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Sustainability Data Disclosures

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Natural Resources Used in Business Activities


Use of Materials
Category 2012 2013 2014 2015 Notes
Non Renewable Raw Materials
(Unit: tons)
Plastics 8,988 7,482 8,724 9,185 Filters, 5 major products (1)
Metal 4,867 3,664 4,056 4,332 Theoretical weight applied
Theoretical weight applied (2) 2,000 1,922 1,983 2,266  
Renewable Raw Materials - - - - -  
Total (Unit: tons) 15,855 13,068 14,763 15,783    

(1) Water filtration systems, air purifiers, bidets, water softeners.
And food waste treatment appliances
(2) Packaging materials: paper boxes, plastics & protective films, and use of EPS in 2015


Water Use

According to features of manufacturing facility that operates the process around assembly-oriented, so the company’s environmental impact on water resources through its water use or the discharge of waste water is not significant. Still, Coway is adamant about reducing its water use. One way it has done this is by developing a “waterless” water purifier test system that uses nitrogen and vacuum conditions instead of water. Additionally, Coway was the first Korean company to become a signatory of the UNGC CEO Water Mandate, and has done its best to protect water resources throughout the production process.

Category 2013 2014 2015
Yugu Plant 20,832 31,221 30,916
Incheon Plant 13,443 12,151 16,603
Pocheon Plant 392 340 235
Environmental Technology Institute (R&D Center) 27,770 19,995 15,104
Logistics Center (Yugu) 1,644 2,340 3,386
Total (Unit: tons) 64,101 66,047 66,244

Energy Use

In order to increase the efficiency of energy use, Coway installed photovoltaic generators at its production facilities and is expanding its use of renewable energy. The company also joined the Win-Win Energy Companion project, and offered energy quantification equipment to reinforce suppliers’ energy competitiveness.

Category Energy Source 2013 2014 2015
Direct Butane(GJ) 20 7 2
LPG(GJ) 40 44 -
Diesel(GJ) 270 250 268
LNG(GJ) 2,164 1,567 1,601
Kerosene(GJ) 611 209 267
Propane(GJ) 1,078 1,135 4,126
Direct Total(GJ)   4,183 3,212 6,264
Indirect Electricity(GJ) 104,022 103,944 103,640
Indirect Total(GJ)   104,022 103,944 103,640
Total(GJ)   108,205 107,155 109,903
  • JoongAng Ilbo Building(Seoul Office), Seoul National University Environmental Technology Research Center, Cosmetics Research Center, Water Treatment Project Office, Yugu Distribution Center, Manufacturing Factories(Yugu, Incheon, Pocheon)
  • Classified LPG to propane according to the verification of greenhouse gas goal control system criteria
Energy Use per Unit(GJ/KRW 100 million) 5.60 5.32 5.08
Total energy use(GJ)/Total sales(KRW 100 million)
Adoption of Renewable Energy Photovoltaic facility installation costs(KRW 100 million) 1.1 2.0 1.7
Reduction in power consumption(kw)(1) 18,998 71,528 189,457
  • 2013-Pocheon plant
  • 2014-Yugu plant, one supplier
  • 2015-Incheon Plant, one supplier

(1) The 2013 data represents the total amount of power saved from the operation of a photovoltaic generator at the pocheon plant. this is based on separate financial statements.




Environmental Impact due to Business Activities


GHG Emissions

Coway is the only Korean company which declared its support for the ‘UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’ agreed by 195 countries at the COP21 held in Paris in December 2015 and has been participating in the corporate voluntary carbon reduction plan scheme. Coway plans to reduce the GHG emission per unit by 50% of the year 2010 by the year 2020 in order to accomplish the mid & long term reduction goal of greenhouse gas established in 2009. Accordingly, Coway has developed the energy saving activity participated in together by staff & employees and partners to minimize the greenhouse gas emission at all manufacturing and sales fields.

Category (Unit: tCO₂e ) 2013 2014 2015
Direct Emissions (Scope1) 256 196 391
Indirect Emissions (Scope2) 5,389 5,385 5,369
Indirect Emissions (Scope1+2) 5,645 5,581 5,760
Yugu Plant 1,695 1,919 2,015
Incheon Plant 695 634 658
Pocheon Plant 394 361 349
Environmental Technology Institute (R&D Center) 1,628 1,537 1,565
Cosmetics Research Institute 180 163 174
Seoul Office (JoongAng Dail yBuilding) 384 399 390
Logistics Center (Yugu) 499 413 464
Water Environment Business Division 169 154 145
Net Emissions(CO₂e/KRW100) 0.292 0.277 0.266
Domestic Logistics and Transport (Scope 3) 3,156 4,025 4,514
Commuting Vehicles (Scope 3) 49 49 49
  • Domestic logistics and transport are carried out through subcontracts, which are excluded from the company’s calculation of emissions (data is taken from subcontractors).
  • The direct emissions 391 tCO₂e is the value that the error of propane volume → weight conversion process is corrected, and the value prior to the correction is 191 tCO₂e. Therefore, when compared with 2014 it is 5,560 tCO₂e, reduced by 21 tCO₂e.

GHG Emissions from the Use of Refrigerants
Category R-134a R-12
2013 2014 2015 2013 2014 2015
Use of Refrigerants in Product Manufacturing (kg) 14,823 43,867 50,238 122 - -
Use of Refrigerants in Product Disposal (Kg) 12,725 13,558 15,562 4,580 3,061 2,066
GHG Emissions Caused by Refrigerants from Waste Products (tCO₂e) 13,234 14,073 16,185 39,937 26,640 18,016

Status of Mid & Long Term Accomplishment in Reduction Goal of GHG Emissions


중장기 온실가스 감축목표 달성 현황 그래프


Generation of Waste
Category 2013 2014 2015
Generation of Waste Products 11,765 12,808 13,263
Business Site: General 1,003 1,028 1,023
Business Site: Designated 25 26 27
Services 6,772 7,024 8,501
Total (Unit: tons) 19,565 20,886 22,814
Amount of Waste Recycled (Unit: tons) 11,817 12,228 12,837
Waste Recycling Rate (%) 60 59 56

Plastics Recycling

Coway has expanded its management scope from the manufacturing and distribution of products to waste that occurs during its service process, as CODYs recollect waste filters after carrying out their services, thus enabling waste separation.

Category 2013 2014 2015 Notes
Output (tons) 7,482 8,724 9,185 Amount of plastics used in products on the market (filters, 5 major products)
Amount Recycled (tons) 5,638 6,198 6,353 Sales amount of recollected and recycled products
Recycling Rate (%) 75.4 71.1 69 (Amount of recycled plastics/Plastics output) X 100
  • Products: filters, air / water purifiers, bidets, water softeners, food wast processors
  • Recycle Rate: (waste product / filter) plastic recycle rate / product/filter) plastic delivery Amount
  • Waste product / filter return and recycling qty increase continuously. However, the increase range of product shipping is high so that its recycling rate decreases.

Discharge of Other Pollutants

Coway operates an assembly-oriented production process in which more than 95 percent of total energy use is electric energy. There are no air pollutants or wastewater during the process, and Coway does not separately measure/manage fossil energy for heating offices and travelling. The same applies to water usage, in which Coway does not evaluate the contamination of sewage water separately.

Sales of Refurbished Products

For customers who purchase new products and dispose of existing ones, Coway collects the used products free of charge. The recollected products are handled at the company’s Recycling Center, where plastics are recycled, some of which are later sold as refurbished products. In 2013, Coway signed an MOU with the Ministry of Environment and the Korean Environment Corporation on this very issue and has been working hard to facilitate the sale of refurbished products since then.

Category(Unit: No. of units) 2013 2014 2015
Water Filtration Appliances 15,571 12,061 13,492
Air Purifiers 4,959 2,672 4,508
Water Softeners 597 366 49
Bidets 6,850 3,454 3,486
Food Waste Treatment Appliances 146 30 -
Total 28,123 18,583 21,535


Activities to Reduce Coway’s Environmental Impact


Environmental Investments
Category (Unit: KRW million) 2013 2014 2015
Facility Operations 1,125.8 186.5 71.3
System Operations 75.3 66.5 119.85
Communication 915.8 616.0 373.7
New Environmental Businesses - 59.0 149.2
Total 2,116.9 928.0 714
  • Environmental investments do not include investments made to improve products and service quality.

Eco-friendly Product
Category (Unit: KRW 100 million) 2013 2014 2015
Sales 5,000 6,034 5,972


Hazardous Substance Process Management

Coway operates a hazardous substance process management system to minimize the amount of hazardous substances contained in its products.Since 2006, The company has responded to environmental regulations such as EU RoHS and WEEE for exports to Europe, and is responding to Korea’s Act on the Resource Circulation of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles ever since Coway products fell under the terms of the law in 2014.

Category (Unit: %) 2013 2014 2015
Response Rate to Parts Containing Hazardous Substances 95.5 100 100


Reducing Suppliers’ Environmental Impact


Green Partnerships

Coway’s Green Partnership (GP) certification system helps Coway to produce eco-friendly products and offers Green Partner certificates for suppliers that meet Coway’s stringent environmental & quality management standards.

Category 2013 2014 2015
Suppliers Certified with Coway’s Green Partnership Certificate 55 55 55

Suppliers’ GHG Emissions

Coway continuously supports carbon partnership suppliers and reinforces their competitiveness by encouraging them to reduce energy use in relation to sales growth. In doing so, Coway is successfully reducing suppliers’ environmental risks due to climate change.

Category 2013 2014 2015
Category(tCO₂e) 47,806 44,445 36,181
Emissions per Unit(tCO₂e/KRW 100 million) 12.48 10.56 8.46

※ Based on 26 major carbon partnership suppliers.


Support for Carbon Partnerships

Coway has selected 26 suppliers that deliver major raw materials in large trade amounts and energy use, and now maintains carbon partnerships with them. Every year, the company measures these key suppliers’ GHG emissions and emissions per unit, reinforcing their response capabilities to climate change.

Category Period Major Description
Win-Win Energy Partnership Jun. - Oct. 2015 Diagnosis of energy issues at business sites (Encourage investment)
Support for Suppliers Adopting Renewable Energy Sources May. - Jul. 2015 Offering 0 percent interest financial support for 2 years when suppliers join a photovoltaic building project