Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has launched the Toyota Circular Factory (TCF) to process end-of-life vehicles with a focus on recycling, repurposing, and remanufacturing.
The first TCF will be located at Toyota Manufacturing UK’s Burnaston plant in Derbyshire, with operations set to begin in the third quarter of this year.
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This TCF will serve as a “centre of excellence” for future recycling processes across Europe and other global markets.
The facility will focus on extracting reusable parts, remanufacturing commodity items, and recycling raw materials.
Reusable parts will be validated before being reintroduced to the market through retailers or distributors. This process ensures that functional components are utilised rather than discarded.
Commodity items such as batteries and wheels will be assessed for remanufacturing, repurposing, or recycling based on their condition and potential for reuse.
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By GlobalDataRaw materials, including copper, aluminium, steel, and plastic, will be recovered and processed to replace virgin materials in new vehicle production whenever possible.
TME vice president of circular economy Leon van der Merwe said: “We initially anticipate recycling around 10,000 vehicles a year in our UK facility, which will give new life to 120,000 parts, recover 300 tonnes of high-purity plastic and 8,200 tonnes of steel, among other materials.
“As a next step, we plan to roll out similar operations across Europe. And we’re not stopping at our own facilities – we are eager to collaborate with other organisations who share our passion for circularity and commitment to carbon neutrality.”
This initiative is part of Toyota’s broader sustainability goals, aiming to reduce emissions associated with vehicle manufacturing.
Toyota is committed to achieving carbon neutrality in all its owned facilities by 2030 and across its European product line-up by 2035.
The company’s global and European sustainability objectives include being fully carbon neutral by 2040.
Also, TME has unveiled the FT-Me, an electric micromobility concept for urban commuters.
The compact two-seater features a premium yet affordable design, using recycled materials to reduce its carbon footprint by 90% compared to current city vehicles.
