Toyota is launching its first-ever Toyota Circular Factory (TCF) at the Burnaston plant in Derbyshire. The facility will focus on recycling, repurposing, and remanufacturing vehicle components to enhance environmental sustainability.
The Derbyshire facility will commence operations by the third quarter of the year. During its initial phase, the factory will efficiently process 10,000 vehicles annually, recovering essential parts and raw materials.
The new plant will function alongside the existing Corolla factory, which Toyota has assured will continue its operations at Burnaston.
As stated by the company, Toyota’s recycling initiatives will center on three key areas, including recovering reusable vehicle components and parts, reclaiming commodities for remanufacturing, and processing other materials for recycling.
In its second phase, the TCF initiative will extend its reach across Europe. The facility will prioritize reusing components, remanufacturing items such as batteries and wheels, and recycling materials like copper, aluminum, and plastic, with the goal of minimizing reliance on new raw materials for vehicle manufacturing.
The reclaimed Toyota car parts will be reintroduced to the market through retailers and distributors after undergoing a ‘comprehensive validation process.’ Meanwhile, commodity items such as batteries and wheels will be evaluated for their potential to be remanufactured, repurposed, or recycled.
Additionally, the raw materials will be used to substitute ‘virgin materials’ whenever possible during manufacturing.
Leon van der Merwe, Toyota Motor Europe’s Vice President of Circular Economy, asserted the UK facility is expected to recycle approximately 10,000 vehicles annually. The initiative will revitalize 120,000 parts, reclaim 300 tons of high-purity plastic, and recover 8,200 tons of steel, along with other materials.
Toyota has set a global target to achieve carbon neutrality across the entire vehicle life cycle by 2050, with a European goal of eliminating COâ‚‚ emissions by 2040 and achieving neutrality at manufacturing sites by 2030.
GENERAL | Hyundai CEO Warns of Trade Risks, Backs Localization Despite Tariff Uncertainty
