Making the car

At Toyota, every effort is made to ensure environmental efficiency throughout the manufacturing process.

Since 2001, we have reduced the average energy consumption per vehicle built in Europe by 38%, achieving the lowest levels of a volume vehicle manufacturer in Europe.
In 2008, our facilities in the UK and France were named Sustainable Plants. They pilot environmental activities with the view to standardise best practices across the network.

We are committed to ensuring our nine manufacturing facilities across Greater Europe are clean, green and lean. In 2007, we achieved our 2010 Environmental Action Plan three years ahead of schedule, prompting us to set even tougher targets in the areas of waste, water, energy (CO2) and volatile organic compounds.

"We must take a much longer view than the life-cycle of a single vehicle. If we want to produce truly eco-friendly vehicles, they must be made in eco-friendly plants."

Didier Leroy
Executive Vice-President
Toyota Motor Europe

Sustainable Plants: benchmark practice

In 2007, Toyota nominated five “Sustainable Plants” across three continents to serve as industry-leading prototypes for clean and green manufacturing the world-over. Best practices are passed onto Toyota operations globally by the process known as Yokoten.

Two of these manufacturing companies are located in Europe: Toyota Motor Manufacturing United Kingdom (TMUK) and Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF). Both proactively pilot new activities to assess how best they can reduce their impact on the environment and work in greater harmony with their natural surroundings.

Sustained improvement at Toyota Motor Manufacturing France

Toyota’s manufacturing plant in Valenciennes, France has delivered a range of powerful efficiencies in the production of the Toyota Yaris:
1. Since 2002 the plant has reduced CO2 emissions (from electricity and other fuels) per car built by 38%; energy consumption per car built by 40%; volatile organic compounds per car built by 51% (as of FY 07).
2. The plant no longer sends any waste to landfill. Of the 9.5 kg of waste created in the production of the Yaris, 4 kg is directly recyclable and the remaining 5.5 kg is used as a substitute fuel for industrial processes.
3. Just over 1.13m3 of water is used per Toyota Yaris built – the lowest water usage per car of any Toyota plant in the world. The plant is now striving for a new target: less than 1m3 water usage per car built (as of FY 07).

Reducing water usage by 72% at Toyota Manufacturing UK

TMUK has witnessed a 72% reduction in water use per car built since 1993 – a remarkable result for Toyota’s longest-serving facility in Europe. How did they do it? In order to meet the facility’s five-year environmental commitment to reduce water consumption by as much as 1 m3/vehicle, TMUK introduced a wastewater recycling facility that purifies water used during the painting process and reuses it as feed water for steam boilers and cooling for compressors.

How does Toyota define a Sustainable Plant?

The term "sustainable plant" refers to Toyota’s long-term vision that all its manufacturing facilities should eventually use and rely on natural resources only, while still existing in harmony with the natural environment.

In the company’s journey towards sustainability, we believe that a Sustainable Plant should be able to operate for more than 100 years with minimal impact on the environment.

To achieve this vision, it should:

  • use renewable energy, such as solar and wind power
  • implement innovative technologies to reduce waste and achieve groundbreaking environmental performance, and
  • enhance the natural environment and preserve ecosystems through tree planting activities and other conservation activities.