Toyota recognised as top Green Manufacturing Company in Europe
Toyota Motor Europe (TME) won the 2011 Green Manufacturing Award at the 5th Annual Strategic Manufacturing Awards held recently in Düsseldorf, Germany. Organised by the World Trade Group, the awards recognise outstanding achievements in the European manufacturing industry.
The Green Manufacturing Award acknowledges companies that clearly demonstrate unparalleled performance in environmental manufacturing. Adjudicators look at case studies to determine the performance of shortlisted companies in areas including, maximising energy efficiency levels, addressing water use and treatment, compliance with environmental regulations and minimising waste from the production process.
The panel of judges made up of industry professionals praised Toyota's approach towards environmental performance in manufacturing, demonstrating a clear link to the well-established principles of the Toyota Production System (TPS).
Steve Hope, General Manager of Plant Engineering and Safety at TME, said: "This award recognises the tremendous efforts by the members at all of our European manufacturing facilities who continuously improve, and apply their knowledge and expertise of TPS to their daily activities."
Toyota maintains a strong focus on environmental leadership ever since the first European manufacturing facility was established in 1992. Toyota's Environmental Management System at each of its five European manufacturing facilities incorporates the principles of "green, clean and lean", promoted through the continued application of the Toyota Production System with the core principle of eliminating "waste".
From 2001 to 2009, Toyota's European manufacturing facilities reduced the consolidated impact per vehicle in terms of energy consumption by 40%, waste by 38%, emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) by 51% and water usage by 44%.
Currently, two of just five Toyota manufacturing facilities worldwide nominated as a "Sustainable Plant" by Toyota Motor Corporation are based in Europe — Toyota Motor Manufacturing France and Toyota Motor Manufacturing United Kingdom — demonstrating Toyota's environmental leadership in Europe.
TME was also shortlisted for the Outstanding Achievement in Continuous Improvement Award at this year's Strategic Manufacturing Awards.
Toyota Motor Europe publishes an annual Sustainability Report detailing its sustainable operations in Europe. The 2011 edition of the report can be found: http://www.toyota.eu/sustainability/
About World Trade Group
World Trade Group is one of Europe's leading Business-to-Business corporate events, media information providers and knowledge transfer companies. Established in 1997, WTG delivers conferences, training courses webinars, lead generation, online communities and Business Decision Maker Profiling to more than 10 international industry sectors. The Manufacturing division also hosts the Supply Chain distinction Awards and the Strategic Manufacturing Awards.