Across the Nation, Toyota Gives Back

Seventy-five Toyota Tundras haul 250,000 pounds of food – funded by donations from dozens of local dealers and their business partners – to Philabundance, the largest hunger relief organization in the Philadelphia region.

Texas-based Toyota team member volunteers drive vehicles filled with toys to Children's Health Medical Centers in the North Dallas area.

Team members from Toyota’s Los Angeles Region walk to raise funds for and increase awareness of childhood cancer.

“Toyota is committed to supporting the betterment of the communities it serves,” said Alec D. Hagey, vice president and general manager of Toyota’s Los Angeles Region. “We’re proud to give back to our local communities and help those in need this holiday season.”
 
Happy holidays from the Toyota family.

Scrap That’s Not Crap

Toyota’s North American Parts Operation Gives New Life to Used Vehicle Parts 

Toyota has bumped up efforts to reduce waste by recycling old vehicle bumper covers and other scrap parts.

In partnership with Boles Parts Supply (BPS), Toyota created the National Scrap Program in 2014, a one-stop shop for all of Toyota’s North American Parts Operation’s (NAPO) recycling needs. Accepting the challenge to help Toyota recycle old bumper covers, BPS began shredding them into plastic pellets. The pellets are now sold to a vendor where they take on a second life as part of the materials used to create new plastic automotive parts. 

The program piloted with Toyota’s two largest parts centers – Ontario, Calif., and Hebron, Ky. – and in the first 15 months helped recycle over 40,000 pounds of cloth and foam, two materials previously incinerated or sent to landfills.

Between April 2014 and June 2015, it expanded to parts distribution centers in Cincinnati, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland,  and more than doubled the amount of cloth, foam, glass and rubber recycled – over 88,000 pounds. Toyota is currently reviewing the program for potential roll-out to remaining parts distribution centers by the end of fiscal year 2017.

“We’ve been enormously pleased with the success of this program,” said Juliana Dee, manager of the program at NAPO. “Thanks to our partner BPS, we are giving a second life to things that used to be trash and making a real improvement in our recycling rate.”

To find out more about Toyota’s material efforts to minimize waste, roll over to the 2015 North American Environmental Report. 

Subtly Saving Lives

Toyota Technical Center's Pelky Devoted to Child Car Seat Safety

So what if Jennifer Pelky was only 10-years-old? It was a two-person job and nothing could stop her from putting together that entertainment center with her dad.
 
“I was determined to help him. Basically, I read the instructions and told him what to do,” Pelky says years later while sitting on a cement block in the crash test area at Toyota Technical Center (TTC) in Ann Arbor. “That was my first entry into engineering. I loved doing it.”
 
Fast forward to 2011. Pelky has graduated from the University of Michigan and is a few years into her job at TTC. She also happens to be pregnant with her first child. She goes to Babies “R” Us to buy a child car seat.

But there are issues. She can’t figure out how to properly install the seat. Eventually, after some struggle and consultation with a coworker, she figures it out.

Think about that for a second.

Pelky – who has a passion for cars, a degree from one of the most prestigious engineering schools in the nation and a job as an engineer for one of the top automakers in the world – had trouble figuring out how to install a normal car seat.

What chance does the average parent have?

According to Buckle Up for Life, Toyota’s partnership with the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital that helps educate families about child safety seats, only one in four child car seats is properly installed.

That’s the issue Pelky is trying to correct. And that situation confirmed for Pelky that interior safety was where she wanted to work.

“When you get your vehicle, there’s an anchor the child seat attaches to,” she explains. “I’m responsible for making sure that anchor meets federal regulations.”

After struggling to install that first seat, Pelky wanted to help other mothers in similar situations. She became a certified child passenger safety technician in 2012. Since then she has worked with Safe Kids Huron Valley to take shifts at local retailers, fire stations and community events to help parents choose the right seat and install it in their vehicles.

In 2014, she joined Buckle Up for Life, acting as a Toyota spokesperson doing media interviews and trying to spread the word on the importance of the issue.

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that in 2012, 1,168 children under 14 died in traffic accidents. Another 169,000 were injured. But those numbers are likely going down. In 2013, total traffic fatalities hit historic lows, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

And while factors like safety technology play a major role, so does educating parents on how to properly transport their children.

“As a parent I value the safety of my children above everything else and I see a lot of parents who don’t know they’re doing it wrong, but they’re making an effort and that is great,” says Pelky. “And I know that when they leave, they’re safer than when they came in. That, to me, is huge.”

Marking Watershed Effort

Toyota Takes 360 Degree Approach to Water Stewardship

Can a stream of effort flow into a river of results? Of course.

Proof positive is Toyota’s Portland Vehicle Distribution Center (VDC). Toyota redesigned the site at Terminal 4 of the city’s port on the Willamette River in 2004 with a focus on H20.

The facility collects rain water, stores it in a large underground tank and uses it to flush toilets in the main building…saving water. Toilets have dual function flush…saving water. Personnel are trained to clean vehicles in a wash bay (not outside) and to only wash vehicles that have accessories added…saving water.

The VDC – which processes Toyota, Scion and Lexus vehicles for distribution to dealers in 23 states – earned LEED® Gold certification. Water conservation, not surprisingly, played a big role.

But environmental efforts extended beyond the building, says Doug Warneke, production supervisor at the VDC. Take, for example, the site’s four-acre bioswale.

The bioswale is a series of shallow ditches that holds water during runoff. Grass and other biomass in the ditches slow the water down, allowing time for particulates to settle out. The ditches also cool water running off the asphalt. As a result, the bioswale helps improve the quality of the water flowing into the Willamette River, helping many species living in and near it. “The bioswale serves as a protected wildlife habitat,” says Warneke. “We’ve seen eagles, geese, ducks, rabbits, coyotes and other critters.”

Other steps Toyota has taken to protect the watershed:

• Installing filters to absorb oil in the parking lot and loading area
• Using vegetable-based hydraulic oil instead of petroleum-based oil
• Using native, drought-resistant plants for landscaping
• Not using pesticides on landscaped areas
• Partnering with Willamette Riverkeeper for annual river cleanup

Team members even test storm water for contaminants quarterly as part of the site’s storm water pollution prevention program. Levels have been consistently low, so the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality allows the company to opt out of monitoring.

“We choose to stay in the program,” says Brent LaFollette, safety and environmental administrator at the facility. “It’s a good way for us to remain vigilant about water quality.”

To read more about Toyota’s water stewardship efforts, go with the flow athttp://www.toyota.com/usa/environmentreport2015/index.html.

Toyotathon is On!

Tis the holiday season, which means Toyotathon is on! Here at Burien Toyota, we have some incredible holiday deals that will be available through January 4. What kind of awesome holiday deals?

• Get a new 2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid for less than $27,000
• Seahawks 2015 Toyota Tundra for $40,000! (check out the metallic logo!)
• A 2015 Toyota Sienna for less than $30,000

Check out these deals and many more HERE and be sure to stop by to take your new or used Toyota at Burien Toyota before January 4 so you can take advantage of these end-of-year deals!

Toyota Tops the IIHS 2016 ‘Top Safety Pick+’ Awards

Nine Toyota, Lexus and Scion Models Earn Institute’s Highest Recognition for Crashworthiness and Front Crash Prevention

Toyota once again led the industry on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) annual list of safety awards. Nine Toyota, Lexus and Scion models received the IIHS’ highest award for 2016, the TOP SAFETY PICK+, the most of any manufacturer.   

“At Toyota, we continue to focus on the safety and peace of mind of our customers,” said Dino Triantafyllos, Toyota’s North American Chief Quality Officer. “We are proud that IIHS has recognized our commitment to helping protect drivers and passengers.” 

According to IIHS, automakers were required to meet tougher criteria to be considered for the 2016 awards. For this year’s TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards, the IIHS recognized the addition of Toyota’s pre-collision system to the Avalon and the RAV4, rating both models superior for front crash prevention. The Scion iA, which received an advanced rating for front crash prevention, was also acknowledged as the only low-priced car sold with a standard pre-collision system. 

All award winners were required to achieve good ratings in five crashworthiness tests and have an available front crash prevention system. TOP SAFETY PICK+ award winners must also have a superior- or advanced-rated front crash prevention system with automatic braking capabilities

The full list of 2016 Toyota, Lexus and Scion TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners are: Toyota Prius v, Toyota Camry, Toyota Avalon, Toyota RAV4, Lexus CT 200h, Lexus ES, Lexus RC, Lexus NX, and Scion iA. 

From Water to Waste to Wildlife: Toyota’s Environmental 'To Do' List

Launch the only zero emission vehicle with more than 300 miles of driving range – check. 

Manufacture vehicles using renewable energy from landfill gas – check.

Save more than 54 million gallons of water by reducing, reusing and recycling – check. 

Certify more than 1,000 acres of land in North America to Wildlife Habitat Council’s Wildlife at Work program – check.  

Reuse hybrid batteries to create stationary energy systems – check. 

The environmental “to do” list is lengthy and the achievements above, along with many more, are featured in our latest North American Environmental Report 



Five priority issues - carbon, water, materials, biodiversity, and outreach - guide Toyota’s efforts in North America. Here are a few highlights from each:

Carbon

• Toyota Mirai is the only zero emission electric vehicle on the market that tops the 300 mile range milestone. Mirai is a fuel cell electric vehicle that uses hydrogen as fuel and emits only water vapor.
• 11th consecutive ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. EPA. Toyota’s 14 North American manufacturing plants have reduced energy use by nearly 14 billion kilowatt hours since 2002.
• Toyota’s Georgetown assembly plant now generates green power from local landfill gas, enough for the production of 10,000 vehicles per year.

Water

• Toyota saved over 54 million gallons of water in North America during fiscal year 2015, enough to fill 82 Olympic-size swimming pools.
• Team members at Toyota’s assembly plant in San Antonio, Texas, reduced water use by 80 gallons per vehicle produced by installing additional filtration in the paint shop.
• Toyota’s Chicago Service Training Center collects rain water and routes it to a rain garden where it’s reabsorbed into planting beds. Together with drought-tolerant native landscaping, this eliminates the need for irrigation.

Materials

• Toyota’s North American facilities reduced, reused, recycled or composted over 96 percent of non-regulated waste during calendar year 2014.
• Toyota has 28 North American facilities that meet the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council’s definition of a “Zero Waste Business” – one with a 90 percent or greater diversion of all waste from landfill, incineration and the environment.
• Toyota’s plant in Alabama is the first in North America to reuse batteries from end-of-life hybrid vehicles as stationary energy storage. Using these batteries gives them a second life and keeps them out of landfills.

Biodiversity

• Toyota currently has over 1,000 acres across nine North American sites certified to the Wildlife Habitat Council’s Wildlife at Work program.
• Toyota’s assembly plant in Mississippi planted four pollinator gardens last year; all four were certified by Monarch Watch as monarch waystations. Waystations offer habitat for the monarch butterfly, whose numbers have declined 90 percent in the last two decades.
• Over 130,000 trees were planted at Toyota’s Indiana assembly plant between 2008 and 2014. In 10 years, when these trees reach their peak, they will be capturing and storing 2,170 tons of CO2 from the air annually.

Outreach

• At the Lamar Buffalo Ranch in Yellowstone National Park, an innovative distributed energy system combines solar power generation with reused Camry Hybrid battery packs. The result: reliable, sustainable, zero emission power to the field campus for the first time since it was founded in 1907.
• Residents from more than 3,900 U.S. cities pledged to save over 1.5 billion gallons of water as part of the annual National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, supported by Toyota.
• Forty seven Toyota and Lexus dealers have achieved LEED® certification – that’s more LEED-certified dealers in the U.S. and Canada than any other auto manufacturer.

Toyota Places a Charitable Spin on the Traditional Selfie with New Campaign - #Selflessie

Holiday Campaign to Benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Toyota launches a new initiative, #Selflessie, which encourages Instagram users to ditch their typical selfie snapshots in favor of posting a “selfless selfie.” Kicking off on #GivingTuesday, and continuing through January 4, every photo hashtagged on Instagram with #Selflessie will trigger a $50 donation from Toyota to Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), up to $250,000.
 
The #Selfie, a cultural phenomenon, ranks amongst the most popular hashtags on social media with over 1 million posts each day. Celebrities including Kelly Rowland, Debby Ryan and Paul Wesley are helping Toyota spread the positive message of selflessness this holiday season.
 
“We have become a society of photo sharers, and one of the most popular photography styles is the selfie," said Jason Schragger, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles. "We take them to show off or simply to capture life’s most memorable moments. By co-opting this behavior, and flipping it, creating a powerful agent of positivity and selflessness this holiday season, #Selflessie can turn this activity into something truly meaningful." 
 
#Selflessie is timed in conjunction with this December’s Toyotathon sales event. In years past, Toyota has made it a priority to give back during this time, previously developing, “Give a Click for Charity,” benefiting BGCA, “Prius Toy Drive,” serving Toys for Tots, and “Buckle Up For Life,” a national program Toyota created with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center that provides free child car seats to families in need.
 
“We continuously seek new and exciting ways to transform ideas into action while bringing the ‘Toyota Way’ principles – Respect for People and Continuous Improvement – to life. Supporting BGCA lends us the perfect opportunity to inspire the next generation of engineers, thinkers, and leaders who will help drive the American economy,” said Jack Hollis, Group Vice President, Marketing, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.
   
Toyota team members at all levels of the organization are active volunteers with the Clubs, including Toyota Financial Services President & CEO, Mike Groff, who serves on the Board of Trustees for Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
 
As the Signature Sponsor of the Youth of the Year program, Toyota is committed to collaborating, investing and elevating BGCA’s industry-leading youth leadership platform. In addition to their Youth of the Year program sponsorship, Toyota has provided a brand new Corolla to the National Youth of the Year winner since 2010, along with financial support to offset the costs of automobile ownership.