Toyota's Environmental Pollution: Ethical Actions & Behaviour - Research Paper

Abstract

Toyota Company is probably the most significant corporation which conducts its business in the automotive industry among other business. In its performance, there are a lot of actions, behaviors and communications that have been under reputation. Since creation, Toyota has been accused of acting ethically in matters concerning employment practices, human rights, environmental pollution, bribery and corruption and sustainability. This paper is citing some of the environmental pollution behavioral actions of Toyota, conclusion and the recommendations. The actions appear as follows in this paper:(Negative actions)Lithium pollutant contained in car batteries, oils that Toyota vehicles use which contribute to environmental pollutions, high consumption of energy which pose a threat to environment,sulphur acids and smoke emission, solvents contained in car paints, damage of environment in building of transports systems.(positive actions)introduction of cartridge based robots used in painting to reduce solvent exposure to environment, installation of NPI regulatory system, new car designs that use less energy, wastewater treatment and the abstinence of leading technology.

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Introduction and Objectives

The staff of the company is concerned about the actions of the company concerning the environmental pollution. The staff would like to highlight some of the behaviors, actions and communications of Toyota Company that contribute to the positive and negative actions towards environmental pollution. We have come up with the some of the proposed recommendations after looking at some of the challenge. The staff is looking forward for their concern to be put into consideration by management.

Current Performance

The performance of the company currently is alarming. The ethical area of concern is a reason to worry. Toyota is opening up branches al over the globe. The production of raw materials and the entire process leaves the environment damaged at a great speed.

Negative Actions on Environmental Pollution by Toyota

Most of Toyota vehicles use lithium electric car batteries' manufacture of the cells use tones of lithium. The lithium itself is extracted through mining. The mining of lithium in many countries destroys the livelihood of thousands of people in the respective countries to extract lithium used in Toyota vehicles. People were living around the mining site loose access water for domestic use. The evaporation technology used in breaking down of lithium is causing trouble in countries like Chile, Argentina and South Africa. (Ana, 2017) Though there is an alternative, the company still depends on the lithium batteries, which is a disaster to the environment.

Due to using oil in the cars, Sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides which are emitted into the environment is considered to cause acid rain. (Sajit, 2015) Emission of harmful substances into the air by vehicles is a significant problem to the environment. Toyota vehicles, among other vehicle companies, should be responsible and try to find a way to reduce the production of harmful gases to the environment. It is recognizable there has been an effort to curb the problem, but it is still a concern.

Toyota Company has had an effort to get rid of fuel motors by building hybrid cars. (J. Yates, 2019) the idea was intended to cut down the pollution of the environment by vehicle fumes and maybe another economic aspect. Building hybrid vehicles need high technology in automated assembly lines. The manufacturing process of the assembly lines uses a lot of input energy in forging materials like plastics, steel and others. According to research, about 20% of the vehicles emit greenhouse gas during the manufacturing stage. Toyota admits that in its production of lightweight vehicles causes even more emission of carbon dioxide and uses more energy than in the other car models.

It is astonishing to find out that behind the manufacture of vehicles, it undermines the health protections. Fuel performance in cars leads to the emission of carbon dioxide polluting the environment. (Igor, 2016) During the manufacturing process, there is a high level of water consumption. The water is later drained to water bodies and therefore polluting them, packaging and wrapping materials used in vehicles end up in dumpsites which act as pollutants.

Vehicle assembly itself is a significant polluter of the environment. Before a car is driven, the engine plants undertake processes that involve metal stamping facilities release Sulphur acid and other smoke emissions into the air. (Pierre, 2016) These emissions affect the protective layer leading to the greenhouse effect. It also leads to affect the health of living thing by triggering diseases.

The significant pollution caused by vehicles is the emission of fumes produced when fuel is burned to produce energy. The fumes emit carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. (Massimiliano, 2016) These gases contribute to various types of pollution which expose the environment to more dangers. These gases also are believed to cause health hazards like asthma, heart diseases, cancer and other health complications.

The other practice of Toyota Company and other vehicle industry that causes pollution is the use of solvents during the painting of vehicles. (Marcia, 2017) Paints have volatile organic compounds which contribute to almost a quarter of infections of cars.

The communication network used by Toyota supply and transportation of the system, which is used in the production and delivery of vehicles, also contributes to pollution. (Stier, Byron, 2016) The process of building the infrastructure and transport system by the company leads to infection too.

Positive Actions on Environmental by Toyota

Toyota Company feels that it is responsible for conserving the environment. Toyota has realized how its operations pollute the environment and have made a lot of efforts in trying to keep the climate safe, taking into consideration its industry.

The company has significantly improved in total organic compound through its efforts in the introduction of cartridge-based robots. The robot's paints cars by maintaining the correct distance with the vehicle, which enables the most accessible form of cleaning the solvents and therefore protect the environment from the solvent's pollutants. (Robert, 2020)Toyota Company has tried to reduce the emission of NPI through the installation of a powerful engine holding furnace. (Koki, 2017) The stove allows the delivery of molten aluminum, which leads to energy savings. When this happens, there will be less fuel consumption and therefore less pollution.

Toyota is committed to controlling the amount and variety of chemical used in the manufacture of vehicles. The firm has installed a system that records the number of substances containing NPI enabling easy tracking and control.

Toyota vehicles have been designed to conserve energy. (Poqiang, 2016) Energy-Conserving energy vehicles use less fuel and low polluting fuels. The facilities used in producing power in machines reduce the Sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides released to the air.

All Toyota factories are installed with wastewater treatment facilities, which ensure that chemicals and harmful substances are not released into the environment polluting it. (Hailing, 2016) The company also reuses its water to minimize the high consumption of water since it is a limited resource.

To protect the environment from the use of leading technology, it has installed a new bumper bar painting facility which uses water-based technology hence reducing the emitting of TVOC. (Xuan, 2019)

Proposal

Recommendations for Improving Business Ethics

Concerning the ethical issues that arise in business, several practices will help to maintain a high level of integrity and to protect the environment. Here are the recommendations.

Toyota need to come up with policies and processes which govern the ethical issues in businesses. The plans should spell out the rules and regulation that protect ecological, social and economic aspects. For instance, there should be a policy that regulates waste product in industries to protect the environment. The policy will help the law enforcer to have bargaining power to carry out their duties. Leaders should be in the forefront in enforcing the law because if leaders themselves take part in unethical behaviors, it will be challenging to uphold the legal issues.

There is also a need to select professional personnel who will use their know-how in making decisions and bringing a difference in the ethic of the company. The company's failure to comply with ethical issues might be because of unreliable leaders. It is essential to use the right people who will initiate change. However to employ the personnel may require use of a lot of funds to pay the personnel.

People need to be trained in ethical issues. The training will remove doubt in people in whether an item is ethical or not. If people get knowledge of ethics and its importance, it will be easy for them to practice and protect them. Most unethical behavior arises from ignorance by members; through training such offences will be minimized.

The interest of the company should be to the environment. Although the interest might pose challenges to marketers of the company; that is why Companies, in most cases, consider the success of a company leaving behind ethical issues. Companies must have an interest in the conservation of the situation. It is a moral issue; in fact, it will promote the company through its integrity. The benefit will enable the company to consider the ethical issues concerning the environment and employ them. This policy will help to reduce pollution of the situation.

The company should also conduct research and develop clean energy (Jianmin, 2017). Through analysis, more inventions are adopted. The innovations will be more ethical to environmental issues. Designs like the use of solar energy in running engines are one of the successful changes through research (Neil, 2016). Toyota Company needs to encourage and develop production and use of renewable energy where possible. There is a lot of free renewable energy like solar energy, hydroelectric power, wind energy and other sources. These energy sources are environmentally friendly resources. They can be used during production and in engines. With renewable energy, there will be no ethical issues with the environment. They are cheap and safe.

Evaluation of the costs and benefits of conservation of the environment will bring the realization of the importance of keeping our environment safe. There is a need to consider the effects of pollution and avoid the expense of it by conserving it. There are more benefits of preserving the environment than the interests of polluting it with fumes from vehicles we claim to be important in our lives. The costs of the effects of climate are too adverse. It is cheaper to conserve the environment than to take the price of its impact.

Companies also need to evaluate new engines that are created every day. The industrial design also is subject to consideration. By assessing the latest drivers and modern industrial design, it will be easy to identify safe ways to the environment. It will help to come up with engines which use little energy and therefore emitting fewer pollutants.

Benefits of the Recommendations to Stakeholders

When the company identifies new process and policies governing the actions of the company. Customers will be provided with safe products. Consumers out there will be safe from any pollution impacts since the system prevents pollution actions, and the consumers will be more reliable.

Through the employment of expert personnel in terms...