June is Green Month at Toyota. In a tradition going back 35 years, Toyota has scheduled June as an opportunity to engage its staff in activities that promote awareness of environmental issues and practical measures to help the planet.

This year Toyota GB has implemented a wide range of activities and initiatives built round its Three Rs concept: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Although it is an internal project, it directly supports Toyota’s global environmental leadership within the motor industry. It also shows how its commitment goes beyond headline-making stories to measures that may be much smaller, but which combined have the potential to make a significant difference.

For example, at Toyota GB’s head office a target has been set to achieve 95 per cent waste recycling, supported by a new collection and disposal system. All staff have received reusable water bottles, USB sticks to help reduce the amount of paper used and a guide on how to cut their carbon footprint, both in the office and at home. At the same time, their opinions are being canvassed on other ways of reducing waste, saving energy and recycling. Investment in new software has reduced the number of computer servers used by 90 per cent and lighting in the building has been reprogrammed to an ‘off’ default setting.

Launched during Green Month, but designed to continue and develop in the months and years ahead, these activities contribute to Toyota’s Global Vision 2020, through which it is investing to address the challenges of global warming and climate change and create a harmony between its business and the environment.

Globally Toyota is investing $1 million an hour in new technologies that can reduce the impact of vehicles on the environment, including new plug-in hybrid vehicle technology and more advanced fuel cell vehicles. These are tangible examples of how the company is moving closer to achieving its declared goal of the ultimate eco-car, a machine that has no negative impact on the environment throughout its lifecycle.

Miguel Fonseca, Managing Director Toyota GB, said: “Addressing climate change and our impact on it is a top priority for Toyota, not just in terms of reducing CO2 emissions from the vehicles we make, but also minimising emissions from across the whole manufacturing and retail process.”