Taking Trash Out in Toyota

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. receives EPA WasteWise award for 4^th successive year.

Almost all Toyota’s operational waste is reduced or recycled.

During the last four years, Toyota has reduced or avoided over 1.9 million trash cans at its sales and logistics centers across the country. By the end of April, the U.S. environmental Protection Agency (EPA) acknowledged Toyota’s efforts to minimize waste and expand recycling with the 2013 WasteWise Large Business Partner of the Year award.

This title marks the second time TMS has received the Large Business Partner of the Year and fourth consecutive year Toyota sales and logistics facilities have received a WasteWise award.

''Toyota focuses on continually improving how we do business,'' says Chris Reynolds, TMS chief environmental officer. ''By reducing waste and increasing efficiency, we save environmental resources and lower costs for both Toyota and our customers.''

Toyota's sales and logistics centers avoided producing over 304 million pounds of waste, preventing a total of 98 percent of their trash from being hauled away to landfills or incinerators. That is the equivalent weight of 1,843 Endeavor Shuttles, like the one that Toyota Tundra pulled across the bridge in California.

The WasteWise program is a voluntary partnership program sponsored by EPA to help organizations achieve cost savings and preserve the environment.

For example, when the North American Parts Center, Kentucky, trucks drop off parts at the regional distribution centers, they are often loaded with plastic bags and plastic stretch wrap for the return trip. Such plastic is not easy to recycle, but Toyota has found a nearby manufacturer that combines the recycled plastic and wood to make composite patio materials, taking the plastic from packing to decking.

Toyota joined the WasteWise program in 2009, and in 2010 received the WasteWise Reduction in the Workplace Gold Honorable Mention Award, followed by Large Business Partner of the Year honors in 2011. Last year, Toyota was named the honorable mention, Large business Partner of the Year.