Toyota, Menicon Develop Advanced Composting Process
Tokyo, Japan, June. 16, 2006 - (JCN Newswire) - Toyota Motor Corporation and Menicon Co., Ltd. (Menicon) announced today that TMC and Menicon, Japan's largest manufacturer of contact lenses, have jointly developed an efficient and environmentally friendly manure composting process for the livestock industry called "resQ45" *1 Ingredients used in the process will be manufactured and sold by Toyota Roof Garden Co., Ltd., a TMC subsidiary, and sales to limited areas will begin on July 1 via the livestock feed sales channels of Toyota Tsusho Corporation (Toyota Tsusho). In Japan, where 89 million tons of livestock manure are produced annually*2, "resQ45" is hoped will help reduce the burden on livestock farmers, who, under the Law Concerning the Appropriate Treatment and Promotion of the Utilization of Livestock Manure, which went into full effect in November 2004, are prohibited from leaving livestock manure in open-air mounds or in insufficiently lined pits. "resQ45" uses a new enzymatic agent called "Tokubetsu-Kyuko" to promote decomposition and a thermophilic bacteria called "Thermo Master", both created based on Menicon's degradation enzymes and microorganisms. Expertise in creating decomposition environments was gained through field tests and applied to development. "resQ45" slashes to approximately 45 days (from a conventional 90 to 180 days) the period required to complete composting, reducing the burden on livestock farmers. It also effectively reduces environmental impact, by such means as reducing odors and greenhouse gases. Primary benefits of resQ45 (As measured by Menicon) - Composting times drastically reduced to approximately 45 days from 90 to 180 days - Ammonia (NH3), a source of offensive odors, substantially reduced by 90% - Greenhouse gases (nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) substantially reduced (N2O reduced by 90%; no CH4 detected (detection limit: 5ppm or less)) - Compost contains 90% less nitrate-nitrogen, greatly reducing effect on water quality - Results in high-quality compost with 100- to 1,000-fold increase in actinomycetes "resQ45" customers will receive tailored technical assistance, as individual livestock farmers are likely to have different requirements that reflect their immediate composting variables, such as enzyme concentration, water content, airflow and pH. For the time being, the "resQ45" will be marketed to cattle farmers, with sales expected to be 1 billion yen after three years. Targeted sales after five years is 2 billion yen, once "resQ45" has been adapted for use by pig and poultry farmers. Positioning use of the "resQ45" manure composting process as a new environmental business, the shared policy of TMC, Menicon and Toyota Tsusho is not only to contribute to keeping global warming in check and to improving farmlands, but also to contribute to the realization of a resource-recycling-oriented society. For more information, please see: www.toyota-tsusho.com/resq45.cfm (in Japanese). *1 "resQ" (pronounced like the word "rescue") is short for "recycle, eco, speed and quality"; "45" is from the processes' roughly 45-day composting period. *2 According to the Ministry of the Environment's "State of Discharge and Treatment of Industrial Waste in 2003" (business year starting April 1, 2003) About Toyota Motor Corporation Toyota Motor Corporation develops and manufactures vehicles, and is one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, offering a wide range of products from minivehicles to trucks. In addition to its core business, Toyota has a large business portfolio in financial services, including sales finance, vehicle insurance, and credit cards. It is also involved in telecommunications through a subsidiary that provides cellular services in Japan. Other diversified businesses include industrial equipment, prefabricated housing and leisure boats. The company is headquartered in Aichi, Japan. Fot more information, please visit www.toyota.co.jp/en/index.html.