Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has announced plans to build its first "circular factory" in March. The new recycling centre for end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), which will be located at Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK’s Burnaston site in Derbyshire, is due to open in the third quarter of 2025. The new facility is intended to help drive the transition to a circular economy in Europe.
According to the company, the Toyota Circular Factory (TCF) will serve as a blueprint for additional recycling plants to be rolled out across Europe. The automaker's goal is to recycle ELVs systematically, maximising the environmental benefit. The focus will be on recovering reusable parts, processing commodity items that can be re-manufactured such as batteries and wheels, and recycling raw materials including steel, aluminium and plastic.
"We initially anticipate recycling around 10,000 vehicles a year,” said Leon van der Merwe, Vice President of Circular Economy at TME. This is expected to give new life to around 120,000 components from the dismantled vehicles annually. Toyota also aims to recover around 300 tonnes of plastic and 8,200 tonnes of steel and other metals each year. According to the company, there are currently around 16.5 million Toyota, GR (Gazoo Racing) and Lexus vehicles on the road in Europe.
The circular factory is intended not just as a waste management centre, but as a benchmark for responsible recycling and material reuse.
In the medium term, Toyota plans to establish additional plants across Europe. The company is also looking to work with external partners to harness synergies within the circular economy. The initiative forms part of the company's European and global sustainability objectives.
This move is aligned with Toyota’s commitment to carbon neutrality. The company plans to have "100 per cent CO2 reduction across its European product line-up". The circular factory is expected to play a key role in reducing the environmental impact along the entire value chain.
