Toyota’s eco-minded employees made further steps towards sustainable manufacturing

In 2013, as part of a continuous process improvement, Toyota identified re-using waste machining coolant from the aluminium swarf as a way to reduce environmental impact. This was achieved by introducing an additional filtration system to recover and return waste coolant directly to the engine block and head machining lines. As a result the coolant consumption was reduced by 38%, lowering the coolant make up water by 5.5% and the waste water treatment volume by 11%. It also achieved a cost reduction in raw materials and processing costs of 15%. The maintenance team’s achievement and other similar initiatives are being recognised by Toyota’s eco-kaizen awards and showcased to peers and company directors.