As the demand for vehicles remains high globally, including the Philippines, managing carbon footprint, reducing wastes, and optimizing resources remain a challenge in automotive manufacturing.
Toyota is one of the global companies that has strong commitment to sustainability, giving high regard to environment protection and conservation. According to Toyota Motor Corporation President himself, Akio Toyoda, “achieving carbon neutrality means realizing a world in which all people living on this planet continue to live happily.” “It is our responsibility to protect this beautiful Earth for the next 100 years,” Toyoda also said.
As the leading automotive and mobility company in the country, Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation (TMP) is doing more than producing better cars. It has been continuously promoting a wide range of initiatives to address global environmental issues through the Toyota Environmental Challenge or TEC 2050. Launched in 2015, this TEC 2050 set specific measures to address six challenges that impact the company’s products and technologies, as well as the community.
CHALLENGE 1: NEW VEHICLE ZERO CO2 EMISSIONS
As an alternative to internal combustion engine vehicles, TMP is expanding its line-up of Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) for its customers, which offers lower CO2 emissions to the environment.
In 1997, the HEV technology was first introduced by Toyota, with the global launch of the Prius. Today, TMP has the most expansive HEV product lineup with five Toyota models and five Lexus models available locally.
CHALLENGE 2: LIFE CYCLE ZERO CO2 EMISSIONS
TMP is also reducing its CO2 emissions throughout the entire life cycle of every Toyota vehicle by engaging its value chain stakeholders such as logistics service providers, suppliers, and dealers.
The automotive firm implements several kaizen or process improvement activities to optimize its logistics operations – from the transportation of raw materials and parts to the delivery of vehicles to the Toyota dealerships. TMP requires its suppliers to obtain and maintain ISO 14001 certification as part of greening the value chain.
On top of the same ISO 14001-certifcation of Toyota dealerships, TMP continues to monitor the environmental compliance of its entire dealer network with all Toyota and government regulations through the ECO Dealership Program. The Toyota Dealer Network also mobilizes various volunteers who engage in tree planting and coastal clean-up initiatives in their respective local communities.
CHALLENGE 3: PLANT ZERO CO2 EMISSIONS
To ultimately achieve zero CO2 emissions, TMP has taken serious steps in reducing the carbon footprint of its manufacturing plant, which produces two of the country’s best-selling models, the Vios and Innova.
In June 2021, Toyota Global announced that it will make all its manufacturing plants carbon-neutral by 2035, pulling forward its goal by 15 years from the TEC 2050. TMP’s roadmap for its plant’s carbon neutrality has two major thrusts. First is the use of Renewable Energy (RE) for its electricity requirements, which TMP began in 2018 through the installation of 1-megawatt Solar Array. Second is through energy efficiency practices by which new simple to advanced production technologies as well as alternative energy resources are explored.
CHALLENGE 4: MINIMIZING AND OPTIMIZING WATER USAGE
TMP is engaged in water optimization and recycling to reduce its consumption. TMP installed several Hybrid Rainwater Collector Tanks to store water used for the painting operation, a high-consumption process, as well as car washing of the company’s motor pool.
Through the Wastewater Treatment Plant, water discharged from the production is also treated and recycled for refill of water in the man-made lagoon, replenishment of sludge pool in painting maintenance shop and watering of plants at the TMP Nursery & Toyota Forest.
CHALLENGE 5: ESTABLISHING A RECYCLING BASED SOCIETY AND SYSTEMS
The automotive company also optimizes its operations to reduce residual and hazardous waste, as well as maximizes recycling of scraps. Proper management of waste stream is applied in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing processes.
Through process improvement, improvement of packaging materials, proper segregation and disposal, banning of single-use plastics, and other local initiatives, TMP has been significantly reducing its wastes. Moreover, TMP maintains the cleanliness of air at various plant areas through regular emissions sampling.
CHALLENGE 6: ESTABLISHING A FUTURE SOCIETY IN HARMONY WITH NATURE
TMP promotes the enhancement of biodiversity in various communities through several activities such as mangrove and tree planting, coastal and river clean-up, among others.
It further amplified its environmental conservation efforts in 2021 by planting 20,000 mangrove propagules inside the 10-hectare National Greening Program plantation in Lian, Batangas. In a separate activity, 5,000 trees were planted inside TMP’s 40-hectare adopted tree-planting area in Maragondon, Cavite. 500 fruit-bearing and native tree species were also planted within TMP’s newly inaugurated Batangas Vehicle Center.
In 2021, TMP started its company-wide ban of selling and issuance of single-use plastics such as foam, plastic bags, straws and paper cups. This is also in compliance with the ‘Zero Single-use Plastics’ 2030 Target that Toyota set for the Asia Pacific Region. – Franz Lewin Embudo