Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK is getting ready to launch its first European recycling factory in the UK

Toyota is planning to recycle 10,000 vehicles a year at its Burnaston plant in the UK from the third quarter of 2025, with the establishment of a Toyota Circular Factory (TCF) at the site. The first phase of activity will provide 120,000 recycled parts, according to Leon van der Merwe, vice-president of Circular Economy at Toyota Motor Europe. Those parts will used exclusively for the aftermarket. 

The Burnaston plant will be the first location for Toyota’s recycling initiative in Europe and the aim is to develop a centre of excellence for future recycling operations across Europe and worldwide, according to the carmaker. The initiative is part of Toyota’s stated aim “to significantly reduce emissions associated with vehicle and sub-component manufacturing”.

With that in mind, the facility is located within the Burnaston site using existing assets to minimise the impact on the environment, according to the carmaker. The total footprint is under 10,000 sq.m. Currently, Toyota Burnaston is running trials at the TCF and is in set up phase, with operations planned to begin in Q3 of this year. Toyota’s spokesperson said that logistics and storage will be set up in line with the ramp up to Q3 recycling and production and the company aims to utilise existing storage facilities and low-carbon logistics routes as much as possible. Toyota is directly managing logistics at the facility.

The TCF in the UK will focus on three key areas of processing: reusable parts, commodities that can be remanufactured and materials that can be recycled. Toyota said that parts that can be reused will be reintroduced to the market through retailers or distributors. The Burnaston TCF will assess commodity items such as batteries and wheels for their potential remanufacture, repurposing or recycling. In addition, Toyota intends to recycle raw materials such as copper, aluminium, steel and plastic to replace virgin materials where possible in the production of new vehicle parts.

“We initially anticipate recycling around 10,000 vehicles a year in our UK facility, which will give new life to 120,000 parts, recover 300 tonnes of high-purity plastic and 8,200 tonnes of steel, among other materials,” said van der Merwe. “As a next step, we plan to roll out similar operations across Europe. And we’re not stopping at our own facilities – we are eager to collaborate with other organisations who share our passion for circularity and commitment to carbon neutrality.”

By 2035, Toyota said it plans to have 100% CO2 reduction across its European product line-up.