Toyota going right for environment
Motor manufacturer Toyota has earmarked its Isipingo Durban operation to practice production that does not harm the environment.
John Oliver, the vice president for customer service at Toyota South Africa yesterday announced the Dealer Environmental Risk Audit Programme (Derap) in a bid to create a sustainable South Africa.
“Various programmes have been developed to reduce the impact on the environment at the manufacturing plant in Durban as well as operations in Johannesburg,” he said.
He said the dealer principal is ultimately responsible for their dealers’ performance when it comes to implementing the five fundamentals of the programme including assigning a staff member as the person in charge of environmental projects.
The other fundamentals include displaying a waste treatment declaration in the dealership, treating waste in the correct way in terms of legislation, proper water drainage systems at the dealership and correct refrigerant recovery methods.
The current Derap programme was established in 2004 to guide the dealers in implementing several fundamental countermeasures to protect the environment.
“The Derap also tracks and measures the dealer’s progress and performance on the prescribed fundamentals of the audit programme,” said Oliver.
“Through environmental campaigns we aim to reduce our energy, water, waste, hazardous substances and paper. We reuse as far as possible and recycle everything we can. Paper, cans, plastic and glass is separated at source and sent to recycling plants.”
PHOTO: GREEN MACHINES: The Toyota manufacturing plant in Isipingo will ensure that production does not harm the environment.
CREDIT: AFP