The Toridoll Group aims to realize a recycling-oriented society that does not deplete limited resources, and also actively uses renewable resources. For this reason, we have set numerical targets for the reduction of food waste emissions, food recycling rate, and water consumption as environmental management targets, and we are promoting activities intensively.
In addition, as a plastic-free initiative, cutlery such as spoons, forks, and knives for take-out and home delivery use bio-plastic cutlery, and by reducing waste by narrowing down the types, we use about 3.2 tons of plastic annually. We aim to reduce the volume.
Reducing Waste
Initiatives to reduce foodloss
At TORIDOLL Group, we take measures and carry out experiments in our everyday work to reduce waste and food loss. As part of these initiatives, MARUGAME SEIMEN is focusing its efforts into visualizing the amount of food loss generated and adjusting our cooking system according to our customer's visitation patterns. This helps us reduce food loss while still upholding our brand concept of providing freshly made food to all customers.
Furthermore, whenever we launch our "Fair Menus" (limited time offerings which uses seasonal ingredients), we forecast the sales volume and plan the ingredient procurement accordingly. This coupled with reducing the ordering lot sizes of ingredients helps us prevent ingredients from being discarded for passing their use-by date.
Efforts to reduce discarded boiled noodles through digital management based on store visit predictions
The Toridoll Group is devising daily operations to reduce waste and food loss.
For example, at Marugame Seimen, in order to provide handmade and freshly made products, each store cooks and prepares according to the number of customers visiting the store, which also leads to the reduction of food loss. We will continue to promote this activity, accumulating and analyzing the customer visit status of each store as digital data. We are working to avoid overpreparing noodles by more accurately predicting when to boil udon noodles through digital prediction.
As of April 2022, efforts to reduce boiled noodle loss have been introduced at approximately 860 Marugame Seimen stores.
Recycling food waste in collaboration with other companies
In order to build a food recycling loop, the Toridoll Group has been working with five restaurant operators, mainly in Aichi Prefecture, to collect food loss and convert it into feed, and to buy back some of the eggs raised by the eco-feed. We have been continuously active.
Furthermore, from February 2022, in collaboration with Matsuya Foods Holdings Co., Ltd., we will start a trial initiative to collect discarded noodles and turn them into feed for pigs at 12 stores in Saitama Prefecture.
We will continue to increase the number of target stores and strive to make effective use of food that would otherwise be wasted.
Introducing raw food waste disposers
The Toridoll Group is promoting the introduction of food waste disposal machines at Marugame Seimen stores.
The stores that have introduced the system are expected to process more than 24 tons of food waste per year.
Introduced a skimming machine that cuts the waste weight in half.
The Toridoll Group is proceeding with the introduction of a deep-fried dregs oil removal machine that extracts the oil contained in the tempura dregs. By putting the fried dregs through this machine before disposing of them, we are able to reuse the oil and reduce the amount of waste.
With this approach, approximately 45% of the weight of fried dregs can be recovered, and high economic efficiency can be expected along with the effective use of resources.
Installing oil filters
Marugame Seimen has developed an oil filter exclusively for fryers and installed it in all stores. The introduction of this oil filter extended the oil replacement cycle, which reduced the amount of waste cooking oil generated.
Paperless offices
TORIDOLL Holdings started the "Paperless Project" in 2018 to promote paperless operations with the goals of (1) consideration for the environment, (2) streamlining operations, and (3) reducing the risk of information leaks.
In the paperless project, IT technology is used to create an environment where work can be done without outputting materials, etc. on paper. We worked to reduce the amount of paper used.
We are reducing the amount of paper output in the office every year, and if we use FY2018 as the base year, the number of pages printed per year will be less than half in FY2022.
Reducing Waste Volume: Results
At TORIDOLL Group, we are engaged in efforts to reduce waste volumes.
Waste Produced by the Major Brands of TORIDOLL Group
FY2015 | FY2016 | FY2017 | FY2018 | 2019 | 2020 | FY2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total food waste (ton) | 22,028 | 23,524 | 24,836 | 28,388 | 20,938 | 19,852 | 19,026 |
Food waste per unit revenue (kilogram per million yen) | 246.6 | 250.6 | 244.9 | 270.8 | 250.0 | 258.5 | 231.8 |
Percentage of food recycled (%) | 23.4 | 20.5 | 17.5 | 13.3 | 14.2 | 14.7 | 14.9 |
*Total figures for Marugame Seimen Co., Ltd., Niku no Yamagyu Co., Ltd., and Toridoll Japan Co., Ltd.
Raise employees' environmental awareness
The Toridoll Group places great importance on cooking and serving freshly prepared food to customers at each store, so in order to reduce the environmental impact, the cooperation of the employees working at the stores is essential.
Employees are implementing the PDCA cycle by preparing work manuals, guides for store managers, etc., including Eco Action 21, and summarizing what should be done in a checklist that includes the perspective of reducing environmental impact.
We will continue to work with our customers and other stakeholders both inside and outside the company to reduce environmental impact, such as by participating in Earth Hour.
Participate globally in EARTH HOUR in collaboration with the restaurant industry
WWF, an environmental NGO, conducts the "EARTH HOUR" project to raise awareness of environmental conservation by turning off lights on the same day and at the same time around the world. The Toridoll Group supports this project, and in March 2022, a total of more than 100 stores of multiple domestic and overseas brands will participate in the activity. Posters were put up in the store to promote understanding not only among employees but also among customers. In addition, in cooperation with the restaurant industry, a total of 600 stores of 8 companies and 15 brands participated in this activity.
Reducing Water Consumption
Reducing Water Consumption via Restaurant Equipment
The Toridoll Group uses a large amount of water resources in the process of cooking, etc., and is working on the sustainable use of water resources by developing cooking facilities and educating employees.
For example, by installing various water-saving devices according to the purpose of each faucet in the kitchen, we have improved the functionality of the facility and reduced the amount of water used. In addition, at some stores in shopping centers, the wastewater from the chiller (cooling water circulation device) that produces cooling water for cooling udon noodles is reused in the pre-washing process of the washing area.
Through the accumulation of detailed efforts, we have achieved our environmental management targets for water consumption, and we will continue these activities in the future.
By installing various water-saving devices (FY2021)
about 2 hundred million 4800 10,000 yen water saving effect
Annual water consumption is about 50 10,000m3 of water saving
Contamination prevention
The Toridoll Group in Japan complies with the "Sewerage Act", "Water Pollution Control Act", and local ordinances, and introduces grease traps that separate water and oil depending on the situation of the store to prevent oil, etc. from flowing into sewage. are being dealt with appropriately.
Although there were no cases of serious environmental pollution in fiscal 2021, we will continue to comply with laws and regulations and promote environmental protection while cooperating with local communities.
Employee training aimed at reducing water consumption
While the Toridoll Group promotes the development and replacement of equipment with water-saving functions, we believe that it is important to educate employees who handle such equipment.
At Marugame Seimen, employees check and record water meters five times a day through Eco Action 21, an environmental management system. Employees themselves monitor the amount of water used at stores, which leads to awareness of water conservation.
[This page updated: 2023/01/13] The figures are for FY2021, but some of the initiatives include information for FY2022.
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