Kustsu, Japan – Panasonic announced mid- and long-term environmental management plans Tuesday, beginning with the designation of its Kusatsu manufacturing facility as a “Eco Ideas Factory.”

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The Kusatsu Factory of Matsushita Home Appliances Co. will serve as a testing ground for three of the company’s environmental concepts revolving around manufacturing, products and community.

For instance, the company plans to put its manufacturing practices under the glass to identify ways to make its casting, air-pressing, molding and coating processes more emissions friendly. The company wants to cut 29,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from its manufacturing processes by March of 2010, equal to a 23 percent reduction in emissions per basic unit.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Panasonic’s parent company, previously indicated its intent to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 300,000 tons by fiscal 2010.

The company also plans to make more energy efficient products to help consumers curb greenhouse gas emissions. The company will increase the number of energy-saving air conditioners, refrigerators, rice cookers and microwave ovens, and phase out less efficient models.

Matsushita also wants to foster environmental education, awareness and goodwill through student eco-factory tours, work with a local non-profit to preserve the water quality of a nearby lake, clean-up campaigns with neighborhood groups and transforming a nearby area into a multi-purpose facility for social and sporting events. The company will also collect used cooking oil from its cafeteria and employee homes to be converted into biofuel.