Corporate Social Responsibility
Sunstar places high priority on both environmental protection activities and social contribution activities. The company carries out business activities that are friendly to society and to the planet.
Sunstar and the environmentContributing to society
Role of the Sunstar Foundation for Oral Health promotion
Sunstar and the environment
Environmental philosophy
The basic corporate motto of Sunstar is, "Striving always to enhance the health and well-being of people everywhere. " In line with this basic management philosophy, we strive to harmonize and coexist with the global environment in all of our business activities and to contribute to the formation of a sustainable society.
Sunstar's environmental cycle
The Sunstar Group carries out all of its business activities with the aim of improving the environment across the entire lifecycle of its products from development to production, distribution, sales and recycling. The entire Sunstar workforce is making a concerted effort to improve the environment.
Product development
Eco-friendly products that had never been conceived of before are being developed and existing products are being improved to reduce the burden on the environment. Sunstar continues to focus its technological strengths on such development, and the company has designed recyclable toothbrushes and developed lighter brake discs, which help improve motorcycle mileage.
Package development
Environmental considerations are being taken into account in product packaging, and this is a very important trend. Diverse ideas are being injected into product development, which has resulted in simplified recyclable film packaging for refillable shampoo containers and compressible building adhesive containers that facilitate disposal.
Production
The production departments mass-produce the products that come from development efforts. Sunstar operates four plants in Japan and has been systematically introducing environmental measures for some time now. Remarkable results have been produced, such as the elimination of hazardous substances and reductions in waste volume. In addition, overseas plants are actively working to obtain ISO 14001 certification, and environmental policy measures are being promoted on a global level.
Distribution
Distribution departments are responsible for delivering the products made at our factories. To reduce CO2, Sunstar is increasing the efficiency of delivery schedules and aggressively adopting means of transportation characterized by low CO2 emissions, such as ships and trains.
Recycling
Strong efforts are being made to effectively use materials after a product is no longer useful. Sunstar is working to recycle materials and has built a system to collect disposed-of toothbrushes from hotels and reuse the plastic in them.
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Contributing to society
Oral-care support activities
Sunstar toothbrushes were
donated to help instruct
children in Tanzania about
good oral health.
Sunstar, as a part of its oral-health promotion activities, supports the formulation of oral health policy measures by the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as its collection and analysis of survey data concerning each country's oral health situation. Furthermore, we donate toothbrushes to help instruct elementary and junior high school students living in the developing countries about oral health. With regard to the research results on the significant variables associated with the relationship between oral health and the health of the entire body, for over 20 years Sunstar has continued its efforts to proactively disseminate information about this close relationship in cooperation with experts in both medicine and dentistry throughout the world.
In Japan, in addition to supporting the “80/20 Movement,” which is designed to promote the goal of people keeping their own teeth (more than 20) throughout their lives to the age of 80, Sunstar has dedicated much of its efforts to such diverse activities as holding symposiums to promote healthy lives through good oral health, offering dental check services for children in local regions, and holding “Family Musical” entertainment shows to inform people about the importance of oral care.
This oral-health education
program was aimed at
youngsters, such as this
Little League baseball
player.
In the United States, for disadvantaged children living in large cities who have little chance of receiving professional dental care or even guidance about good oral care, Sunstar, through its support of “Smiles Across America,” a program that offers preventive dental care services, continuously offers parent-child oral-care guidance as well as free dental checkups, dental cleaning and application of fluorides and sealant. Furthermore, Sunstar engages in educational advocacy activities to inform young people about the importance of good oral care by participating as a supporting company in a NPO (non-profit organization) campaign calling for preventing the use of chewing tobacco.
Contributing in other ways to local communities
The red ribbon that signifies
solidarity with HIV/AIDS
victims is prominently
displayed by Sunstar.
Sunstar places importance on the joys of being in touch with local people. In Japan, the company supports and our employees actively participate in local festivals, such as the Awa Folk Dance Festival in Tokushima Prefecture, where a Sunstar plant is located, the samurai-style Shingen Festival in Yamanashi Prefecture and Takatsuki City's own Takatsuki Festival. In Sunstar's plants and offices around the world, our employees are participating in local volunteer activities and charity activities.
In addition, with regard to the very serious global health problem of HIV/AIDS, in Japan and Thailand, Sunstar has engaged in activities to support HIV-positive people by promoting better understanding of HIV/AIDS among the general public.
Role of the Sunstar Foundation for Oral Health Promotion
Dental hygienist at the
Senri Dental Clinic gives
guidance about good oral
care.
Since its foundation in 1977, through its comprehensive dental treatment and prevention awareness educational activities, the Sunstar Foundation for Oral Health Promotion has been contributing to helping people achieve the goal of keeping their own teeth throughout their lifetimes.
At the Senri Dental Clinic in Osaka, the Foundation focuses on providing proactive treatment and prevention measures for senior citizens and young children as well as for people who are physically challenged or have grave illnesses.
In 2002, the Foundation established the Sunstar Foundation "World Perio Research Award" to honor researchers and clinicians who have made key research advances in the investigation of the relationship between periodontal disease and the health of the entire body. The Sunstar Foundation for Oral Health Promotion is actively supporting research and activities that deal with areas that cut across the fields of dentistry and medicine. In addition, it also established the Sunstar “World Dental Hygienists Award” to recognize and encourage dental hygienists and dental hygiene students who have made important contributions to the dental community, their profession and the general public.