Since its founding in 1917, TOTO has embedded environmental stewardship into its mission, designing products that enhance people’s lives while respecting the planet. This eco-friendly approach touches every department, from product design to how TOTO powers its factories and distributes its products. For more than a century, TOTO has been a global leader in sustainability.
More Than Awards: The Story Behind TOTO’s Accolades
Behind every accolade is a story of decisions made from the design table to the factory floors that shape the company’s environmental impact. For TOTO, one of the most significant milestones came when it earned a place on the Carbon Disclosure Project (CPD) A List. The CDP is not just another environmental index -- it’s the gold standard for corporate climate transparency.
Leading By Example: TOTO’s Inclusion on the Carbon Disclosure Project’s (CDP) A List
TOTO’s inclusion on the CDP A List highlights its leadership in cutting greenhouse emissions and embracing sustainable practices across its global operations.
TOTO understands that sustainability is core to the company’s business model. When TOTO sets out to create a new product, it doesn’t just focus on innovation, aesthetics, or functionality. TOTO considers the entire lifecycle of that product — from the raw materials it consumes to how it can be recycled or reused at the end of its life.
This kind of forward-thinking earned TOTO its place on the CDP A-List.
Beyond Environmental Excellence: How TOTO Balances Planet, People, and Profit
Further, the Wall Street Journal named TOTO one of the world’s Top 100 Most Sustainably Managed Companies. This accolade highlights more than just environmental efforts – it recognizes how well a company balances environmental, social, and governance factors. In a world where corporate goals and socio-environmental needs often clash, TOTO has found a way to harmonize the two.
"The Wall Street Journal’s ranking of the world’s most sustainably managed companies was based on a review of more than 5,500 publicly traded companies...that met disclosure standards for data showing...programs, policies, and performance metrics...in several key sustainability dimensions, including environment, human capital...social capital, and business model/innovation." The full methodology can be viewed here.
This recognition underscores TOTO’s holistic approach to sustainability, integrating environmental responsibility with social equity and sound governance. TOTO’s ability to balance the needs of the planet, people, and profit sets it apart in the industry, illustrating that sustainability is at the core of everything it does.
Ambitious and Aligned: How TOTO’s Goals Reflect Global Climate Action
You might be wondering: how does TOTO go about all this? It starts with setting ambitious environmental goals, validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
TOTO doesn’t just set arbitrary goals for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. It sets goals aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement, aiming to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Achieving this validation means that TOTO is on track to significantly reduce its carbon footprint by 2030 through innovations in energy efficiency, renewable energy use, and sustainable product design. The SBTi validation reflects TOTO’s leadership in addressing climate change, as it requires companies to commit to science-based, measurable goals that will have a real impact on reducing global warming.
From Global to Local: TOTO’s Environmental Impact in the U.S.
While TOTO’s global accolades are inspiring, its U.S. initiatives are where the impact truly comes to life.
TOTO is making tangible differences across the U.S. and in local communities like Morrow and Lakewood, Georgia, where TOTO USA operates its major manufacturing facilities.
TOTO USA’s sustainability initiatives’ impacts illustrate how TOTO can scale its environmental vision from global policies to on-the-ground actions that make a real difference for national and local ecosystems and economies.
Harnessing the Water-Energy Nexus: Sustainable Manufacturing and Water Conservation at TOTO USA
At TOTO USA’s Morrow facility, approximately 100,000 toilets are fired annually in its twin kilns, where temperatures reach up to 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 hours per firing cycle. This process requires a substantial amount of energy, consuming approximately 90,000 dekatherms of natural gas each year, supplied by Gas South, to maintain the high heat needed for production.
However, the use of natural gas in TOTO USA’s toilet production is only part of the story. What’s often overlooked is the water these toilets save.
With TOTO’s high-efficiency toilets, which consume just 1.28 gallons per flush (GPF) or 1.0 GPF, the company is redefining how North Americans approach water conservation.
And it’s not just about saving water — reducing water use also reduces the energy needed to treat, pump, and distribute it. This is the water-energy nexus at work, illustrating a subtle yet significant shift in how we manage resources.
What seems like a small, everyday action — flushing a TOTO high-efficiency toilet — becomes a key part of the sustainability equation.
Beyond Compliance: TOTO’s Commitment to Environmental Transparency
TOTO USA’s commitment to the high-efficiency product development has long centered on its life cycle assessment (LCA) program, which tracks the environmental impact of a product from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal. By analyzing every stage, TOTO USA identifies where resources can be optimized and waste reduced. LCAs provide TOTO USA invaluable insights but are too complex for non-experts to easily understand.
Recognizing this, TOTO USA was the first plumbing manufacturer to validate its products environmental performance with its innovative Sustainable Minds Transparency Reports, verified by NSF International. These concise environmental product declarations (EPDs) distill the complex data from LCAs into a concise, accessible format, combining both functional and environmental performance information.
They offer architects, builders, and consumers a clear view of how TOTO USA’s products contribute to their project’s sustainability goals. TOTO USA’s Transparency Report EPDs help the design-build community and homeowners make informed, eco-friendly purchasing decisions.
Water Conservation at Its Best: Saving Millions of Gallons Locally
One of the most significant aspects of TOTO USA’s environmental strategy is its focus on water conservation. In fact, TOTO is the only plumbing manufacturer to be named a Water Efficiency Leader by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
To reduce its water footprint at its Morrow manufacturing facility, TOTO recycles post-industrial gray water for plant washdown operations. Over the last three years, this process has saved an average of 7.8 million gallons of water.
That’s not just a statistic — it’s a meaningful reduction in the amount of water needed from the Clayton County Water Authority for use in TOTO’s manufacturing processes. However, TOTO doesn’t stop there. After use in manufacturing at its Morrow and Lakewood plants, TOTO, like other manufacturers, treats and returns the water to the Clayton County Water Authority and the City of Atlanta. Over the past three years, TOTO has returned an average of 22.4 million gallons to Clayton County and 1.2 million gallons to the City of Atlanta of water it reclaimed and treated.
This level of water management shows how TOTO’s global goals are being executed at a local level, where they matter most.
Energy Efficiency: Innovation in Every Step
Energy efficiency is another critical pillar of TOTO USA’s environmental strategy.
At TOTO’s Morrow facility, the company has found an innovative way to reuse the exhaust heat from its kiln to help dry its greenware. This might seem like a small step, but it makes a significant impact when you add up these incremental changes across a global company. The result? Lower energy consumption, reduced carbon emissions, and a smaller environmental footprint.
To ensure its energy use stays as sustainable as possible, TOTO USA ensures the facility’s electricity usage is 100% carbon-neutral by purchasing renewable energy credits through Georgia Power’s Simple Solar program.
Reducing Waste: TOTO’s Comprehensive Recycling Program
In addition to water and energy conservation, TOTO USA is tackling waste head-on with a comprehensive recycling program. This program recycles plastics, aluminum, glass, cardboard, brass, wood pallets, and computer equipment. Reducing waste sent to landfills is a crucial part of creating a more circular economy where resources are reused and recycled instead of discarded.
TOTO’s focus on recycling aligns with its overall sustainability strategy, ensuring that resources are used efficiently, and waste is minimized at every step of the manufacturing process.
ISO Certification: Proof of TOTO’s Commitment to the Environment
All of this happens in TOTO USA’s manufacturing facilities, which meet the rigorous environmental standards set by ISO 14001:2004 certification. This international standard demonstrates that TOTO’s facilities operate in an environmentally responsible manner, with systems in place to continuously reduce their environmental impact.
Achieving and maintaining ISO certification requires an ongoing commitment to environmental excellence and improvement.
The Big Picture: Sustainability as the Core of TOTO’s Business Model
TOTO’s success in sustainability is about recognizing that the planet’s health is directly tied to the health of its business.
That’s the story of TOTO’s leadership in sustainability — one that stretches from global commitments to local actions that make a tangible difference. For more than a century, TOTO’s environmental journey has proved that a company can grow its business while also growing its positive impact on the planet around it.