Toyota collects prestigious ‘Big Tick’ awards

Toyota’s commitment to environmental leadership and natural resource efficiency has been recognised with two prestigious ‘Big Tick’ awards from Business in the Community.

In its annual Awards for Excellence, which identify and celebrate companies having a positive impact on the community, environment, marketplace and workplace, Business in the Community recognised the positive contribution Toyota is making to minimise the impact of its operations on the environment and to inspire others to take a responsible approach.

Representatives from Toyota Manufacturing UK collected the Big Tick awards at East Midlands Awards for Excellence last week at Derby University. Toyota collected a ‘Big Tick’ in the Environmental Leadership category by demonstrating how having a clear vision and environmental ownership throughout the entire business can lead to significant improvements. Since the start of production in 1992 Toyota has reduced energy use per vehicle produced by over 70%, water use per vehicle by over 75%, volatile organic compound emissions by over 70%, and waste generated per vehicle by over 60% at the Burnaston plant. Toyota demonstrated how all employees receive environmental awareness training and are encouraged to improve environmental performance both at work and at home.

In its submission Toyota highlighted how, through initiatives such as its public visit programme, business benchmarking seminars and its work with education groups, including the national Toyota Technology Challenge, it aims to inspire others to follow its responsible approach.

The second ‘Big Tick’ award was in the Eco-efficiency category and is a reaccreditation of the award collected by the company last year for reducing water use at the Burnaston plant by introducing a waste water recycling system.

The system, which recycles water used in the car body painting process so it can be reused within the on-site boilers for steam generation, continues to reduce water use on-site by over 100,000 tonnes per year.

Clive Bridge, Corporate Affairs Director, Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK said: “Caring for the environment has always been at the heart of our business planning and we have implemented a number of initiatives across our plants to reduce our use of natural resources and energy. “Our achievements are made possible by the environmental focus and determination of our employees who continually seek to improve our performance in this crucial area. These latest Big Tick awards are further recognition of our commitment.”

Jim Haywood, Environment Director, Business in the Community said: "For companies to remain competitive they must understand their relationship to the global environment and strive to improve their impact. The companies that have been accredited with the prestigious Big Ticks have recognised this and improved their impact by embedding environmental strategy into the very heart of their businesses. Their leadership on the environmental agenda should be congratulated, and their commitment to improvement replicated by their peers."

The Big Tick is awarded to companies able to demonstrate excellence in the way that they organise and integrate responsible business practices and also have a positive impact both on society and on the business. The decision to award the Big Tick was made by a panel of independent, experienced practitioners, and as such is both hard won (only 39% of applicants are successful), and highly prestigious. Now in its eleventh year, the Big Tick is the UK’s leading awards for responsible business practice.

In 2004 Toyota Manufacturing UK was awarded a Big Tick in recognition of achieving zero waste to landfill at the Burnaston and Deeside plants – the first UK car manufacturer to achieve this environmental target. This Big Tick was reaccredited in 2005.