In emerging countries such as India and China, where people and industry continue to become concentrated, water contamination by industrial wastewater has become a serious issue over the years, and the need for improving the water quality of industrial wastewater and environmental conservation is increasing. Particularly noteworthy is the spread of the movement to reduce industrial sewage and waste liquid to zero (zero liquid discharge; ZLD) in recent years through the tightening of environmental regulations on industrial wastewater. This, in turn, calls for water environment innovation.

In step with these social needs, Nitto is taking aim at transforming its Shiga Plant into a “recycling-oriented green plant” that reuses industrial sewage and waste liquid generated from the reverse osmosis membrane manufacturing process, thereby reducing its environmental impact. The efficient concentration of industrial sewage and waste liquid requires a reverse osmosis membrane element that can withstand very high pressures. Nitto will be conducting technical verifications and product development using the industrial sewage and waste liquid from the Shiga Plant.

Nitto intends to develop a new product by 2019 and launch it in emerging countries such as India and China, where restrictions on industrial wastewater are being strengthened. In addition, over the next five years, the Nitto Shiga Plant plans to fuse the reverse osmosis membrane technology with other water treatment technologies to increase the water reclamation ratio at the Shiga Plant from 50 percent to 90 percent and simultaneously promote the reuse of waste liquid.

In keeping with its brand slogan “Innovation for Customers,” Nitto will continue to expand its business portfolio in the Green (Environment) / Clean (New Energy) / Fine (Life Sciences) domains, and it will contribute to the healthy and comfortable lifestyles of people and society through the creation of value for customers. In addition to reducing its environmental impact through the creation of a recycling-oriented green plant, by deploying the new product—proven in use at the Shiga Plant—for ZLD applications inside and outside Japan, Nitto will contribute to the promotion of water resource reuse.