Creating harmony with cars, flowers

Toyota promotes its 3rd generation Prius as “Harmony between man, nature and machine.” What is far more impressive than this hybrid car is what the auto maker is doing at the Tsutsumi plant where the vehicle is manufactured. The company has established three initiatives for the facility related to using renewable energy, afforestation of plant sites to conserve local ecosystems and to contribute to the local community, and energy and resource conservation activities.

The Tsutsumi plant is equipped with solar panels that generate about 2,000 kW, the highest level for any automobile plant in the world.

Looking to co-exist in harmony with the local environment near the Tsutsumi facility, Toyota is planting native broad-leaved evergreen trees, including camphor, Japanese cleyera and Japanese blue oak. The company also plans to make use of its biotechnology and afforestation businesses to develop plants that absorb nitrogen oxide and to install green walls and roofs.

The company has developed two flower species, derived from the cherry sage plant and gardenia, that will be planted around the Tsutsumi plant. According to www.Drive.com.au, the cherry sage plant absorbs harmful gases, and the gardenia’s leaves produce water vapor that helps to reduce the air temperature around the auto plant and reduces the need for cooling which helps to limit the production of carbon dioxide.

In October Toyota celebrated the 10th anniversary of its floriculture business, Toyota Floritech Co. The company was started with Hakusan Co., a seed and seedling import company, for the production and sales of potted flowering and ornamental plants.