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Toyota And The Environment

Working hard to reduce waste, conserve energy and protect the environment

Our Policy Statement

As a leading Automotive Manufacturing Facility, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK) is committed to ensuring our operations and business practices contribute to the quality of life at TMMK and the surrounding community.

Team members are responsible for diligently managing their processes as part of the TMMK team. In keeping with this philosophy, TMMK is adopting the EARTH CARE policy.

Commitment to the Environment

Kentucky Fish & Wildlife Foundation — TMMK donated $300,000 to KFWF to fund the Toyota Living Stream Exhibit. This outdoor exhibit includes a running stream and waterfall, hands-on aquatic-related learning stations, and exploration of life cycles, food chains and roles of mussels, crayfish, aquatic insects and other species in the environment, and a unique underwater viewing area for numerous native fish.

Louisville Zoo — TMMK donated $25,000 to the Louisville Zoo to support the Zoo’s 2004 Backyard Action Hero Program. This program is designed to teach youth (3rd through 5th grades) how they can make a difference in the environment. A guidebook and Website focus on “Five Great Backyard Conservation Projects,” with each project involving home, school and zoo-based activities.

Other — TMMK donated $150,000 to the Louisville Science Center for the World Around Us Exhibit and $10,000 annually to the Kentucky Nature Conservancy for ongoing environmental education and preservation.

Ongoing Progress

At our plant in Georgetown — and at every other Toyota facility in North America — new ideas and new initiatives are being implemented every day to protect the environment. Here are a few examples:

• During 1999's Earth Day Celebration, TMMK's Environmental Affairs Department announced a partnership with the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC), a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing wildlife habitats. Through this partnership, Environmental Affairs and TMMK's Office and Building Services Department will work together to transform TMMK's undeveloped property into a more native habitat to be enjoyed by team members, their families, and the community.
• Toyota vehicles are now 85 percent recyclable. Huge shredders allow steel and non-ferrous metals to be recycled, and new processes also enable the recycling of car materials like urethane foam, copper, glass and plastic bumpers.
• Virtually 99 percent of all scrap steel generated by Toyota plants is now recycled. In addition, many waste materials, like plastic wrap, paint solvents, used oil, packaging materials and cardboard, are recycled. We even recycle engine block modules, which annually keeps 500,000 pounds of material from ending up in the landfill.
• Total recycling at our plant — Toyota's largest outside Japan — has now exceeded 100,000 tons per year.
• At Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, over 45,000 light bulbs are recycled each year.
• At all Toyota plants, the use of returnable packaging serves as a major means of conservation, as wood pallets and cardboard boxes are being used less frequently in the shipping process. Over 90 percent of the North American parts at TMMK are currently received in returnable packaging. This direct reuse of containers helps to conserve our natural resources and keeps the waste out of the landfill.
• In addition to activities like recycling, we look for ways to redesign the process itself in order to produce less waste. For example, anti-chip paint is now applied to the wheel-well with a roller, rather than a sprayer. This saves paint, reduces emissions, eliminates the need for plastic masking, and holds down cleaning costs. All told, the redesigned process reduces waste by 40 percent.
• Our environmental efforts even extend to our construction sites, where thousands of construction workers follow strict guidelines for everything from hazardous waste disposal and storm water control, to recycling of construction materials.

The list goes on and on...

We're proud of our environmental record, and rightly so. From the innovative ways in which we handle paint, to our ultra-efficient methods to use the metals in our cars, we try to make the best cars in the world while keeping the air pure, and the waters crystal clear.

We think we owe that to the planet, to our customers, to our team members and to the communities where Toyota has its facilities.

Environmental News from TMMK

TMMK Awarded the Wildlife Habitat Council's Corporate Wildlife at Work Certification

GEORGETOWN, KENTUCKY, (February 10, 2009) — Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. has earned Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) Wildlife at Work certification for the successful implementation of a comprehensive wildlife habitat management program. This prestigious distinction is awarded as a result of demonstrated commitment toward long-term wildlife habitat enhancement efforts.

Specific efforts from TMMK team members that were cited by the WHC include the planning and development of a nest box program and native tree plantings. In addition, TMMK team members were also awarded Corporate Lands for Learning certification for the establishment and documentation of site-based education programs.

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Toyota Announces $5 Million Grant To National Park Support Organizations For Environmental Leadership Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C., (April 28, 2008) — Toyota today announced a $5 million contribution in support of five National Parks and the National Park Foundation to enhance environmental leadership and educational programs at parks around the country. The company also will donate 23 vehicles to the National Parks.

Some of the funds may be used by the local fundraising partners such as Everglades National Parks for matching Federal funds as part of the National Park Centennial Challenge program highlighting the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016.

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Audubon And Toyota Announce Five-Year Alliance To Promote Conservation Action And Grow Leaders Of Tomorrow

NEW YORK, NY, (March 26, 2008) —The National Audubon Society and Toyota today launched TogetherGreen, a nationwide Audubon program to fund conservation projects, train environmental leaders, and offer volunteer opportunities to significantly benefit the environment.

A $20 million Toyota grant—the largest Audubon has received in its 103-year history—will fund TogetherGreen for five years, enabling Audubon to expand the scope and reach of its internationally-known conservation programs.

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Arbor Day Foundation And Toyota Partner To Make Virtual Trees…Real

NEBRASKA CITY, NEB., (March 21, 2008) — The Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota announced today that they have partnered to create a new Facebook application called Tree Planter. With the Tree Planter application, users can plant real trees in forests across the country - without even leaving their computer.

Using Tree Planter, users gift trees to their friends. For every gift sent to a friend, the Arbor Day Foundation plants a tree in one of eleven needy forests, including Custer National Forest, Hoosier National Forest, and Huron-Manistee National Forest. Many of these forests have suffered devastating effects from recent forest fires.

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TMMK Earns Federal EPA’S “Gold Standard”

GEORGETOWN, KENTUCKY, (March 12, 2008) — Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky Inc. (TMMK) was recently named a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Environmental Performance Track program, joining more than 500 U.S. facilities in their commitment to consistently exceed environmental regulation requirements.  

Performance Track recognizes and drives environmental excellence by encouraging facilities with strong environmental records to go above and beyond their legal requirements. TMMK qualified for the program and was invited to apply because of the company’s past achievements, continuous commitment to environmental compliance, and implementation of a strong Environmental Management System.

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Read about all of the environmental activities at TMMK and Toyota's other North American manufacturing plants in the full report here.