Toyota's Alabama, West Virginia Plants Reach Zero Landfill Status

ERLANGER, Ky., May 12, 2003 -- Toyota today announced that its Alabama and West Virginia engine plants have achieved zero landfill targets. They are the first of Toyota's North American plants to reach the environmental target as part of the company's 2006 Action Plan.

"It is necessary, as a good corporate citizen, to strive to improve our environmental performance," said Atsushi Niimi, President of Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America. "Today's announcement is one more step in Toyota's endeavor to become a global leader in the environmental field."

Earlier this year, the West Virginia plant became the first Toyota plant operating in North America to achieve zero landfill status. Located in Buffalo, W. Va., the plant began production in 1998 and builds four-and six- cylinder engines and automatic transmissions.

The Alabama V8 engine plant, located in Huntsville, is the first North American Toyota plant to begin production as a zero landfill facility. Production began in April.

The engine plants have eliminated landfill waste by reducing material usage, recycling and resource recovery. The recovery is achieved by turning waste into reusable energy.

Waste reduction is one component of Toyota's overall Environmental Action Plan covering the period 2001 through 2006. The Plan also includes targets for air emissions, water conservation and energy saving. The over-arching plan will be phased into operation in a series of cycles with an overall reduction goal.

By 2006, Toyota will have capacity to build 1.65 million cars and trucks a year, 1.16 million engines and 360,000 automatic transmissions in North America. Toyota currently employs some 34,000 people throughout North America. The company's direct investment is nearly $14 billion with annual parts, materials, goods and services purchased from North American suppliers totaling nearly $20 billion. Toyota's North American-produced vehicles include the Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Matrix, Sienna, Solara, Sequoia, Tacoma and Tundra, and Voltz. Beginning in the fall of 2003, the Lexus RX 330 will be produced at the automaker's plant in Ontario, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada.

For additional information on Toyota's environmental report, please visit www.toyota.com/environment