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| Toyota USA Headquarters in Torrance, California |
While at Toyota, I was privy to immersing myself in the spirit of kaizen, a Japanese word meaning continuous improvement that drives Toyota’s culture (no pun intended). Toyota is always looking for ways that it can improve sustainability and increase efficiency, while reducing the impact on the environment. Toyota’s environmental working group began in 1969, making them “green before green was trendy” and helps to inform current practices and daily activities.
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| Jana Hartline, Toyota’s Environmental Communications Manager |
During a tour of the 130 acre Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. national headquarters campus in Torrance, California, witnessed how Toyota practices kaizen towards the environment. In honor of Sunday being Earth Day, here are just a few things that Toyota does to lessen the company’s impact on the environment:
- 70% of campus-wide trash is recycled. Non-recycled waste is used as fuel to produce clean electrical energy, leftover ash is converted into a road base, and leftover cooking grease is converted into biofuel.
- 100% of Toyota Headquarters’ electronics are recycled. Over the course of 10 years, 3.3 million pounds of electronic waste have been kept out of landfills.
- The Torrance campus relies on recycled water to water drought tolerant plants that make up the landscaping around the buildings. The use of drought tolerant landscaping saves 5 million gallons of water each year, enough to take 200,000 ten minute showers!
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| Drought resistant landscaping is prevalent throughout campus |
- Reusable steel containers, called returnables, are used to transport automotive parts. By using steel instead of cardboard and wood, Toyota reduces 2.7 millions pounds of waste each year.
- When Toyota’s South Campus opened in 2003, it was the largest office in the United States to have earned LEED Gold certification.
- Toyota’s South Campus has 620,000 square feet of solar panels. Their plant in Ontario has the second largest solar installation in Canada.
- Toyota features e-waste and Goodwill collection drives twice a year. In one year, Toyota employees recycled 7,702 pounds of personal e-waste and 2,431 pounds of items for Goodwill.
- The Shell Hydrogen Station across the street from headquarters is the first and only pipeline fed hydrogen station that allows for multiple, simultaneous fuelings.
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| Shell Hydrogen Station |
- There are 14 US Green Building Council LEED certified Toyota dealerships within the United States.
- Since 1991 Toyota has donated $500 million to the National Park Foundation and support grants and vehicle donations to enhance environmental education in our national parks system. Toyota is a major contributor to the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center and Prius vehicles are favored in National Parks because they have zero emissions and don’t harm animals.
To learn more about Toyota’s environmental vision and action, visit their environmental action plan.
I was selected for participation in the TWIN community through a program with Clever Girls Collective. Toyota covered the expenses for my trip. All opinions are my own and do not reflect the views of Toyota.
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Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
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