As a global manufacturing company, we are acutely aware of our responsibility to the environment. Our commitment to build efficient and sustainable vehicles runs through the heart of Toyota, from our factories, import and distribution centres, through to our sales & marketing facilities. We go to great lengths to minimize the impact of our products on the environment throughout their entire lifecycle, to ensure a cleaner, greener, future for everyone.
Personal mobility is important at Toyota.
It keeps people connected - with their work, their family and friends, and their communities. Making and driving cars, however, has an impact on the environment. Which is why we go to great lengths to minimise this impact throughout the entire lifecycle of our vehicles. We call this our 360-degree approach and it focuses predominantly on sustainability in design, production, logistics, sales, service and - at the end of the vehicle's useful life - recycling.
Our ultimate goal is to completely eliminate emissions and waste across every part of our business, and create a true zero emissions vehicle.
Design
Toyota’s vehicles are created using our unique Life Cycle Assessment methodology, leading to some exciting developments. Important steps forward include lightweight engineering for maximum fuel efficiency, the use of recycled materials, and the development of eco-plastic, a world first.
The Prius – which is pioneering the use of eco-plastic – demonstrates the effectiveness of our methods with 95% of the car (including the battery), being recoverable, while 85% can be recycled.
Ecological Plastic - A world first
Toyota’s eco-plastic is the world’s first injection-moulded material to be derived from plants, meeting every safety criteria for vehicle interiors, including heat and shock resistance.
20% less CO2
Ecological plastic emits 20% less CO2 during a product’s life cycle. CO2, which is emitted at disposal, is captured during photosynthesis as the plant grows.
Ultimate Eco-Car
Toyota’s ambition to develop and build the ultimate eco-car, which emits zero harmful emissions and has no negative environmental impact, is at the forefront of our efforts. Our innate curiosity to engineering and design problems, paired with world-leading innovation and manufacturing standards will make this dream a reality, and today, we are already taking large steps forward with our Optimal Drive and Hybrid Synergy Technologies.
Towards the Ultimate Eco-Car
The ultimate eco-car emits no harmful emissions and has no negative impact on the environment.
If we pursue our efforts, we believe we will fulfill our ambition to create such a car. The vehicles that we make today, with their Toyota Optimal Drive and Hybrid Synergy Drive technologies, are all steps forward. But there is much more to do, and there is much more to come from Toyota.
Plug-in Hybrid
Our Plug-in Hybrid vehicles allow battery recharging from mains electrical supplies, boosting fuel efficiency, reducing running costs and lowering CO2 emissions particularly when electricity is supplied from renewable sources.
Electric Vehicles (EVs)
Powered by an electric motor and battery, EVs are ideal for short inner city journeys. If renewable energy is used for charging, EVs are totally emissions free. Our electric iQ concept showcases this technology in a compact package.
Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCV)
Fuel cells that create electricity by combining oxygen with hydrogen, power our FCVs, with minimal by-products of heat and water. Our FCHV-adv SUV utilizes this technology and sales are due to start in 2015.
Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050
An environmental mission for a better future
Although we are proud of our record as a pioneer of environmental technologies, we believe there is still much more we can achieve. We have drawn up a series of major challenges that we will be working to achieve by 2050, going beyond zero environmental impact to deliver positive environmental benefits.
The breadth of our mission is to make life better by using new technologies, new ways of working and new thinking to reduce emissions, increase recycling, protect natural resources and harness cleaner, renewable energy sources, while helping people around the world live and work in harmony with nature.
Better Air
Delivering sustainable mobility for everyone
As one of the world’s leading car makers, we take seriously our responsibility to help protect the environment. That means creating vehicles which have as little impact as possible on the natural world around us, such as our world-leading hybrids, our electric vehicles and Mirai, the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell sedan.
We are also researching alternative fuels from renewable sources and working with partners to design cleaner and more efficient integrated transport systems. Let us show you more about the vehicles we are designing and the initiatives we are taking to achieve sustainable mobility for the future.
Better Earth
A harmonious future for people, products and the planet
We are constantly looking for ways to reduce the impact we have on the environment. That concerns not just the vehicles we make, but the way they are manufactured and the resources we use. The Four Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover – are our watchwords to ensure careful use of natural resources, extending the usefulness of our products, increasing the opportunities for recycling and doing more to recover energy.
Around the world we are increasing our use of low carbon, renewable power sources, as well as creating new low carbon materials from organic products.
Better Living
A society where humans and nature coexist in harmony
“Getting back to nature” may seem an unexpected message coming from a car company. But it's a message that grows from our commitment to take the environment into consideration in all our activities. We strive to have a positive impact on society, the planet and its people, leaving things better than we find them. Toyota's philosophy and policies on the environmentare based on our “Guiding Principles at Toyota” and “Toyota Earth Charter” both established in 1992.
In 2008 we developed the “Toyota Biodiversity Guidelines”, which describe our fundamental approach to biodiversity related activities. Then in our “Toyota Global Vision 2020” we reinforced our core message of “Enriching the Lives of People in Communities”. Our latest bold statement is the “Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050”, which encompasses six challenges. The sixth one focusses on “Creating a Future Society in Harmony with Nature”.
Just Better
A safe, responsible and legally compliant business
We are committed to protecting and improving the environment and that means not only producing our own guidelines for safe and responsible working and products, but also ensuring we comply with environmental laws and regulations, everywhere in the world where we make and market our vehicles.
This covers the environmental impact of a vehicle throughout its complete lifecycle, from the earliest design stage, through development and manufacturing, to customer use and the eventual recycling and recovery process when it is disposed of. We also ensure we have the right measures and systems in place to deal with all environmental risks and hazards.
