Working on Nursing Care Business

Creating a Reliable System for Collecting Used Paper Diapers from Nursing Care Facilities

To meet a growing need as the Japanese population ages and the number of people who require nursing care increases, Toyota Tsusho is putting its skills as a trading company to work in developing high-value-added businesses related to nursing care. In one area of high demand—paper diapers for adults—we have developed an integrated system to support diaper sales, collection and disposal.

Developing a Variety of Businesses Related to Nursing Care across a Broad Range of Domains

According to the 2010 national census, people aged 65 or older numbered 29.44 million, accounting for 23.1% of the Japanese population. Against this scenario of a rapidly aging society, Toyota Tsusho is developing a wide variety of businesses related to nursing care and corresponding to the keywords "reassurance, safety and comfort."

One such business is the rental of nursing care products, such as beds. For this business, we handle product sourcing and operate rental centers, and our subsidiary, Toyotsu Lifecare Corporation, handles product planning and customer service. Toyotsu Lifecare also provides other solutions for nursing care service providers, such as handling the factoring of nursing care benefits and invoicing for and collecting these benefits. Another subsidiary, GUTT REHABILITATION LTD., handles mail-order sales of nursing care products.

Providing an Integrated Service for Paper Diapers, from Sales to Collection and Disposal

As the population ages, demand for adult paper diapers is increasing. Many nursing care facilities that previously used cloth diapers are switching to paper diapers for reasons of hygiene and to reduce employee workloads. This increase in paper diaper use presents the issue of how to dispose of used paper diapers in a hygienic manner.

To resolve this problem, in 1993 we introduced the CLEAN FOREVER service which, in addition to selling paper diapers, expands our offerings to the collection of used paper diapers in specially sealed containers for hygienic disposal. This system has proven popular among care workers, as it helps to keep care stations clean while reliably outsourcing disposal.

In this service, Toyota Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd., an intermediate processing company that has received municipal approval to handle this specialized operation, collects, transports and handles the intermediate processing of used paper diapers. In addition, we manage manifest documents to confirm that the diapers are processed appropriately, all the way to final incineration. These operations are also environmentally friendly, as we use specialized containers made of materials that do not emit noxious gases when incinerated.

Studying the Possibilities of Commercializing Paper Diaper Recycling

We are also looking into the possibilities of recycling the used paper diapers that we currently incinerate as waste. However, used paper diapers have a relatively low recycled pulp content, which is an issue we have not yet surmounted. We plan to continue concentrating on this problem however, and are working toward a recycling solution.

Providing a Integrated System for Provision, Collection and Treatment

With the cooperation of collection, shipping and intermediate processing companies, we have developed an integrated service, CLEAN FOREVER, for the sale, collection and disposal of paper diapers that we provide to nursing care facilities.

Toyota Tsusho's Businesses Related to Nursing Care

The importance of nursing is growing, in line with the aging of Japan's population.

By leveraging its expertise as a trading company to create high-value-added services, Toyota Tsusho has developed a broad range of offerings related to the nursing care business, from the sale and rental of nursing care products to the provision of solutions for nursing care operators.

One such business, an end-to-end service involving adult paper diapers, was developed by our subsidiary, Toyotsu Lifecare Corporation. In recent years, the number of nursing care institutions that employ paper diapers has been on the rise, as they permit better control of changing frequency and reduce potential patient skin irritations. Until now, however, the major issue with using paper diapers has been the question of hygiene management and appropriate waste disposal.

Our end-to-end service, CLEAN FOREVER, addresses these problems.

Tomonari Matsuno
General Manager
Life Style Business Department

Social and Market Trends

As the average age of Japanese society increases, the number of people who use nursing care facilities is rising. According to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, whereas the number of people using such facilities in fiscal 2000—the year that marked the start of nursing care insurance—was 604,000, this figure had risen to 834,000 by fiscal 2009. A ministry survey indicates that paper diapers are widely used at these facilities.

People Using Nursing Care Facilities

Use of Paper Diapers
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