Toyota developed the Toyota Hybrid System in 1995, but didn't introduce the Prius, Toyota's first hybrid car, in the U.S. until 2000. Since then, Toyota has sold over one million hybrids to people in the U.S. Their website says, "The 2010 Prius contains parts made from plant-derived, carbon-neutral plastics" and that these new plastics "emit less CO2 during a product lifecycle than plastics made solely from petroleum" (toyota.com). They have also introduced a new program called the Toyota Certified Used Program to make renting and leasing hybrids more affordable.
One of Toyota's major concerns is to make their products more energy efficient and environment friendly not only while they are in use, but also through disposal. Currently, their End of Life Vehicle (ELV) recycling/recovery rate is over 90%, but they hope for it to rise to 95% by 2015 (toyota.com). Their researchers and biotech engineers are developing next-generation batteries and second-generation biodiesel fuel to aid in the pursuit of a greener environment. They have already developed more efficient methods of producing ethanol from wood waste rather than food crops and are researching ways to use solar power and other sources of clean energy along with biofuels to make cars that produce zero carbon dioxide emissions (toyota.com). Toyota is also marketing a flex-fuel vehicle that can run on up to 100% biofuel.
With the strides that Toyota is taking to help our environment, it comes as no surprise that their dealerships and manufacture plants have received numerous LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) awards throughout the years. With leaders like Toyota, it has become easy to envision a better environment.
