Auto manufacturer Toyota Motor Corp., (Toyota) has endorsed En Tsumugi ELV Dismantler Corp., a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-backed end-of-life vehicle (ELV) dismantling facility, which is the first of its kind in the country, located in Mexico, Pampanga.

A wholly-owned venture of the Hung family, owner of local metal recycling companies Supreme Mile Trading Corp. (SMTC) and CoroCrown Corp., En Tsumugi is a result of a pilot project led by Japanese ELV dismantler Tsuruoka Co. Ltd.

Several Japanese businesses, including Toyota and Mitsui and Co. Ltd., provided business development and technical assistance.

The establishment of En Tsumugi is considered a milestone in the local automotive industry’s push for a responsible management system for ELVs, or those vehicles with components classified by the local authorities as waste.

The facility, open to various car models, will serve as a benchmark in further developing the local recycling industry while promoting environmental sustainability and the adoption of best practices and foreign expertise.

Through its local unit, Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMP), the Japanese car makers’ involvement in the project includes providing technical support in various areas, such as environmental compliance, facility design, dismantling methodology, equipment requirements and hazardous waste management.

Furthermore, TMP donated five ELVs, including one hybrid electric vehicle, to En Tsumugi as training units for further equipping and enhancing of the facility’s capabilities.

Global dismantlers network

“The establishment of a local ELV dismantler aligns with the goals of the ‘Toyota Global 100 Dismantlers Project,’ which aims to establish a network of proper ELV dismantling facilities worldwide,” TMP president Masando Hashimoto during the inauguration ceremony of En Tsumugi in Pampanga.

The project seeks to address the environmental challenges posed by ELVs, such as pollution and resource depletion, by promoting proper dismantling and recycling practices, which also contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

At the same event, TMP bestowed its Certificate of Gratitude to En Tsumugi. Hashimoto also mentioned that En Tsumugi is the fourth ELV dismantler in the Southeast Asian region to receive this endorsement, following similar facilities in Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.