Monitoring environmental impact

Organisation Name

Toyota Motor Europe

Problem

If the automotive industry is to continue to be a positive driving force in the global economy, it must face the challenges of waste reduction, cleaner air and greater efficiency. Toyota understands that environmental protection is one of the keys to this sustainable development.

Toyota Manufacturing Uk Ltd set itself the challenging goal of reducing waste sent to landfill to zero over the 2001-2005 time frame in order to support the overall company goals.

Solution

Toyota approached its challenging waste reduction goal in three stages:

  1. The need for a reduction in waste volume
  2. Waste that could not be eliminated was to be used or recycled
  3. Waste that could not be re-used or recycled had to be treated to reduce its environmental impact.

The following 3 categories of waste show the practical implementation of this approach:

  • General waste: production teams identified all waste generated in their production areas and ensured segregation at source. Of 244 different types, 211 could be recycled, 30 eliminated at source following further study, and three incinerated.
  • Paint Pond Waste: the introduction of a centrifuge reduced the water content of the paint pond sludge and then pumped the water back into the paint ponds for re-use. Trials were undertaken to use the solids, filter cake from the wastewater treatment plant and casting sand from its Deeside casting plant as a raw material in the production of cement.
  • Hazardous Waste: the use of high calorific hazardous waste was another large scale improvement in waste reduction.
  • Communication and dialogue: Toyota includes a specific environment section in its Annual Report, publishes a dedicated European environment review and communicates its environmental performance externally through press releases, its web site, and its Community Liaison Committee.
    For Toyota, manufacturing in an environmentally friendly way is built in the business. It initiates environmental improvement Investment because it makes good business sense and not because of regulatory pressure. The company works closely with suppliers to improve environmental performance as this example demonstrates.

Constraints

  • To ensure total involvement throughout the company, it requires everything from individual responsibility and delivery on the shop floor to monitoring, improving and active involvement at senior management level, including "Green Patrols".

Benefits

  • General waste reduction by 2.1 kg per car, contributed 25% to the company's waste reduction target.
  • Paint waste reduction by 4.7 kg per car, contributed 55% to the company's waste reduction target.
  • Hazardous waste reduction by 1.7 kg per car, contributed 20% to the company's waste reduction target. In total, these activities have eliminated 1818 tonnes of waste committed to landfill per year.
  • In addition to the environmental benefits, business benefits of this reduction activity contributed to cost reductions in material purchase, product handling and treatment and disposal of products.

Period Of Implementation

2001 - 2005

Place Of Implementation

United Kingdom

Themes

Environment

Solution Champion

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