Eco Thinking
Raising the bar Saving & Recycling resources
Toyota is finding better, more efficient ways to contribute to a healthier planet, leading the industry in better business practices.
Our commitment to recovering, recycling and re-using has permeated the entire company. Sustainability is an enormous challenge that we’ve taken on, and in that arena we lead the industry.
Our recycling technology is continually being improved and we are on target to achieve a 95% recovery rate of our vehicles by 2015. To reduce waste to a minimum, we recycle everything—in our offices, our factories, and our sales facilities – reducing CO2 levels beyond our achievements on the road.
Saving & Recycling across the entire life cycle of the vehicle
At Toyota, we consider the recycling factor throughout the entire life cycle of a car – from production through to the end-of-life stage. Examples of the measures we take into account:
- Repeatedly use reusable items
- Reduce waste generation
- Recycle waste
To make more effective use of limited resources, we feed these results back into the vehicle development and design stages to create ever-more recycling-optimized vehicles.
Promotion of effective resource use
Production
Reduction in discarded materials from factories
We promote resource loss reduction activities to cut waste from factories. In particular, we are tackling yield improvements and waste reduction to steadily cut down the amount of waste output.
Resource Flow
This flow graphic illustrates how we re-use some resources while minimizing the waste of the non-recyclable resources during the construction of our products.
Environment center
Adjacent to the Motomachi factory is the Environment Center, an energy recovery plant that was overhauled and re-opened in April 2009. The Center burns combustible waste to generate electricity and steam, while also functioning as the Motomachi factory’s energy source. Managing combustion more effectively has drastically reduced the emissions of harmful substance in exhaust gases. Additionally, incinerated ash is re-used externally as materials for such things as cement or pavement.
Reduction of water usage
To reduce overall water usage, we are constantly improving water use efficiencies throughout our production facilities – with particular attention paid to water management in car assembly plants, which are typically high usage facilities.
Logistics
Reduction in discarded materials from factories These materials have been drastically reduced and we are re-using items more and more where practicable, such as making wider use of returnable shipping containers.
It’s more than just recycling
Toyota is further reducing CO2 emissions by making wider use of plant-derived plastics in its products to replace petroleum-derived plastics.
Petroleum-based plastics
Plastics derived from plants
How Toyota Uses Ecological Plastic in the CT200h?
Bio-PET derived from sugar cane is used in new Ecological plastic.
＊1 Bio-PET: PET that is manufactured by replacing the monoethylene glycol that is one of the raw materials of polyethylene terephthalate with biological raw material derived from sugar cane.
＊2 New Ecological plastic: Plastic that provides far better heat resistance, durability, expansion and contraction resistance, and other properties, than other general plastics derived from plant materials.
The Power of Performance 1
Sport | Normal
Greater Dynamic Driving Experience
The combination of Toyota Hybrid Drive (LHD) and Electronic Continuous Variable Transmission (ECVT) provides two sensational acceleration experiences for the driver with “Normal mode” and “Sport mode”.
ECVT blends the ideal mix of engine and electric power - according to driving conditions - to create a smooth and seamless acceleration in Normal mode. For a more dynamic driving experience in Sport mode, gasoline engine speed is increased more rapidly during acceleration.
The Power of Performance 2
Accelerating to full-throttle from a 60km/h cruising speed, the new ECVT-equipped GS450h accelerated swiftly, seamlessly and smoothly. In comparison, Competitor 1 - a single-motor hybrid vehicle with 7-speed AT w/o torque converter - not only took 2.6 seconds to downshift from fifth to second gear, but also experienced “shift shock”.
Fuel Efficiency
Unlike gasoline-only engines, a Toyota hybrid doesn't idle when standing still, so it uses no fuel. As the hybrid slows-down, the gasoline engine is cut until it is needed again at higher speeds and when decelerating or breaking, Toyota Hybrid Drive turns that friction into energy that is stored in the battery for later use.
The Power of Clean
Toyota emissions are low, and we continue looking for new ways to achieve our goal of zero emissions. Toyota Zero Emissions goes beyond the road; we carry this concept over all areas of our business, 360° of it. The power of h means no compromises. Every addition for efficiency offers performance benefits.
The Power of Quietness
Toyota Hybrid Drive also helps fight noise pollution. With the car running exclusively on the electric motor – or ‘EV’ mode, night driving doesn’t have to wake the neighbors.
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