Business　Basics

Founded in 1969 as a joint company between the predecessor, Showa Aluminum Co., Ltd. and Kaiser Aluminum.
Oyama plant was built in 1970, and manufactured the first aluminum can in Japan. A thickness of the aluminum plate material was 0.5mm at that time, currently merely 0.28mm of thickness of plate is used for the production. Two in size, 300 ml. and 500 ml. cans are manufactured.

An aluminum can consists of two pieces of parts, a　body and a cap, and this plant has production lines of both parts.
The body production line has capacity of 2,000 pieces/minute.　This is a first-class production speed with accuracy. An aluminum can is manufactured through several processes to be completed, an integrated production line which covers a complete can-process, from forming of can to label printing and packaging is provided. 　

Tochigi Prefecture and its Business Environment

This plant works as a logistics center for delivering products to East Japan too. It's wide covering areas includes, the Tokyo metropolitan area, Tohoku region, and neighboring prefectures, and with improved main road networks nowadays, we feel our plant location is excellent.
Since only a few snow falls even in winter, it does not disturb our transportations. And further than anything else, less natural disasters is the biggest advantage.
Water supply is important, since washing processes is required in the manufacturing process. Currently under ground water is used also and there is no water supply shortages happened, so we feel a stable supply of water also advantageous.
In addition, aggressive back-up supports by the city and the prefecture are also advantageous for us.

Made in Tochigi

【 The First Made in Japan Aluminum Can】

We have other two plants in Japan, the piece of cap are only manufactured in Oyama plant. With having four production lines, the plant is providing a top-class in the world both in the volume of production and the precision in micron millimeter.
At the bottom of cans, various information are printed for their trace-abilities by identifying the place of the production, etc.

Contributing Local Community

Interviewed with Hidekazu Enomoto, General Manager of Operation department of Showa Aluminum -Can recycling Center Co., Ltd. who developed recycling business in 1981 within Oyama plant.

Showa Aluminum -Can recycling Center is recovering aluminum cans in all over Japan with having collection points in Tokyo, Oyama, Chiba, and Hikone. In Oyama, we collect for Tochigi and also neighboring prefectures when requested.

After recovered, aluminum cans are processed through the process of Sorting → Compression →Melting →Dissolved metal. We recover 50 ton per month, annually 500 - 600 ton of aluminum.
We receive a request of collecting mainly from local welfare working offices, elementary and junior high schools. The price for used aluminum cans is based on the weight, a separate price is provided for welfare related working offices.
In that meaning, recovering is a recycling business and at the same time, it is a contribution to welfare, we believe,

It is essential to dispose waste aluminum cans separately in our daily lives. However many welfare working offices, especially when handicapped persons are employed there, the recovering of cans become their business fund or a part of payments for their employees, we would like to recommend to donate your wasted aluminum cans to the nearest welfare working office.

Comments for the People in Tochigi

An aluminum can is featuring high recycling capability, and environment friendliness with recycling many times, we would like to ask you to drink more drinks contained in aluminum cans.　
And after drinking, we appreciate your cooperation for recycling.