier Pittet gave a speech about
the widespread nosocomial infection issues around theworld, and the effectiveness of hand hygiene using alcohol-based disinfectants to solve those issues.

Children in sub-Saharan Africa face higher risks of dying before their fifth birthday under-five mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) by country, 2019

Estimates of child mortality in East African Community 2019
Under-five
InfantMortality rate Number of deaths Mortality rate Number of deaths(deaths per 1,000(deaths per 1,000Country(thousands)(thousands)
live births)
live births)
BurundiKenya
RwandaSouth Sudan
UgandaUN Rep of Tanzania
Sub-Saharan Africa

Japan
World

1990

174
101
150
250
182
165
180
6
93

2019

1990

2019

56
46
24
43
100
64
34
48
13
96
62
37
46
148
74
50
175
103
76 3,857 2,869
28
238 12,494 5,189

1990

105
65
92
148
107
100
108
5
65

2019

1990

2019

40
28
17
32
64
47
26
29
10
62
37
24
33
89
54
36
108
75
52 2,259 1,907
2
3
1
28 8,715 3,904(Levels & Trends in Child Mortality Report 2020, UNICEF)

The launch event of JTF project (SARAYA safe motherhood project)*

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)
5

Epidemics and Saraya
The dysentery epidemic in 1952
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 of the same year, the
new regulations from the Japanese Ministry of Health forcompulsory hand washing and disinfection at food processing facilities came into force. Saraya has been developing ever since as one of the leading companies in thefield of public and food hygiene.

MRSA - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
The “Hand Sanitor S” was the very first alcohol-based
hand rub (ABHR) product Saraya introduced to Japan. Saraya has been researching and developing alcohol-based
hand rub (ABHD) ever since. Before 1976, MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) had never been isolated
in any 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 rub,finally received medical funding from the government.
The number of MRSA patients in Japan reached 118,539
by 2013. Meanwhile, “Hibiscohol” (ABHD), which was
first introduced in 1986 at the time of the MRSA outbreakin Japan, has become one of our leading products as aprevention and infection control measure. In 1995, Saraya acquired Best Sanitizers, Inc. A joint venture company
was set up, and “Alsoft A”, which has the same formulation as Hibiscohol 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 range of microorganisms, including non-enveloped viruses such as Norovirus, as wellas ordinary fungi. It is now being produced and sold bySaraya Manufacturing (U) Ltd. in Uganda as Alsoft V.

6 Saraya Sustainability Report 2021

Push type dispensers (1952)’52
111,709

120,000‘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)

Ebola hemorrhagic fever
In 2011, Saraya Uganda was established in the Ugandan
capital Kampala, and first introduced Saraya’s ABHR, Hibiscol SH, on a trial basis to Gombe and Entebbe District
Hospitals through JICA’s (Japan International Cooperation
Agency) BOP Business Collaboration Promotion Program.
At Gombe Hospital, a hand sanitizer compliance project
was carried out under the guidance of Dr. Lele Haruna, thedirector of the hospital at the time. At first, it was difficult to increase the compliance rate, but when the rate increased to 70%, the first month of zero diarrheal illnesses
among pediatric patients and post-cesarean section sepsis
was recorded, as shown in the graph below.
In July 2012, Ebola hemorrhagic fever broke out in
Kibale province in western Uganda, and Oriental province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mr.
Kazumasa Miyamoto, then head of SARAYA Uganda, offered to provide countermeasures for the Ugandan Ministry of Health through JICA. On 1 August, 100 1L bottlesof Hibiscohol SH, and 600 40ml bottles of Sarayan gel,both hand sanitizers, were shipped from Japan and distributed to medical facilities in Kibale district. This infectious disease had killed 16 residents of the province, but
had been successfully contained.

SDG

3

■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

’
ay

M

12

2

Ju

1
n’

0

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

660Compliance (%)

On 21 February, 2013, the “East Africa Infection Control
Conference 2013” was held in Kampala, the capital cityof Uganda, organized by Saraya Uganda, in cooperation
with the Ugandan Ministry of Health, and with the support of JICA Uganda Office, and Saraya. Dr. Lule Haruna’spresentation on hand hygiene at Gombe Hospital, in thePediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology Department
was a highlight of the conference.

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 Hospital2014 Marburg Fever
In February 2014, the current Saraya Manufacturing(U) Ltd. (hereafter SMU) was established on the site ofKakira Sugar (a major Ugandan sugar manufacturer).
SMU manufactures a hand sanitizer called Alsoft V using
ethanol made from molasses, which is a waste product ofsugar refining. Alsoft V has the same formulation as the
Viro Stera series sold in Japan.
In Uganda, NMS (National Medical Store), the only
pharmaceutical wholesaler in the country, supplies medicines and medical supplies to all public health facilities
in the country, and the NMS tender is the only route todisseminate them to the public health facilities.
After years of not even getting a chance to tender, Hojo
(Global Operations) petitioned President Museveni inperson when he visited Japan in 2015, and the President
himself sent a letter of intent to NMS to procure ABHR
made in Uganda. There is a well-established rule that if
there is a difference of 10% or less in the bidding process,priority is given to domestically-made products. There
was no other product made in Uganda except Alsoft V,
and the price difference was within 10%. However, when
the bid opening finally took place two months later, an
imported product from a competing supplier (made in
China) was selected. Finally, on 31 July 2017, Alsoft V
50ml won the NMS bid.
Forty-four days later, on 13 September, a man in Uganda was brought to Kapchorwa Hospital (photo right), andhe was presumed to be the first case of Marburg fever(hemorrhagic fever) after contracting the Marburg virus.
Marburg fever is a very dangerous infectious disease withan average fatality rate of 50%. However, the outbreak
ended without spreading, and the Ugandan Ministry of
Health declared the end of the outbreak on 11 December. As shown in the photo, “Alsoft V 50ml” was also used
for infection control, and the Kapchorwa Hospital and the
Ugandan Ministry of Health successfully controlled the
spread of this dangerous disease.

Saraya Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

A nurse in Gombe Hospital2018 Ebola hemorrhagic fever
In May 2018, Ebola hemorrhagic fever broke out in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in August, several
people who traveled from Congo were infected in Uganda. However, due to the infection prevention measurestaken by the Ugandan Ministry of Health, the disease has
not spread in Uganda. SMU received large orders fromUN agencies such as WHO, international NGOs, and trading companies serving the Congo, and met the demandfor Alsoft V and auto dispensers. SMU has also increased
the number of employees, and has started to increase
production of Alsoft V.
According to the WHO website on Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as of 3 July 2020, a totalof 3,481 cases (including strongly suspected cases) havebeen diagnosed, and a total of 2,299 people have died.
The fatality rate has reached 66%.
7

COVID-19 Pandemic and SARAYASARAYA offices in China
In 2003, SARAYA established the Dongguan factory (Saraya Hygiene Products Co., Ltd.) to manufacture equipment, and in September 2008, it was renamed Saraya(Dongguan) Hygiene Products Co., Ltd. (hereinafter called
Saraya Dongguan).
In Xinhua, 2014, SARAYA signed a joint venture agreement with “Shandong Shinva Medical Instrument Co. Ltd.”(hereafter referred to as “Shinva Saraya”). Shinva Saraya
manufactures and sells high quality disinfectants in China
by providing technology from its Iga plant in Japan.
On 24 October 2019, we established the Saraya Dongguan
Shenzhen Research and Development Center, a division of
Saraya Dongguan, a base for research and development of
global products using IoT and AI. The center is developing
hand hygiene monitoring systems and other products.

Cloud server
Dispensors etc.

SensorHospital server

bilized to handle the three-fold increase in logistics. On 31
January of the same year, at the request of Shinva Medical
and its parent company, we donated Shinva Saraya’s ABHR
along with Shinva Medical’s medical equipment to various
hospitals and temporary hospitals under construction in
Wuhan. The government of Shandong Province and Zibo
City also became aware of Shinva Medical and Shinva Saraya, and the deputy provincial governor and city secretary
visited the companies to tour the operation, and encourage the staff.
Meanwhile, in Saraya Dongguan, during the lockdown
in China, the government granted permission to operate
the factory on 10 February 2020. However, the numberof employees who gathered on the first day was about
half of the normal workforce of 158, the others were unable to return from Hubei province due to the lockdown,
or were stranded and unable to come to work due toquarantine measures on their return. If even one person
develops COVID-19, a government shutdown order is issued. We have supplemented our workforce with personnel who did not use public transportation, and parttime students who also served as interns.

Badge
SMART Gateway

The hand hygiene monitoring system

After the outbreak of COVID-19 – Saraya China offices
Shinva Saraya, a Sino-Japanese joint venture company
producing ABHR, received an enormous number of orders
in one week, equivalent to a normal year’s worth of orders,and gave up the Chinese New Year vacations to accommodate emergency shipments and operate at full capacity 24
hours a day. The development department was also mo-

On 3 April 2019 (Saraya's anniversary), the opening ceremony washeld for the Steriace factory (on the left), and the Saraya Dongguan
satellite factory (on the right). Behind this is Xinhua Saraya's alcohol
disinfectant manufacturing plant (a separate building). Xinhua Medical
is on the left side.

8 Saraya Sustainability Report 2021

A shipment of Shinva Saraya's ABHR and other products from Shinva
Medical in Xinhua to Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital which was underconstruction on 31 January 2020. All three trucks full of goods were
donated to hospitals in Wuhan.

Saraya Headquarters
The sales department was busy dealing with complaints from customers about backlogged shipments, coordinating controlled shipments, correcting order data,and other administrative work. At the customer service
center, the number of incoming inquiry volumes was sohigh that the lines were temporarily down. In the material procurement department, the otherwise ample stocks
ran out after the increase in orders in February, and while
the backlog of shipments continued to accumulate, administrative work for the processing of controlled items
was required as overtime work continued until late atnight every day.

SDG

3

In addition, we had to respond to the rapid increase inorders by increasing the production of pumps, containers, raw materials, and other items in the overall supply
chain, and we had to make adjustments on a daily basis, while assessing and checking the status of all incoming materials, sales orders, and factory production. The
rest of the back-office department implemented a work
schedule that included going straight home, working outof home, and flex working hours. The public relations
department conducted more than 50 media interviews,
including those providing information on proper handwashing and hand sanitizing methods. We also distributed masks and disinfectants to our employees to protect
them from COVID-19.

Japanese Government Procurement
On 16 April 2020, the “2nd Roundtable Meeting with
Companies Contributing to Increased Production of Medical Protective Equipment” was held by teleconferencewith then Prime Minister Abe and other cabinet members, and President Yusuke Saraya participated in themeeting from his office in Osaka via remote connection
to the Prime Minister’s office.
We received a request from the government to increase our production, and we promised to deliver 1.7
million liters in May (6 to 7 times more than in the samemonth the preceding year). Japanese government procurement was purchased at a fair price, and that theywould purchase any inventory for the nation’s reserves.

UgandaAs of 19 March 2020, SMU, SARAYA’s Ugandan subsidiary, has already quadrupled its orders for Alsoft V madein Uganda to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, and has
doubled its production capacity in two shifts.
New Vision, one of the two major Ugandan newspapers, published an article in its 17 March issue. The article reported that although only two disinfectants (onemade by SMU) are approved by UNBS (Uganda National
Bureau of Standards), a Ugandan government agency,
there are many counterfeit products on the market; that
SMU is considering hiring extra staff; and that the disinfectants are being shipped on a first come first served basis. (Interview with SMU representative, Hojo); the article
also mentioned that a medical supplies agency, Laborex
Uganda, placed an order for 8,000 liters of Alsoft V, but
after realizing that they would run out of stock in February due to the immense demand, changed the orderto 10,000 liters instead (interview with their sales representative); before the outbreak of COVID-19, 20 cases of
Alsoft V1L bottles were normally sold in the market every

day, but they were then selling at a rate of 200 cases aday, and had already run out of stock (according to a top
medical store sales representative).
The Ugandan government had formerly imposed a luxury tax on alcoholic hand sanitizers, but they abolishedthis in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other Overseas Branches
In terms of alcohol hand sanitizer production, Best Sanitizers, the U.S. production base, produced 950 tons inJanuary-May 2020, 330% up on the same period the previous year; Malaysia-based Goodmaid,Co., Ltd. produced
247 tons, 900% up on the same period the previous year;
and Saraya Korea, 43,000 liters in February-May 2020,
360% up on the same period the previous year, with foodand other alcohol products production also up by 200%.

SARAYA manufacturing bases in JapanAt the Iga plant, the two-shift system was replaced bya three-shift system on 25 February 2020, allowing for24/7 production. The April production volume was 2.5
times that of a normal month. From 6 April to 31 May, 32
new employees started at Saraya’s Iga plant and engaged
in production and shipping operations as part of theirtraining. We are also increasing the number of foreign
employees to increase production.
The Saraya Kanto Plant commenced operations on
28 February. It has a site area of about 57,000 m2 anda building area of about 8,800 m2, consisting of a steelframed 3-storey building (production building), a steelframed 2-storey building (administration and researchbuilding), and four other ancillary buildings. To productivity, 14 new graduates participated in production
training at the Kanto Plant, as well as the Iga Plant, and
7 new graduates of procurement departments also sterted to work.

The Saraya Kanto plant

9

SARAYA’s Donations in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
SARAY donated ABHR (alcohol-based hand rub), auto dispensers for COVID-19 infection prevention, and other donations and scholarships in Japan. In addition, SARAYA donated ABHR in developing countries.

Time
May '20
June '20
June '20

Municipalities,
Universities, etc.
Osaka Prefecture

Tokyo Prefecture

June '20

Hokkaido Pref.

June '20

Fukuoka City

July '20

Kanagawa Pref.

July '20

Kumano City

June '20
July '20

Osaka University
Osaka University

Amount( 1,000 yen )Donation to:
Osaka-fu Ikueikai Scholarship Foundation
Yumemirai Scholarship, Special Scholarship
Osaka City: Children and Youth Services
Child Poverty Prevention Project
Tokyo Metropolitan Government: Bureauof Social Welfare and Public Health, Tokyo
Metropolitan Government
Single Parent Family Support Program
Hokkaido Prefecture: Education promotion
funds (Hokkaido Education Agency remotebusiness promoting project)
Fukuoka City:
Supp o r t fo r the f amilies af fe c ted by
COVID-19
Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education(Kanagawa Manabiya Education Fund)
Kumano City COVID-19 Countermeasures toPrevent the Spread of COVID-19
Osaka University Future Education Fund:
Saraya Disaster Emergency Response
Student Support Project
Osaka University Institute ofMicrobiological Diseases
Prof. Shigemitsu Akamatsu Scholarship

50,00030,00050,000Time
May - July
'20
July '20
End ofMay '20

Time
March
'21

Donation to:

Donation Item

Tokyo Pref. Osaka Pref.
Hibiscol SH
7 other prefectures & cities(ABHR)
Funabashi City Yokohama City Auto Dispenser
communities & schools in SARAYA
Sanitizer
head office neighborhood
100mL

Donation to:
Mie Pref. etc.
Kumano City etc.
Nabari City etc.
Iga City etc.

Donation Item
Sarayan Gel SH
hand sanitizer

Units

June '20

State of Sabah, Malaysia

149,176

July '20

Cambodia

163,200

Kuala Lumpur City, Malaysia

81,864

October'20

Ethiopia
Malawi

UNICEF

Madagascar

270,758

10,000Thailand

31,320Brunei

161,280

Cameroon

240,000

Ukraine20,000

September
'20

5,000
20,000,
5,000

Total
( 1,000 yen )106.6 million yen
equivalent

20,630Bottles
19,190
1,000
2,000
2,000

183,180

Nigeria
August
'20
March
'21
January-February'21
February '21
March
'21
April
'21

Sarayan Gel SH handsanitizer

Benin
Congo (Republic of)

60ml, 100ml, 250ml,
300ml, 500ml, 1L

355,920
67,05067,050

Uzbekistan (Republic of)

97,560Ghana

19,040

Sarawak, Malaysia

73,200

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

24,400

Sarawak, Malaysia

48,800Vietnam

143,500

Comoros

81,540

MalawiSenegal
Cameroon

UNICEF

40,050203,920
203,920(Not including donations from Shinva Saraya to Wuhan, etc.)
Total: 554.4 million yen equivalent

Desinated
donationFight against Covid-19: The government of Madagascar receives adonation of hand sanitizer from the Japanese company Saraya-Joint
press release,11 March 2021
(https://www.unicef.org/madagascar/en/press-releases/fight-against-covid19-malagasy-government-receives-donation-hand-sanitizer-japanese)

10 Saraya Sustainability Report 2021

BottlesComoro19,500936

Donating
Organization

20,0001,000
Osaka University
Kagawa Education
900
July '20
COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund
Institution of Nutrition
St.Marianna University Department of Infection Control/Infection
August '20
5,000
of Medicine
Diseases Section
SeptemberFriends of WHO
Saraya no one left behind Fund
100,000'20
Japan
Others as scholarship donations or joint research expenses
60,500Total: 257.4 million yen equivalentAugust '20

CountryThanks to UNICEF for the distribution of the gels provided by SARAYA,
the leader in hygiene products(https://twitter.com/AmbassadeurJPMD/status/1376057207960264705)

Gender Equality
Promoting Women’s Empowerment
Equal Opportunities and Treatment
At Saraya, there is no discrimination in hiring, promotion, salary, placement, education and training opportunities based on gender. There is also equal pay for men
and women, and we strive to prevent any inherent discrimination. We hire and train people with high professionalism, morals, knowledge and other qualities andpotential, regardless of gender.
In Japan, women account for a large percentage of Saraya’s
end users in the food hygiene and medical hygiene fields,
and women also account for a large percentage of buyers
at home, so we try to appoint as many women as possible,
especially in the product development department, so thatthey can participate in design and decision-making.
The Sanitation Business Division launched the Food
Sanitation Instructor System in 1989. This is Saraya’s own
system, in which the instructors visit stores and foodproduction sites to check that detergents and disinfectants are being used in accordance with the manuals,
and provide explanations and advice as needed, as well
as food hygiene support. It is organized mainly by qualified women who are certified nutritionists with extensive
knowledge of food and food hygiene. The Academic Department of the Medical Business Division has also been
staffed by women with license for pharmacist since thebeginning, and women are demonstrating their strengths
in these professional positions. Both of these departments have recently been joined by men, who are also
active in this field.

600
500

FemaleMale

Female400

Male 34.5%
65.5%

300

Gender ra�o of total employees

200

Male
44.6%

100
0

Under 2930-49

Over 50

Female55.4%

Gender ra�o of under 29s

Saraya Co., Ltd. / Tokyo Saraya Co., Ltd. Permanent Employee Gender& Age Comparison Chart (as of Oct 2020)“Osaka City Female Active Leadership Leading Company”
Certificate logo (left), and Mr. Saraya delivered a speech at theceremony, receiving the Best Award in 2015.

Give us more challenges and I believe we can do it!
Traditionally, women are expected to shine at home in theirrole as perfect wives as in: “Men make houses, women makehomes”. In modern times, the role of women in society haschanged dramatically. More women have joined the labour
force and become highly qualified.
At Saraya, there is no gender differentiation in our workforce.
The job is given to the most suitable candidate. Have you
ever seen a woman who is cooking, while watching her baby
crawling on the floor, and talking to somebody on the phone?
This is what you call “multi-tasking”. Men, on the other hand,are good at doing one task at a time - this is how God created
men and women, and blessed them with different skills. At
Saraya, female managers can handle many tasks at a time, andbe flexible. Literally, anything that can support the smoothrunning of the business, they will do it!
Women can also be more cautious than men when making
financial decisions, and may refuse to take risks. This comesfrom their basic instinct at home when they have to look after

their family within the limited funds that their husbands bringhome. In business, the rule: “No risk, no return” is also true.
Men, naturally, are prepared to take risks. This is how God
created them as the hunters. We also need the type of women
who are prepared to take risks. I choose to take risks, but only
“calculated risks”, where I can afford the loss if I am wrong.
Give us more challenges and I believe we can do it!
Encouraging gender equality at work is to support thesustainable growth of our business, not only at Saraya, but also
at any workplace environment.

Saraya Greentek Co. Ltd
Managing Director
Ms. Duong Linh Trang

11

Clean Water and Sanitation
Nature-based Solutions
Nature-based solutions (NbS) refers to the sustainable
management and use of nature for tackling socioenvironmental challenges. Our product concepts are“Nature-based Solutions”.

SARAYA household products are LAS free
Zinc and nonylphenyl ethers are known to have endocrine disrupting properties. In addition to thesechemicals, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment added environmental standards in 2013 relating to water pollution caused by linear alkylbenzene
sulfonate (LAS) to protect aquatic life. The Ministryof the Environment reported that aquatic organisms
such as salmon and trout, which inhabit relatively low
temperature freshwater habitats in Japan, can be impacted by LAS levels exceeding 0.03 mg/l, and that theenvironment for spawning localities should have LAS
levels lower than 0.02 mg/l. The ministry also reported that saltwater aquatic organisms can be impacted
by LAS levels exceeding 0.01 mg/l, and that LAS levels
exceeding 0.006 mg/l could affect spawning grounds.
The Japanese Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry reports that 38,327 tons* of LAS were handled
throughout Japan in FY 2018 (1 April to 31 March),with an estimated 32,134 tons of the surfactant going through sewage treatment, and 6,193 tons werereleased untreated into the environment household
laundry and cleaning detergents accounted for 91.3%
of this volume.
Saraya has never used LAS in its household products, and has started using novel sophorolipids in its
flagship products, such as the Happy Elephant seriesof household detergents.

AcecideAcecide disinfectant is the first peracetic acid-based
chemical sterilant / high-level disinfectant exclusively
for medical devices, instruments, and equipment inJapan. Before the introduction of Acecide disinfectant, glutaraldehyde preparations were used for a longtime for disinfecting endoscopes and other medical
devices. However, the development of a substitutehas been long overdue because of several issues, suchas: slow bactericidal action of glutaraldehyde, especially on acid-fast bacteria and spores, the isolationof glutaraldehyde-resistant acid-fast bacteria from an
automatic endoscope washer, and health concerns associated with the toxicity of glutaraldehyde, such asallergic reactions. Peracetic acid has great promise
as a prospective candidate because of (1) its excellent
bactericidal activity - even against spores and acidfast bacteria - and its reported efficacy on glutaraldehyde-resistant acid-fast bacteria, 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 and breaks
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 and excellent bactericidal activity of peracetic acid, and has high stability in solution, and can beused repeatedly to reprocess reusable medical devices such as flexible endoscopes.

* Source: Japan Soap and Detergent Association and Japan Surfactant Industry Association

Professional Detergents 338t 5.4%
Kitchen detergent (home use) 154t 2.5%

Household laundries andcleaning detergents

6,193t91.3%

Amount of estimated LAS release to the environment in Japan in FY 2018

12 Saraya Sustainability Report 2021

AcesideSophorolipids

Application in Regenerative Medicine

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’s case, this is palm oil. Detergents made with thiscleaning 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
the need for the extensive purification required to reachits currently traded state.

SARAYA is collaborating with Osaka University to use
sophorolipids in a freezing solution to prevent cells frombeing damaged by the formation of ice crystals whencells are stored at extremely low temperatures (about-196 °C) in the field of regenerative medicine. Conventionally, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) has been used, butthere are concerns about differentiation induction andcytotoxicity. Sophorolipids have low cytotoxicity, andare expected to have little effect on cell differentiation
because they are glycolipids. Thus, sophorolipids are expected to be applicable as a “cell-friendly storage solution”.

80

Water Surface Tension
70

Inferior
60
Surface
Action50

Suface 40
tension(mN/m)
30

Alkyl Sulfate; AS

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

20
10
0

0.1

Only sophorolipids have low toxicity toaqua�c organisms at concentra�ons
expressing surface ac�vity.
1

water ﬂea
Daphnia magna

Go

od

10
100
Concentra�on (mg/L)

1,000

10,000

Low toxicity

13

SDG

6

Decent Work and Economic Growth
Work Life Balance
Better Balance between Family and Career
SARAYA provides various options 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 good balance between work and caring for family members at home.
Prenatal and postnatal maternity leave, childcare leave,
reduced working hours, flexible working hours, workfrom-home, no overtime, restrictions on night work andout-of-hours, and leave for the care of a sick child. They areavailable to all of our employees to support their parenting, and of course they apply equally to both parents.
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.

Saraya was certified by the Ministry of
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 2017 to Oct 2020 at
Saraya, Tokyo Saraya and Smile Sangyo

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

FemaleEmployee

Male
Employee

77

1

5

0

Personal development leaves and Volunteering leaves
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 (total up to 12 days) as“Work life balance special leaves”. In addition, SARAYA
subsidise in-house clubs.

Taking a nap children at SARAYA Kanto plant in-house nursery

Cross-Appointment System to Implement Innovation in Society
At the Biochemical Research Laboratory, we are focusing
on industry-university collaboration in order to sustainably
implement innovations in society. As part of this effort, I havetaken advantage of the cross-appointment system (*) andhave also been registered as a Special Associate Professor at
the Osaka University Graduate School of Engineering sinceschool year 2018, where I am engaged in work at a ratio of
95% at Saraya and 5% at Osaka University. At Osaka University,
I am mainly engaged in research on the practical applicationof proteases derived from hyperthermophilic bacteria, atechnology held by a joint research partner. Although there
are several hurdles to overcome in order to implement thetechnology in society, we are persevering in our efforts tocreate unique products.
In addition to my research activities, I also serve as a lecturer
for on-campus seminars and classes on corporate research as
an educational activity for students. I give lectures with thehope that I can be of some help to science students, who are

14 Saraya Sustainability Report 2021

the future researchers, in making their choices, meanwhile I am
often inspired by them and learn something new from them.
I will continue to conduct research and development by
utilizing the diverse human networks, the latest information andknowledge in various research fields, and the broad perspective
I have gained through the cross-appointment system, and I
hope to deliver unique and high value-added products to theworld.
*A system that allows researchers to work in research, development, and education bysigning employment contracts with two or moreorganizations among universities, public research
institutions, and private companies, and following
the division of roles and the chain of command ineach organization under a certain work ratio.

Biochemical Laboratory
Deputy General Manager
Ms. Yuka Oda

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Establish cold chains in Cambodia and Eastern Africa
JICA Support for JPN SMEs Overseas Venture Development
Normally when water drops below 0°C, it freezes and turns to
ice. The freezing point of ethanol is shown in the table on the right.
SARAYA introduced the “RAPIDFREEZER”, which uses a unique method to rapidly freeze vacuum sealed foods by immersing them in -30°C
liquid ethanol. A project was launched using this “RAPIDFREEZER” toproduce safe and high-quality frozen food. In January 2017, the “Survey
on Projects for Improving Food Safety with Advanced Hygiene Management and Value-Added Processing System” was adopted by JICA.
We are exploring on a trial basis the possibility of commercialization by processing aquacultured tilapia from a collaboratingcompany (Rainbow Progress Enterprise Co., Ltd.), and fresh fruit
such as mango and pineapple from an agricultural venture (Japan
Farm Products (Cambodia) Co., Ltd.). This not only makes it possible to export products to countries outside of Cambodia, but alsoenables the farmers in Cambodia to expand their sales channels.
Traditionally, tilapia has been said to be unsuitable for raw
consumption due to contamination with bacteria and parasites. However, disinfecting foods with slightly acidic electrolyzed water using SARAYA’s Sanistar machine (also sold asPurestar in Japan), and killing the parasites by using the rapid
liquid freezer RAPIDFREEZER, make it possible to provide safe
sashimi. This tilapia is available in Cambodia’s local restaurants.

The Cold Chain from Mombasa to Kampala
In Africa, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries adopted a new business project “FY2018 Market Development Project to Solve Food Value Chain Problems in Africa
and Other Areas,” whereupon Saraya commenced initiatives
for food sanitation businesses in the East African region. Thisinitiative is being implemented in collaboration with two Japanese companies, KAI GLOBAL Limited (Nairobi, Kenya), andCots Cots Ltd. (Kampala, Uganda, a Saraya trade investment).
Temperature-controlled transport vehicles are rarely used in East
African countries. Cooling during transport is usually done using icepackaged polystyrene foam boxes. There is a large amount of foodloss during the process from harvesting to consumption. Improving
the situation therefore requires the establishment of a new food
distribution system. In this project, Saraya, in collaboration with KAI
GLOBAL Limited, conducted research on the distribution of marine
products, and tested the transportation of marine products fromfishing ports in Kenya to Nairobi and Kampala. Seafood is processedand provided at the Yamasen, a Japanese restaurant managed by
Cots Cots Ltd. Yamasen’s kitchen undertakes food sanitation andprocessing using Saraya’s Sanistar and RAPIDFREEZERs, amongst
others. We also plan to expand our food processing business toneighboring countries in East Africa.

Consistency %Freezing point
Consistency %Freezing point

Freezing Point of Ethanol Solutions by Concentration
0wt%
10wt%
20wt%
30wt%
40wt%
0.0℃
-4.6℃
-11.2℃-20.9℃-30.7℃
60wt%
70wt%
80wt%
90wt%
95wt%
-45.4℃-50.5℃-67.0℃ -113.0℃ -120.0℃

50wt%-38.1℃
100wt%-114.5℃

SDG

8Soaking in an ethanol solution
at minus 30°C and freezing it atonce, protects cell membranes,
and therefore maintains flavor andtexture, so that food still tastes fresh
after defrosting.

Tilapia has been said to be unsuitable for eating raw because it contains quitea large number of bacteria and parasites. However, the parasites are killedby SARAYA's Sanistar, which produces slightly acidic electrolyzed water witha strong bactericidal effect, together with the RAPIDFREEZER, which freezes
food rapidly at low temperatures. The photograph shows slices of tilapia,
which is similar to sea bream. It is considered that the taste and texture oftilapia are similar to those of sea bream when consumed as Japanese sashimi
and sushi.

(photo above) Staff members of the Yamasen Japanese restaurant in Uganda.
The second person from the right in the first row is Mrs Miyashita, therepresentative of Cots Cots Ltd. (SARAYA trade investment), and the masterchef of Yamasen, Mr. Yamaguchi, is pictured in the center in the second row.
The restaurant is very busy and is fully booked several months ahead.

15

Reduced Inequalities
Diversity
Diversity is one of Saraya’s Valuable Assets“Diversity Management Selection 100”

Just as biodiversity is the key to ecological resilience innature, so diversity at the workplace is one of the important factors for company growth and sustainability. The
key characteristics of diversity in the workplace include
gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, culturaldifferences, 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.

In 2012, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Trade and Industry introduced the “100 New Diversity Management
Companies” initiative to award companies which have
improved their company value by implementing diversity
management. This initiative rewards companies for theircontribution to promoting diversity in the workplace bystrategic management. They provide opportunities forthese diverse talents so that they can create innovations and promote a management system to create morevalue. Saraya was one of the 100

Percentage of SARAYA companies attaining the legally stipulated disabled employment rate

2016

2017

Japan’s Employment Rate of
Persons with Disabilities

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

2018

2019

2.0%

2.2%

100%
Employment rate: 2.09%

100%
Employment rate: 2.18%

100%
Employment rate: 2.97%

100%
Employment rate: 2.55%

71%
Employment rate: 1.41%

93%
Employment rate: 1.85%

100%
Employment rate: 2.61%

100%
Employment rate: 2.34%

SARAYA's employees and part-timers as of Oct. 2020

SARAYATokyo
SARAYA

Smile
Sangyo
Total
Gender total

Under -29
30 -4950 and over
Total
Gender total
Under -29
30 -4950 and over
Total
Gender total
Under -29
30 -4950 and over
Total
Gender total

Member of the PermanentBoard
employee
Male Female Male Female
0
0
97
145
2
1
410
177
12
2
126
29
14
3
633
351
17
984
0
0
48
39
0
0
146
69
3
0
52
9
3
0
246
117
3
363
0
0
3
0
1
0
7
0
1
0
2
2
2
0
12
2
2
14
19
3
891
470
22
1,361
Social insurance
Enlisted
Maternity leave

Associate
Part timer
employee
Male Female Male Female Male Female
0
3
1
2
21
123
8
2
9
24
18
184
35
7
2
7
43
104
43
12
12
33
82
411
55
45
493
0
0
0
0
2
1
1
0
0
0
1
21
8
0
0
1
7
11
9
0
0
1
10
33
9
2
43
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
2
0
9
0
1
0
3
6
17
0
1
0
5
7
27
1
5
34
52
13
12
40
99
471
65
52
570
Depending on legal requirements
Permatemp

DirectTemp
employment
staff
Male Female
119
273
447
388
218
149
784
810
1,594
50
40
148
90
70
20
268
150
418
4
1
8
11
9
23
21
35
56
27
1,073
997
2,070
27

Permanent employee and

Total
392
835
367
1,594
90
238
90
418
5
19
32
56
2,097

Before and after childbirthpermatemp
Prin.: Until baby is 1 year old
New hire: 124
Exc.1:
No
admissionnurseryschool:extendforanothersixmonths.
Child‐care leave
Exc.2: If exception 1 repeats, it is extended until the end of the fiscal year Retiree: 67or the second birthday.
Proportion managerial posts: 29.5%
Retirement benefits
No retirement benefits

16 Saraya Sustainability Report 2021

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% - these two countries together therefore account for 88.6% of global production. The islandof 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 deepfried 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 isthat it is much cheaper compared to other oils. The harvest yield per hectare (FAO Statistics Division, 2016) of oilpalm fruits is 14.24 t, while soybeans follow far behind insecond place at 2.71 t. On top of that, they are producedin equatorial areas like Malaysia and Indonesia where labor is relatively cheap, which contributes to the general
low price of palm oil. There are said to be several issues
behind cheap palm oil production such as child labor,
forced labor or unlawful working conditions. To tackle
these issues, SARAYA took action to seek a sustainable
development approach for its whole value chain.

SDG

Fruit of the oil palm

Malaysia
24%

Palm kernel oil

10

Others11%

Indonesia
65%

Palm oil production in 2019FY

Palm oil(Oil World Annual 2020)

(BT)
80

76.1

70
60

56.8

50
40
30

20.5

24.9

20

8.1

10
0

Palm

4.6

Soybean Rapeseed Sunﬂower Palm kernl Co�on

4.3
Corn

4.1

3.5

Groundnut Olive

2.9
Coconut

10 vegetable oils production(Oil World Annual 2020)%
100

Palm oilPalm kernel oil

Harvesting a fruit bunch from an oil palm

50

60

40

40

30

20

20

0

Indonesia
Malaysia

Milionｔ

80

'14

'15

'16

'17

'18

10

'15

'16

'17

'18

'19

The ratio of Japanese PO and PKO
imports from Malaysia

The trends in palm oil production of
Malaysia and Indonesia(Oil World Annual 2019)(Oil World Annual 2020)17

Japan

Malaysia
Republic of Indonesia
Negara Brunei Darussalam
Sabah
BorneoPulau Sumatera(Pulau Kalimantan)

New GuineaJava

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 conservation 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

2020 RSPO Certification Targets
SARAYA’s consumer goods are produced from materials
derived from palm oil, either through segregated or credit supply chain models certified by RSPO. In terms of market availability, RSPO certified palm kernel oil (CPKO) iscurrently very limited, and this situation may not changemuch in the near future. We therefore decided to revise
our previous target for 2020 certification.
Our new 2020 target is the use of RSPO certified palmoil, including Book & Claim (Credit) for all our domestically sold products. In 2030, we are planning to have
RSPO certification for all product lines, including thosesold overseas. The figures on the right show our current
and future targets for RSPO certified palm oil and RSPO
certified palm kernel oil.

Non-cer�ﬁed

Other Credits

Credits (WAGS)CSPO (SG)
(MT)

(MT)

5,000

1,500
1,200

22t

20t
70t

900

15t

630t

4,000
718t

3,000

970t

1,000t

500t

500t

300
10t
10t
10t
10t
0 2017 2018 2019 2020
RSPO certified palm oil results

1,570t743t

1,630t

1,570t

1,000

790t

1,170t

0

750t
2017

463t
2018

2,000

600

1,630t

1,803t729t
2019

3,861t

200t
2020

RSPO certified palm kernel oil results

Types of RSPO Certified Palm Oil 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 identifiablecertified source is kept separate from ordinary palm oil throughout
the supply chain. The Saraya Happy Elephant line uses segregation
palm oils.

18 Saraya Sustainability Report 2021

Credits (Book & Claim)

The supply chain is not monitored for the presence of sustainablepalm oil. Manufacturers and retailers can buy credits from RSPOcertified growers, crushers and independent smallholders. The Book
and Claim supply chain model is supported by the trade of RSPO
credits.

Sustainable Procurement
Cooperation with Wild Asia
Wild Asia is a social enterprise, which was establishedin 2003 with its headquarters in Malaysia. It has beenpromoting tropical rainforest conservation and supporting smallholders to obtain RSPO certification within theWild Asia Group Scheme (WAGS). The younger generation of oil palm smallholders in Sabah is acting positively
to obtain RSPO certification. In fact, they put into practice the WAGS to reduce pesticide or fertilizer use andincrease yields.
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 elephants’ 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.
Since 2017, SARAYA purchased palm kernel oil book &claim credits, which are worth 750-1,463t, through Wild
Asia. These are the credits which smallholders gained
from CSPO seeds and which were the equivalent of thepalm oil they sold to mill farmers.

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 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 are used
to award prizes such as mowing machines. The above picture wastaken on 12 December 2017, when SARAYA purchased credits andmade awards to three independent smallholders.

Lakanto and MDGs

Monk Fruit Contract Farming

One of Lakanto’s ingredients, Lo Han Guo (monk fruit),
is a gourd family plant which grows near Yongfu Countyof Guilin in Guangxi, China. In 1998, SARAYA entered abusiness cooperation contract with Guilin City of China(Lo Han Guo Sweetener Product Development Project
MOU). The late Mr Saraya (the founder of SARAYA) sympathized with the severe conditions that the farmers
of Guilin were facing at that time, when China was still
relatively poor, and decided that the company’s business
policy regarding Lakanto was to protect and improve
the lives of local people rather than the company’s own
profit. He said that a foreign company expanding its business in China should not keep all the profit for itself, butshould put the local people first. SARAYA holds a patent inJapan, but not globally,
and released its technical information. This is
how the story behindthe now world-famousmonk fruit began.

SARAYA normally enters contracts with local monk fruit
farmers to efficiently manage and control the farming process, such as the use of pesticides, to achieve sustainableproduction. The contracted farmers grow their monk fruit
under a strict pesticide management regime. At the Lakanto factory that SARAYA built in Guilin in 2016, they produce
high quality and safe monk fruit extracts, and provide raw
materials for all the Lakanto series. They monitor the activities, from growing monk fruit, to producing monk fruit
sweetener under a full traceability system.

Harvested Luo Han Guo (monk fruit).

A contracted monk fruit farm.

19

Climate Action
Environmental Management System
Saraya Japan intensity
Total intensity

15

5,000
4,000

10

3,000
2,000

5

1,000

'16

'17

'18

FY 2016MWh
SJ consumption

'19
2017

2018

'20
2019

SMT energy consumption
SD energy consumption

1,200 1,182 1,077 1,016

SJ energy intensity

12.36 11.49 12.23 11.33

Total energy intensity

300

1

0

0

0
2020

5,042 5,171 5,687 5,689 6,677

2

600

'16

'17

'18

FY
KL
SJ fuel consumption

2016

'19
2017

'20

2018

2019

2020

995 1,006 1,124 1,012 1,072
55

49

42

42

40

25

21

22

24

22

8.79

S J fuel intensity

2.44

2.29

2.40

2.01

0.81

19.32 19.02 18.89 18.02 13.16

Total fuel intensity

2.63

2.45

2.57

2.06

0.89

AnnualWaste Discharge

AnnualRecycling Rate

2,000

4

1,500

3

1,000

2

500

1

0

'16

'17

'18

'19

'20

0

FY 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020Tons
SJ waste discharge
2,206 2,280 2,751 2,773 3,061
SMT waste discharge
239 289 256 255 377
SD waste discharge
66
78
87
69 112
S J waste intensity

5.45

5.03

5.93

5.52

4.03

Total waste intensity

6.15

5.86

6.67

6.17

4.67

80
70
60
0

'16

'17

'18

'19

20 Saraya Sustainability Report 2019

'20

9

2

6

1

3

'16

'17

'18

'19

'20

SMT recycling rate

20%

13%

16%

19%

13%

SD recycling rate

78%

81%

83%

79%

79%

Total waste intensity

89%

86%

89%

90%

63%

Intensity
3.93 CO2e/100M yen
4.68t CO2e/100M yen
559.3t CO2e/100M yen
570.03t CO2e/100M yen

Ratio
3.3 %
4.0 %
92.7%
100 .0%

0

302

295

295

325

319

137

214

265

289

365

S J paper intensity

16.00 12.82 12.49 10.58

5.57

Total paper intensity

17.05 13.96 13.69 11.81

6.47

220

330

200

300

180

270

160

240

140

210

120

180

100

150

80

120

60

90

40

60

0

0

FY 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Rates
SJ recycling rate
96% 96% 96% 97% 67%

SARAYA declare the goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas
emissions by 2050.
Total
2,990tCO2e
3,558tCO2e
82,763tCO2e
89,311tCO2e

3

20

Greenhouse Gas (FY2020)

t
Scope 1
Scope 2
Scope 3
Total

Water supply, thousand m3

5

90
Recycling rate, %

2,500

12

AnnualWater Supply

Waste intensity, t / 100 million yen

Waste, t

6

15

4

SMT paper consumption
SD paper consumption

7

3,000

5

FY 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Thousand sheets
SJ paper consumption
6,500 5,637 5,861 5,313 4,234

100
3,500

18

0

SMT fuel consumption
SD fuel consumption

974

1,560 1,641 2,000 2,002 2,343

21

6Paper intensity, thousand sheets / 100 million yen

6,000

3

900

7

30

'16

'17

FY
Thousand m3
SJ water supply
SMT water supply
SD water supply

2016

'18

'19

'20

2017

2018

2019

0

Water supply intensity, m3 / 100 million yen

7,000

Fuel consump�on, KL

20Energy intensity, MWh / 100 million yen

Energy consump�on, MWh

8,000

4

1200

25

9,000

Fuel intensity, KL / 100 million yen

10,0000Annual Paper
Consumption

AnnualFuel Consumption

Paper consump�on, million sheets

AnnualEnergy Consumption

2020

75,288 70,484 99,804 96,350 159,430
30,539 29,226 26,663 25,372 26,724
24,902 22,996 18,291 25,116 34,238

S J water supply intensity

185

161

215

192

210

Total water supply intensity

320

279

312

293

290

CO2 emissions, t CO2 e
61,965
1,325

Purchased goods and services
Capital goods
Fuel and energy-related activities(not included in scope 1 or scope 2)

675

Upstream and downstream
transportation and distribution
Waste generated in operations
Business travel
Employee commuting
Use of sold products
End-of-life treatment of sold products

17,059*
756
273
533
99
78

*Tentative predictive valueClimate Action

Carbon-neutral
Establishment of Climate Emergency Network
Ryoichi Yamamoto, Professor Emeritus at the University ofTokyo, proposed the establishment of the “Climate Emergency
Network (CEN)”, which stands for “Climate Emergency Declaration and Carbon Neutral Society Support Network”. The inaugural meeting of CEN was held at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo on
Wednesday, 18 November, with Mr. Yamamoto serving as chairman of the inaugural committee, and Saraya President Yusuke
Saraya serving as vice chairman. At the general meeting, 190
founders, including Dr. Takaaki Kajita (Director of the Institutefor Cosmic Ray Research at the University of Tokyo, Nobel Prizein Physics), Dr. Yoshimitsu Kobayashi (Chairman of Mitsubishi
Chemical Holdings Corporation), Dr. Motoyuki Suzuki (Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo), and Dr. Akihiro Nikkaku(President of Toray Industries, Inc.), applauded the keynote
speech by Mr. Yamamoto, and affirmed their approval.
Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, gave a speech at the general
meeting, and Shinjiro Koizumi, Minister of the Environment,
also made a video appearance. ZERI Japan (Tokyo Saraya 2F), a
non-profit foundation, will serve as the secretariat.
The main activities of ZERI Japan are to promote carbon
neutrality by creating a network that brings together local
governments that are concerned about climate emergencies
regardless of whether or not a declaration has been madelocal governments that aim to become carbon neutral by 2030,
youth, citizens, experts, businesses, and governments. ZERI
also publishes information on pioneering efforts in Japan aswell as abroad.

Herriard Bio PowerIn April 2020, Herriard Bio Power Ltd. completed its plant
construction in Herriard, near Basingstoke in the UK. The plant
converts food and agricultural waste into biogas, which is thensupplied to a gas station where it is used to generate electricity
and renewable power. Herriard Bio Power Ltd. is now a subsidiary of RKE BioGroup Ltd. which became a subsidiary of KSN(Kansai Saishigen Network Inc.) in 2020.
The controlled outdoor burning of agricultural waste such as
straw, rice husks, and fruit tree prunings is prohibited by law
in most developed countries. Another problem with controlledburning is that it emits CO2 and loses most of the nutrients suchas nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur. In the long run,it also causes soil acidification.
This bio-power plant is based on the methane fermentationof agricultural waste, no longer edible food products from supermarkets, restaurants and food processing plants, and foodwaste, to turn it into biofuel. Food waste is separated from food

Chairman, Prof. Emer. Yamanoto speaking at the inaugural meeting of CEN

Nobel laureate, Dr. Kajita speaking at the inaugural meeting of CEN

SDG

organics and plastic packaging using an advanced sorting machine. The separated plastics are then recycled by specializedcompanies for material and thermal recycling. The digested liquid after fermentation is processed and detoxified so that it canbe used as biofertilizer, and distributed free of charge to neighboring farmers to help promote organic farming.
This facility will produce 10 GWh of renewable electricity(equivalent to the electricity needs of 2,200 homes) and 14
GWh of biogas per year. This biogas will be connected directly
to the national gas grid, contributing to a 92% decrease in CO2emissions.

The Herriard Bio Power Anaerobic Digestion Facility

21

13

Life Below Water
Saraya and ZERI JapanThe meeting between Mr. Saraya and Prof. Pauli
Mr. Saraya (president and CEO of SARAYA) met Mr. Gunter
Pauli in 1982 through the activities of Junior Chamber International Japan in Osaka. Mr Pauli later became one of the proponents of zero emissions, and became a global authority on
environmental issues. Later, in April 1994, Mr. Gunter Paulivisited the United Nations University in Tokyo and assisted the
preparation of the Kyoto Protocol under Prof. Heitor Gurgulino
de Souza, the third Rector of the United Nations University.
During this period, Mr. Pauli founded ZERI (Zero Emission Research and Initiative). The ZERI initiative is a scheme in whichwaste from one industry becomes a raw material for other industries, so that industries recycle and reuse resources like anecosystem.
In 2001, Mr. Saraya established ZERI Japan, a specified nonprofit corporation based in Japan, and was himself appointed as
the chairman of the board of directors.
The office is located on the second floor of Tokyo Saraya
Co., Ltd. Mr. Pauli’s ZERI initiative has now evolved into a “blueeconomy” of sustainable businesses, and is in the process of
putting its principles into practice. A similar concept is the socalled “Circular Economy.”

Mr. Saraya and Prof. Pauli in theiryouth

Mr. Saraya and Prof. Pauli in 2010ZERI Japan formed an alliance with R4W.
MS PlanetSolar was launched in 2010 in Kiel (The 36 meter
catamaran completed her first solar powered round the world
voyage two years later. From its launch to the present day, thelargest solar boat in the world has covered over 150,000 km,
more than three round the world voyages.
The Race for Water Foundation (R4W) is tackling the problemof plastics contamination of the oceans. The foundation, supported by Swiss watchmaker Breguet, has spent approximately
2.8 billion JPY to develop the boat (100t) as “MS Race for Water”.
It integrated hydrogen fuel cells and a traction kite in 2017.
It uses solar power to make drinking water from seawater,and electrolysis to make hydrogen. Using hydrogen, wind, andsolar as its power sources, the boat sails only with the energy
created by sun, wind and water to navigate the world.
Mr. Pauli is a special adviser to the non-profit organization
ZERI Japan. R4W and ZERI Japan signed an alliance at the Saraya Medical Training Center in Osaka on 9 February 2019, after
several discussions between Mr. Pauli and R4W. On 29 August,special adviser Mr. Pauli and the chairman Mr. Saraya issued apress release about the “Odyssey project” at the official residence of the Swiss Ambassador.

The R4W crew ad their boat will be coming to Japan this Olympic year,
invited by ZERI Japan.

R4W and ZERI Japan after there signing

The press release of the R4W Odyssey 2017-2021 at the official residence in Tokyo

22 Saraya Sustainability Report 2021

MS Porrima
On 1 March 2021, Marco Simeoni announced the continuation of the odyssey in a new form while preserving the values
and visions for a responsible and sustainable world. The Swiss
association Porrima has become the new owner of the boat.
Porrima is also the name of the boat, which is inspired by the
Roman goddess of the future, the protector of pregnant women.(https://www.raceforwater.org/en/news/a-new-shipowner-for-the-race-for-water-vessel/)
Prior to departure on its third voyage in 2021, the boat will
integrate thin biofilm solar made with alga cells, a reversible
power system generating energy when the kite is used, superenergy efficient high speed internet over light (Li-Fi), and 3 D
projection screens, and other inivations The “Blue Innovations”
on MS Porrima, known as the Goddess of the Future, will em-

brace seaweed curtains as a clean up standard for micro plastics
and pursue research on the removal of microplastics from thesea similar to the way lungs remove CO 2 from our blood.
The MS Porrima is a unique scientific and entrepreneurial
platform. She integrates dozens of innovations and continuously adopts pioneering products inspired by nature, origami
styled interior, bioplastics that degrade in sun, soil and sea.
Porrima is the ideal ambassador to showcase how sea, water,
sun and wind combined with creative design can guarantee anabundance of water, power and food while offering a quality oflife with sustainable sources. A new reality emerges!

SDG

14

23

Commitment to making a difference for generations
The world is facing many challenges. Harvard University warned in 2019 that climate change, a rise inpopulation density, a decrease in food quality, and exposure to chemicals will lead to immune system stress.
The prominent university researchers concluded that
this will cause pandemics. Little did we realize that thisanalysis would materialize throughout the world just a
few months later.
We face an increasing number of health and safetyissues, from health risks to dramatic shifts in weather
patterns. Do we realize these are actually man-made?
Many of us do not seem aware of all the unintended
consequences caused by the way we live, produce andconsume. And while the international community has
focused during the past quarter of a century on climatechange, and in recent years on SDGs, there is anothersubject that will need more attention: plastics, especially microplastics.
Today, the amount of plastics (including microplastics) in the oceans already surpasses the amount of fish.
There is a need to design solutions. When Mr. Yusuke
Saraya learned about the Race for Water campaign – directed by the Swiss Foundation with the same name –to bring science and technologies to coastal and island
communities, Mr. Saraya immediately invited the vesselthat carries the message to Japan.
The Race for Water is the first catamaran that circumnavigates the world without a sail and without using adrop of fossil fuel. The boat is powered by solar panels, hydrogen generated from seawater, and equippedwith a kite that pulls the boat forward. When the vessel arrived in Japan in February 2020, it had alreadysailed over 45,000 miles with renewable energy. Afternavigating across the Atlantic and the South Pacific, visiting communities in far flung places, the Race for Water
brings hope through pragmatic solutions. The message
is clear: if you have sea and sun you can clean-up theocean, provide fresh water and clean energy forever.
This vision has a strong appeal.
The Saraya Corporation has used plastics throughout
its history. It is indicative of the culture and the strategy of Saraya to recognize the challenges and searchfor solutions. The engagement of Saraya Corporation in
the Race for Water program ensures that more people
become aware that solutions need to have a businessmodel to support it. The Race for Water initiators published a book “The Plastic Solutions: The Business Model that works for the Oceans”, which is also available inJapanese.
While the clean-up of the oceans may take a century
or more, the start of the campaign needs to be clear andswift. The proposed solutions include the growing of seaweed curtains to which plastic particles adhere, and thesubsequent production of biogas. The residual pieces ofpolymers will then be destroyed by high temperature
pyrolysis. There is thus a window of opportunity to startcleaning the oceans, while shifting towards bioplastics
from renewable sources. It requires a company with vision and tradition to embark on this long-term mission. I
am honored to know Saraya for nearly four decades, andrealize how this family enterprise commits to making a
difference for generations to come.
10 July 2020

The Global ZERI (Zero Emission Research and Initiative) Founder
Author of the Blue Economy
Chairman of Novamont SpAProfessor Gunter Pauli

24 Saraya Sustainability Report 2021

Life on Land
Biodiversity in Sabah Malaysia
Tears of Baby Elephants - The Hidden Pitfalls of Eco-friendliness
A TV 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, the presidentof a company selling detergents, whose main ingredientis palm oil, was interviewed and asked what he thought
about the fact that he was unwillingly helping bring theseanimals 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 U-turn and defined his company
vision as being truly friendly to both people and the environment. As a 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 the BBEC (Borneo Biodiversity
and Ecosystems 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.

Now

1984

Green areas represent rainforests. Orange areas represent palm plantations.
Around 35 years ago this entire area Now there is very little rainforest
was covered by native rainforest. remaining, limited to a small area along
the main river.
It 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 can nolonger walk. These elephants are called “Tally” (rope) by the locals. It
causes much more severe damage if the rope is wrapped around their
trunks. The TV programme “Tears of Baby Elephants” tells this story.
This elephant was the very first to be rescued by Saraya and received
treatment. It was then released back to the care of its parents.

In Sabah
Mr. Nakanishi joined an elephant rescue mission organizedby the 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”.
At the RSPO RT2 (Second Roundtable meeting on Sustainable Palm Oil) held in November 2005, Mr. Saraya proposed
the “Green corridor project”, but initially faced a rejection
from growers and failed to gain their approval. In February
2006, Mr. Saraya again proposed the “Green corridor project” at the BBEC (Borneo Biodiversity and Ecosystems Conservation), and this time the same project received full approval at the conference. The success led to an aerial photoshooting 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 eight selected Saraya consumer product customers.

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

Palm Oil Symposium 2007

Threatened Species in Borneo (IUCN Red List 2020-3)
BorneoRed list

CR

EN

Japan
Endangered
All
total
species

VU

All
species

Amphibia

6

9

10

25

182

58

Aves

6

10

27

43

468

586

Mammalia

4

17

34

55

218

158

Reptilia

6

4

7

17

224

83

Total

22

40

78

140

1,092

885

25

Kinabatangan Green Corridor

Areas not currently reserved as protected that lie<\ 5km from a major river.
Forest Retention, restoration as reforestation isdesirable.(Kinabatangan River)

Lower KinabatanganThis map shows the 5km wide corridors on both banksof major rivers in Sabah, Malaysia. These areas are said tohave the highest populations of wild animals such as elephant, rhino, tembadau, orangutan, colobine monkeys,
samber deer, clouded leopards and sun bears.
The yellow areas on the lower Kinabatangan River are
where land has been developed as oil palm plantations.
As you can see, the green highlighted conservation areas
are splited 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 were
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 99.95ha of forest under the Green
Corridor project (of which SARAYA’s forests are 29.22ha),
which is merely 0.5% of its goal of 20K ha.

Areas already reserved as forest which lie <5kmfrom a major river.
Other parts of the permanent forest estate.
Plantation and Private Land.

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

BCT’s other forests
SARAYA’ s forests

The forests acquired by SARAYA and other BCT supporters

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.

26 Saraya Sustainability Report 2021

Desert Greening Project in Egypt
JojobaSARAYA Subsidiary in Egypt

The jojoba - botanical name Simmondsia chinensis(the generic name honours the English botanist Thomas
William Simmonds) - is the sole species of the family
Simmondsiaceae, and is a native evergreen shrub of theSonoran Desert. Jojoba grows in dry semidesert regions
and has an ability to withstand high salinity. It typically
grows 1-2 meters tall and produces jojoba oil, 90% of which
consists of a liquid wax ester, extracted from its seed.
The “wax ester” closely resembles human skin sebum,
and jojoba oil has been used as a treatment for hair andskin for hundreds of years. Human skin sebum contains
20 to 30% “wax ester”, which helps keep skin hydrated
and healthy. Jojoba oil is also naturally anti-bacterial andimproves skin turnover. The cold-pressed golden jojoba
oil is rich in vitamin A and E.

SARAYA Middle East for Industrial Investment J.S.C wasestablished on 4 July 2018. The company, currently building its factory in Suez, will start extracting and distributing jojoba oil to Egypt and the Arab world in 2020. The
Suez factory is located in an industrial estate named the
SIDC Zone (SIDC: Suez Industrial Development Company
SAE). The area is 2 ha in size, and has direct access to theroad, making transportation easy.

“Jojoba” Desert Greening ProjectWith tree planting projects, trees such as poplar canbe planted and grown, but they are sometimes then cut
down and burnt as fuel by the locals. To achieve a sustainable greening strategy, it is very important to createa system which profits the local community. Planting jojoba was not widespread, and harvests were unreliable,
because little research was available. This changed whena study by Osaka University researchers establishedmethods for the proliferation and breeding of jojoba, adrought-resistant and profitable plant. Based on the results of this study, the Osaka University venture company
Simmonds Co. Ltd., was established in April 2017 for thesustainable production of jojoba in the desert, and sale inJapan. Jojoba oil was on sale from October 2017. Saraya
invested in this project, and produced cosmetics using jojoba oil to promote the desert greening.

The Suez plant of SARAYA Middle East for Industrial Investment J.S.C

Jojoba and Golden Jojoba Oil

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 partworldwide.
Saraya Co., Ltd. joined UNGC in June 2009, and agreed
on the 10 principles aimed at protecting human rights,
banishing unlawful or unfair labour practices, promoting
environmental responsibility, and acting against all formsof corruption. Saraya has been continuously striving topromote these principles and put them into practice,
and acts 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. Daishimafrom Saraya made a 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 GCNJ andSophia University, on the “Advanced Efforts of UN Organizations and Global Companies to Achieve SDGs”.

UN Global Compact – 10 Principles
Human Rights

Page

Principle 1

Businesses should support and respect theprotection of internationally proclaimed human rights; andPrinciple 2

make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.

Labour Standards
Principle 3

Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of theright to collective bargaining;

Principle 4

the elimination of all forms of forced andcompulsory labour;

Principle 5

the effective abolition of child labour; andPrinciple 6

the elimination of discrimination in respectof employment and occupation.

14

18
11,16

Environment
Principle 7

Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;

Principle 8

undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; andPrinciple 9

encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies

12-13,
17-21

Anti-Corruption
Principle 10

Businesses should work against all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery.

40

The Board of Officers

SARAYA’s Governance
SARAYA 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 handling complaints on any formof harassment. This service is open to everyone and it isthere to help SARAYA employees.

16,18

Total
directors

Femaledirectors

Auditors

Saraya Co., Ltd.

18

2

2

Tokyo Saraya Co., Ltd.

10

2

1

Smile Sangyo Co., Ltd.

2

0

0

Saitama Prefecture gives Mr. Saraya, president and CEO of Saraya Co.Ltd., theShibusawa Eiichi Prize* in 2014.
Shibusawa Eiichi Prize:

Shibusawa Eiichi (1840-1931) was a leading figure in the development of Japan’s modern
society. A dynamic force in the industrial world, he was involved in the founding of some 500
enterprises and economic organizations. Equally dedicated to social and public welfare, he
was instrumental in the founding of some 600 organizations for social welfare, education, andinternational exchange. To uphold his legacy, Saitama Prefecture awards the Shibusawa Eiichi
Prize to Japanese managers carrying on his spirit of entrepreneurship.

28 Saraya Sustainability Report 2021

Partnerships for Goals
Infection Control Training
Disinfection of Medical Instruments in Ugandan Hospitals
SARAYA’s project of disseminating fully 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 methodin Uganda of using buckets to wash medical instruments byhand, both washing and boiling water disinfection with 93 ° C
hot water for 10 minutes can be achieved fully automatically. In
addition, it can save energy as well. Gombe General Hospital isa public hospital, but it has neither electricity nor a clean watersupply. It was therefore necessary to build a solar panel andaccumulator system first, along with a supply tank and a pump.

Infection Control Training of Ugandan professionals in JapanJICA provided a training programme in collaboration withSARAYA. The programme was focused on preventing healthcare-associated infections (HCAI). There were 9 participants intotal, including 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 tailormade to suit the local needs, and attended byhospital managers and infection control officers from 14 major hospitals in Uganda, along with four 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 participantsacquired knowledge as well as hands-on learning experience in practical training sessions. The certificate of completion of 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 highhopes that the trainees will be good ambassadors, and passon what they have learned 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 for Ugandan
professionals 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, needleSource: actual
The Surveyof the Sanitary
Conditions
Japan"(1993)
stick injuryinprevention
Committee, system,
approachesforprevention
12. Reprocessing of reusable medical devices
3. Microorganisms in hospital environments
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 disinfec- 16. 5S-KAIZEN-TQM
tant
17. Hospital visit
8. Other standards for infection preven18. Saraya Iga factory tourtion
9. Infection prevention along transmission 19. Create your own action planroutes
20. Present your action plan

2015 Infection Control Training for Ugandan professionals in Japan

SDG

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

29