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Mercury Awards sponsor leads in community spirit

Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) has underlined its commit­ment to Logistics Magazine’s Mercury Awards by once again sponsoring the category of Best Manufacturer.

“Supporting the Awards program is one of many ways our company demonstrates true community spirit in the indus­try,” says marketing and business development manager George Malamatinis.

“Along with best prac­tice approaches to technology, safety and training, TMHA has also enlist­ed the aid of not-for-profit organisa­tion Greenfleet as a positive contri­bution to the environment.”

Under the arrangement Greenfleet will plant a tree for every Toyota engine powered forklift delivered throughout Australia in 2008.

On current sales trends the commit­ment will see up to 3,000 trees planted. Since 1995 Greenfleet has planted trees on behalf of corpo­rate and private donors to create forests in areas of environmental concern, putting back the mix of native species that had been there originally.

As well as making a contribution to greenhouse gas abatement meas­ures, the tree planting exercise will also mark the 40th anniversary of TMHA’s establishment in Australia.

“Care for the environment features in everything we do, so our commit­ment to tree planting is a natural extension of that approach in this anniversary year,” says TMHA presi­dent Steve Harper.

“As a corporation Toyota has a simple three point plan. It aims to curb global warming, use resources more efficiently and reduce environmental risk factors.”

“In the material handling equip­ment field we contribute to the curbing of global warming by actively working to reduce energy consumption and the output of greenhouse gases through the entire lifecycle of our products, services, and production activities.”

“Toyota manufacturing techniques are acknowledged as world’s best practice, not just because of the qual­ity of what they produce, but because of the efficient use they make of raw materials and the high level of recy­cling achieved,” Harper says.

“The company’s commitment to reduce environmental risk factors has been a part of its standard operating procedure for many years.”

“This has involved reducing the use and output of harmful chemical substances while evaluating envi­ronmental risk factors at the plan­ning stage of business activity in order to prevent pollution.”

TMHA shares the same environ­mental aims and global earth char­ter as its ultimate parent company, the Toyota Motor Corporation, which was honoured by the United Nations almost a decade ago for its efforts.

In the conduct of its material han­dling equipment operations Toyota considers the total effect of the use of natural resources and energy, and the consequential environmen­tal impact over the entire life cycle of its products.

This includes the planning, devel­opment, design, manufacture and use of new products through to their disposal, with the aim of pro­moting efficient activities and reducing environmental impact.

Toyota’s comprehensive approach includes consideration of sources of energy, water, paper used in offices, raw materials used for manufacturing the product, various kinds of chemical substances used in the production process, and fuel for transport vehicles used in the distribution stage.

It also considers outputs including wastewater, exhaust gas and other wastes generated in the manufac­turing stages as well as carbon dioxide produced by the consump­tion of fuel and energy.

The practical outcome of these poli­cies is that all Toyota 8 Series fork­lift models are manufactured with­out many of the usual environmen­tally unfriendly substances such as asbestos, mercury and cadmium.

Improved paint formulation and the use of lead-free solder in Toyota Material Handling equip­ment has produced huge reductions in lead and hexavalent chromium to help reduce environ­mental impacts throughout its lifecycle.

“Toyota’s advanced 8 Series forklift models are amongst the world’s cleanest forklifts and the factories which produce them are world leaders in greenhouse gas abatement programs,” Steve Harper says.

“Even at the end of their working lives Toyota 8 Series forklifts can make a useful environmental contribution.”

“They are 99 per cent recyclable and, just as importantly, designed to make it easy for recyclable materials to be reclaimed.”

Advanced technology available to buyers of Toyota 8 Series IC forklifts enables the trucks to meet tough American emissions standards three years ahead of requirements.

US Environmental Protection Agency standards for 2010 mandate a 70 per cent reduction in smog forming emissions over those permitted under current regulations.

Toyota’s 8 Series petrol engine powered forklift models fitted with Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) and a three-way catalytic converter already meet the stringent 2010 requirements and also deliver a fuel efficiency bonus.

The technolo­gy gives Toyota forklift buyers access to the world’s cleanest inter­nal combustion forklifts from a company totally com­mitted to continuously improving environmental outcomes.

CO2 emissions on the EFI and catalytic converter equipped Toyota 8 Series models have been cut by nearly 57 per cent and NOx and HC emissions have been reduced nearly 99 per cent in compari­son to the previous 7 Series models.

The use of an electronically controlled throttle on 8 Series Toyota forklifts fitted with the advanced EFI engine has reduced fuel consump­tion by nearly 15 per cent, which also enhances total emissions performance.

Customers can also specify a factory-fitted machine-speed controller.

“Our Toyota 8 Series forklift range delivers major improvements in many areas, but we are particularly proud of its environmental performance,” Harper says.

Are you a manufacturer with leading approach to your supply chain, including exemplorary community spirit?

Enter the Mercury Awards now.

Email anna.game-lopata@reedbuisiness.com.au for an entry form.

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