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Toyota's Housing Group has been developing
a comprehensive operation stretching from the sale of environmentally considerate
21st century homes to projects for condominiums and proposals for town creation.
In FY2002, a total of 3,500 houses were sold.
In terms of environmental initiatives, Toyota is developing new products which
meet "Next-generation energy-saving standards" and has been taking measures
to reduce CO2 emissions at both the occupation stage and the production stage.
Toyota is also making efforts to prolong the lifespan of houses through its
long-term (30-year) warranty system for major structural supporting elements,
promotion of resource conservation and the reduction of waste generation.
Toyota's Housing Group has joined together with dealers, construction companies
and suppliers in concerted action to reduce environmental impact and promote
the widespread adoption of environmentally considerate housing. |
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Toyota operates an environmental management
system (EMS) based on the ISO 14001 certification acquired in 1998, and
advanced initiatives at all its housing works with the aim of achieving
its fiscal year goals.
In addition, with regard to the three areas of development and design, procurement
and production, and support to dealers, the Toyota Housing Business Environmental
Action Plan was formulated based on: (1) TMC's environmental goals; and (2)
The Eco Action 21, an environmental action plan which serves as a guideline
for the housing industry. Toyota has been promoting measures to reduce environmental
impact and achieve these goals. |
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•Toyota Housing Business
Environmental Action Plan and Goals
| Action guideline |
Item |
Specific action items
and goals (FY2005 goals) |
| 1. Development and supply
of products with top levels of environmental performance |
CO2 reduction during
the occupation stage |
•At least 50% of
houses built by Toyota to comply with "Next-generation energy-saving
standards"
•Fitting of photovoltaic power generation systems, etc., that supply at
least 5% of power consumed during the occupation stage
•15% improvement in energy efficiency through successive replacement by
new products such as highly energy-efficient lighting and built-in facilities
and fixtures |
| Long-life and durability
of houses |
•At least 80% of
homes to be provided with a 30-year long-term warranty contract
(FY2003)
•At least 80% of contracted houses to correspond to top rating in Housing
Performance Index System |
| Management and reduction
of substances of environmental concern |
•Reduction of formaldehyde
concentration in at least 80% of contracted houses (top rating
in Housing Performance Index System) (FY2003)
•Toluene, xylene levels to conform to interior air quality guidelines of
the Japan Federation of Housing Organizations |
| 2. Pursuit
of production activities that do not discharge waste |
Promotion of measures
to prevent global warming |
•5% reduction in
total CO2 emissions by FY2005 compared to FY2001 |
| Waste reduction and resource
conservation |
•50% reduction
in combustible waste generated by FY2003 compared to FY1999,
aiming to achieve zero emission |
| Conservation of water
resources |
•20% reduction
in total water consumption by FY2005 compared to FY1995 |
| Reduction of trash at
construction sites |
•70% reduction
of on-site trash such as packaging and wrapping material, remnant
material and excess material, by FY2005 compared to FY2000 |
| 3. Business
partners are environmental partners |
Enhanced cooperation
with suppliers |
•Promotion and
support of EMS, thorough management of substances of environmental
concern, and promotion of efforts to acquire ISO 14001 certification
by suppliers |
| Enhanced cooperation
with dealers |
•Establishment of EMS, promotion and support of achievement of
goals in Toyota Home Dealer Environmental Standards
•Increased support for environmental responses of Toyota Home
dealers |
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| The new "SINCÉ RAISON" series launched
in April 2003 |
In the new "SINCÉ RAISON" series
launched in April 2003, Toyota adopted "Next-generation energy-saving standards"1
as standard specifications, and worked on the development of new products that
take into account environmentally considerate features such as the elimination
of asbestos from housing construction materials and expanded use of recycled
materials.
The new "SINCÉ RAISON" series of houses are built under the "S&I Home Making
Concept"2 as long-life houses that achieve top levels of environmental performance.
Energy wastage is reduced by enhanced heat insulation through the standard
adoption of insulating double-glazed windows and other features, while CO2
emissions are approximately 30% lower than the "Next-generation energy-saving
standards." Toyota has adopted a number of measures to use clean natural energy
sources and reduce energy consumption, including photovoltaic power generation
and a rainwater recycling system.
1. Next-generation energy-saving standards:
Hermetically sealed and well insulated housing able to reduce by 20% the
amount of energy needed for heating and air-conditioning as a means of reducing
CO2 emissions to prevent global warming
2. S&I Home Making Concept: Super Skeleton & Intelligent Infill
- functions which continue to respond and change according to changing lifestyles
within reinforced supporting structural elements that do not change |
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| Reduction of CO2 Emissions |
| In FY2002,
CO2 emissions at the three housing works —Kasugai, Tochigi, and Yamanashi—
totaled 6,900 tons. Although the total volume of CO2 emissions increased
because production in FY2002 increased by approximately 16% over the
previous year, efforts to reduce CO2 emissions resulted in a decrease
of emissions per unit of approximately 5%. Conversion to natural gas
as an energy source will be among the future measures taken to reduce
CO2 emissions and realize FY2005 goals. |
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•Trend in CO2 Emissions at Production Processes
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| Conserving Water Resources |
Water consumption
at the three housing works in FY2002 totaled around 112,000 tons.
Although total water consumption increased due to an increase in production
over the previous year, Toyota was able to achieve the fiscal year goal
of 122,000 tons.
One specific measure for reduction of water consumption taken at Kasugai
Housing Works was to achieve an optimal balance between the volume of
washing water and surface treatment agents in the ED (electrodeposition)
coating pretreatment process,3 which accounts for 30% of total water
consumption at the plant —the greatest volume used among the various
processes— thereby reducing usage by 1,000 tons.
3. ED coating: A coating technique in which
the metal item to be coated is immersed in a tank filled with the electrodeposition
coating material and a high voltage is set up between the tank and the
item, causing coating by electrophoresis |
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•Trend
in Total Water Consumption
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| Reducing Waste |
In FY2002, the total amount of combustible
waste generated at the three housing works together was 600 tons, a reduction
of 45% from FY1999, the base year for comparison. The main initiative undertaken
jointly by the three housing works was to set target reuse rates for waste
plasterboard and wood remnants of over 30% and 60% respectively, all of
which were achieved to realize a reduction in waste.
At Tochigi Housing Works, Toyota continued, as in FY2001, to implement waste
reduction measures using the excess capacity of the wastewater treatment
facility. In FY2002, in addition to the processing of waste liquids generated
during painting of external walls begun the previous year, Toyota also started
processing waste liquids from the electrodeposition process as wastewater,
reducing the volume of waste to be processed by 170 tons compared to the
previous year and saving 3.1 million yen in processing costs.
At Kasugai Housing Works, in December 2002, Toyota introduced equipment
which concentrates the waste liquids generated during the painting of external
walls to between one-third and one-quarter of their original volume, resulting
in a reduction of around 65 tons in FY2002.
At Yamanashi Housing Works, a reduction in sludge was achieved through settling
the chemical sludge4 generated in the painting process. Toyota also reduced
paint wastage by 7 tons through measures to prevent leakage during spray
painting of external walls.
4. Sludge: Comprehensive term for sediment
and suspended matter generated during zinc phosphating in the painting process |
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Waste liquids concentrating facility |
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•Trend
in Volume of Waste Generated
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| Initiatives by Individual Dealers |
In 2000, Toyota formulated the Toyota Home
Dealer Environmental Guidelines specifying the environmental standards
required of dealers. This marked the beginning of a three-year activity
program which ended in FY2002.
In FY2003, all dealers are taking independent action based on relevant laws
and regulations, while Toyota as a manufacturer provides support in response
to the requests of the dealers. |
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| Zero Trash Project at Construction Sites |
In FY2002,
the volume of waste generated per unit at construction sites of prefabricated
houses was 2.8m3 on average, a 48% reduction from 5.4m3 in FY2000.
Toyota's initiatives centered on the reduction of packaging materials
used by switching to the use of returnable bags, cardboard boxes, etc.
In the future, recycling of waste from tiles and plasterboard will be
a key area for implementation.
At construction sites using the EST5 method, the volume of waste generated
per unit was 13m3 on average, a 25% reduction compared to FY2000. In
the future, emphasis will be placed on reducing usage of curing and packaging
material, thermal-insulation materials, and plasterboard. Regarding other
components and materials, measures similar to those for the construction
of prefabricated houses will be implemented to reduce the volume of remnant
and leftover materials.
5. EST (Evolutional System of Toyota):
A new steel-frame construction method developed by Toyota Home as a
forerunner
of the next generation |
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•Results
of Waste Reduction Measures at Construction Sites of Prefabricated Houses
and Goals
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| Enhancement of Environmental Education System |
| As part of
environmental education for the Housing Group, environmental leaders
at Kasugai Housing Works conduct environmental seminars for new employees
and those transferred from other groups, based on information provided
by the Environmental Affairs Division and other divisions. In February
2003, about 20 seminar participants went directly to construction and
other sites and checked individual activities to obtain a greater awareness
of environmental preservation. |
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Environmental education at a construction
site |
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| Earthquake Resistance Test |
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| Test of earthquake resistance |
In February 2003, at Obayashi Corporation
Technical Research Institute, Kiyose City, Tokyo, a public experiment to test
the earthquake resistance of Toyota houses was carried out on a SINCÉ SMART
STAGE model. After being subjected to seismic waves of up to level 7 on the
Japanese scale, only slight damage, such as dislodging of interior grouting
and tears in wallpaper was seen, with no warping or deformation observed in
the structure.
Reduction of deterioration and improved structural safety are viewed as environmentally
considerate factors in housing performance. Toyota is now using the expertise
that it has accumulated in vehicle manufacturing in quality control and manufacturing
technology to create homes that are safe, reliable and environmentally considerate. |
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