Fluorine-based products offer excellent properties, including heat resistance, chemical resistance and electrical insulation. They are used across a wide range of industries, including the semiconductor, automotive, construction, and aerospace industries. However, natural fluorite, the primary raw material used in fluorochemical production, is concentrated in a limited number of regions. Consequently, ensuring a stable supply while reducing the environmental impact associated with natural-resource extraction has become an important challenge.

To address these challenges, AGC draws on its extensive expertise in fluorine chemistry to recover and recycle fluorine from waste generated at its own plants. AGC also uses recycled circular fluorite produced from fluorine-containing by-products generated by the semiconductor industry and other sectors. Through these initiatives, AGC is promoting the circular use of fluorine resources both within the AGC Group and across the broader value chain.

The award recognized AGC's successful implementation of fluorine-resource recycling in high-performance materials, an area in which such initiatives have traditionally been difficult to realize. It also acknowledged AGC's efforts to reduce the use of natural fluorite and support a stable supply of raw materials, and the potential for broader benefits across industries that utilize fluorine-based materials.