Toyota Plant Earns Environmental Recognition

BLUE SPRINGS, Miss.  – Not only is Toyota Mississippi building the world’s best-selling car of all time, the Toyota Corolla, it is also becoming a leader in environmental excellence. The Blue Springs plant received recognition for four environmental accomplishments this week.

  • EPA ENERGY STAR Plant Award – top 25 percent most efficient vehicle assembly plants during its first full year of vehicle production.
  • Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality enHance Leader Award – commitment to address and achieve on-going environmental improvements.
  • Toyota North America Energy Team Award – outstanding conservation performance by eliminating 31 percent of energy during summer maintenance.
  • Wildlife Habitat Council “Wildlife at Work” Certification – voluntary corporate-driven cooperative efforts between management, employees and community members to create, conserve and restore wildlife habitats on corporate lands.

The EPA has also recognized Toyota and its 14 vehicle assembly, engine and parts plants across North America – including Toyota Mississippi – with its ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award for its continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency.

This is Toyota’s 10th consecutive ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award and it is the most among any automaker that assembles vehicles in the United States.

Over an 11-year period at Toyota’s 14 plants, total cost savings from energy improvements has totaled more than $500 million, and energy use has been reduced by 22 percent per vehicle produced.  That’s enough energy to power 400,000 average households for a year.

“Toyota Mississippi strives to go above and beyond the standard requirements for environmental compliance,” said Sean McCarthy, Toyota Mississippi environmental engineer. “We challenge everyone in the company, from top management down, to drive environmental awareness and recognize the importance of sharing our sustainable practices with local communities.’

As the model Sustainable Assembly Plant for North America, the Mississippi plant is implementing several unique projects to further demonstrates the facility’s commitment to minimize its environmental footprint:

  • Planted 6 acres of pollinator gardens to support the migration path of the monarch butterfly.
  • Installed rainwater harvesting to self-irrigate onsite pollinator gardens.
  • Mounted a 50 kilowatt solar panel array, the fourth largest in the state.
  • Placed Wood Duck boxes onsite to complement the species natural habitat and nesting instincts.
  • Supplemented traditional irrigation with Hydrogel Polymers designed to provide water to plant and tree roots during arid months.
  • Drilled 15 geothermal wells designed to circulate water for cooling, remove moisture from compressed air during non-production time and eliminate carbon dioxide.
  • Initiated a recycling program that has reduced Toyota Mississippi’s overall waste by 26,788 tons.
  • Replaced steam producing boilers with low pressure water, thereby eliminating natural gas use and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1,200 tons annually.
  • Employed a 3-Wet Paint System that reduced paint and solvent emissions and energy consumption.
  • Extended the companies environmental philosophies to team members with the adoption of “Leave No Trace” principles for team member outdoor sitting areas and the use of 100% recycled plastic furniture.

Another key component of the company’s environmental initiatives is future sustainability. Projects like afforestation and the fact that Toyota Mississippi has developed an Environmental Management System aimed at standardizing environmental activities, complying with local, state and federal regulations, promoting environmental culture throughout the company, and extending its environmental culture to local communities are examples of these sustainable actions.

Categories: Local News

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