Case study: How ASE reduces the amount of waste it produces
As a leading global provider of semiconductor manufacturing services, seeking to meet the electronics industry’s ever-growing needs for faster, smaller and higher performance chips, developing and offering a wide portfolio of services and solutions, ASE tries to constantly reduce the environmental impact of its operations through various pollution prevention measures and mechanisms. Tweet This!
This case study is based on the 2016 Corporate Sustainability Report by ASE published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.
Abstract
Abstract
ASE implements ISO 14001 Environmental Management in all of its facilities, to minimise environmental impacts and ensure effective waste management. In order to reduce the amount of waste it produces ASE took action to:
- adopt an eco-design approach and promote waste recycling
- collaborate to treat special waste liquids and recycle
- use green packaging materials
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With this case study you will see:
- Which are the most important impacts (material issues) ASE has identified;
- How ASE proceeded with stakeholder engagement, and
- What actions were taken by ASE to reduce the amount of waste it produces
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What are the material issues the company has identified?
In its 2016 Corporate Sustainability Report ASE identified a range of material issues, such as regulatory compliance, employee health and safety, labour/management relations, training and talent development. Among these, reducing the amount of waste it produces stands out as a key material issue for ASE.
Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:
Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.
Key stakeholder groups ASE engages with:
Stakeholder Group | Method of engagement |
Customers | · Customer quarterly business review meeting · Customer audits · Technical forums · Customer service platform |
Employees
| · GM mailbox · Intranet website · Satisfaction survey on employees · Dedicated employee helpline |
Shareholders
| · Annual financial reports · Quarterly earnings release · Annual shareholder meeting · Institutional investors’ conference |
Suppliers | · Supplier questionnaire survey · Supplier on-site audits · Annual supplier forum · Supplier capacity-building activities |
Government | · Communication meetings, conferences, forums or seminars held by government authorities · Proactive dialogue with government authorities · Reporting through government portal |
Community | · ASE Charity Foundation · ASE Cultural and Educational Foundation · Employee volunteer activities · Community perception surveys and needs assessments |
Industry Unions and Associations | · Organisational member conference · Technology forums held by industry unions/associations |
Media | · Press releases · Spokesperson interviews · Company’s website |
NGOs | · Communication meetings, forums, seminars or workshops held by NGOs · Company’s website · Volunteer activity cooperation with NGOs |
How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues
To identify and prioritise material topics based on stakeholders’ concerns, ASE carried out a survey. In total, 866 questionnaires were completed by stakeholders.
In its 2016 Corporate Sustainability Report ASE reports that it took the following actions for reducing the amount of waste it produces:
- Adopting an eco-design approach and promoting waste recycling
- To reduce the amount of waste it produces, ASE adopted an eco-design approach. For example, ASE’s lightweight IC design reduces the amount of plastic waste. In addition, ASE continues to reduce pollution and promotes waste recycling to reduce the volume of sludge by enhancing sludge dehydration efficiency and activation rate, reducing and improving process source, recycling waste liquids from electro-plating machines, and discouraging the use of disposable cutlery.
- Collaborating to treat special waste liquids and recycle
- ASE collaborates with well-known universities to research and develop technologies for treating special waste liquids, such as high concentration of waste liquids containing boron, hydrogen peroxide and high COD. Additionally, in 2016, ASE Kaohsiung and Chungli worked with customers to recycle more than 0.24 million wafer boxes. ASE also cooperates with chemical agent suppliers to recycle and extend the service life of empty barrels, for re-fill and reuse. Accordingly, in 2016, ASE Kaohsiung and Chungli recycled more than 10 thousand empty barrels.
- Using green packaging materials
- ASE uses packaging materials that are made from recyclable materials. In 2016, ASE recycled 3,432 metric tons of packaging boxes, 1,001 metric tons of pallets, 710 metric tons of wafer boxes and 890 metric tons of other packaging materials. In addition, ASE reduced the consumption of natural resources by sorting and recycling packaging materials.
Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?
The GRI Standard addressed in this case is:
Disclosure 306-2 Waste by type and disposal method
Disclosure 306-2 Waste by type and disposal method corresponds to:
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
- Business theme: Spills
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
- Business theme: Waste, Water-related ecosystems and biodiversity
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
- Business theme: Waste
78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards
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References:
1) This case study is based on published information by ASE, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:
http://database.globalreporting.org/
2) http://www.fbrh.co.uk/en/global-reporting-initiative-gri-g4-guidelines-download-page
3) https://g4.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx
4) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/
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