Water Resource Conservation

Policy and Approach

The Group consumes considerable water resources at its factories and restaurants for hand washing, food preparation, dish and utensil washing, and cleaning. As such, it is promoting the conservation of water resources by numerically managing water usage, controlling water volume and time, and conducting appropriate wastewater treatment.

6 CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION
14 LIFE BELOW WATER

Examples of Activities

Initiatives at the Tokyo and Kyoto Factories

To conserve water used during employee hand washing, we have installed devices such as water-saving taps which set the water flow per minute, and use timers and other automatic control devices. We are also working to lower the total volume of water consumed by minimizing the water pressure (the pressure at which the pump is set) in toilets and hand-washing stations. Toilets at the Kyoto Factory use well water. When cleaning, we record the volume of water used and manage it numerically. We also check periodically to ensure that the volume of water used is appropriate.

Initiatives at Restaurants

We measure the volume of water used every day at all Yoshinoya and Hanamaru restaurants and manage the figures to check for any deviations from standard values, and check for any leaks or waste. Furthermore, we regularly clean grease traps to prevent the external discharge of wastewater. And, from the perspective of ensuring safety, we have introduced a system to remove the organofluorine compounds—perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—that have become a societal issue by ensuring the reliable operation of water purifiers and water softeners and by replacing filters.

In addition, we are working to reduce the amount of water used to wash rice through measures such as using pre-washed rice when preparing food.

Yoshinoya

In addition to the aforementioned initiatives, Yoshinoya is also taking the following steps.

  • We add wastewater purifier to drains on a daily basis. This prevents oil from adhering to drain pipes and solidifying in grease traps, thereby helping to purify the water and reduce the volume of water used when cleaning.
  • At certain restaurants, detergents for dishwashers and cleaning have been replaced with alkaline ionized water.
  • Alkaline electrolyzed water is in use at some restaurants as well.

Hanamaru

  • Water filters are replaced once a year to ensure a supply of safe water.
  • Water-saving valves have been installed at all restaurants, saving even more water.