In This Article:
One of Five in Mississippi for Green Building Council's Highest Level of Distinction
BLUE SPRINGS, Miss., May 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Platinum is the new gold standard at Toyota Mississippi after its Experience Center received a LEED Platinum certification.
The 15,000-square foot facility opened in June 2022 with an innovative flare for teaching the Toyota Way to guests from around the world. The concept is rooted in the company's principles for environmental performance and sustainability spanning across four key focus areas: Carbon, Water, Biodiversity and Circular Economy.
"The Mississippi Experience Center is a blend of innovation coupled with Toyota's fundamental environmental philosophy to make a better planet," said Sean McCarthy, Toyota Mississippi engineering manager. "We're proud our facility is one of five in the state at this level, and we hope it sets an example for others to build sustainably and do what's right for the future of our planet."
Carbon:
Taking center spotlight, the facility boasts a dedicated solar farm generating more than 7,000 kilowatt hours each month. That's enough to power seven Mississippi homes. But the brightest idea was strategically placing the building and windows to align with the stars—well, the only star in our solar system—leveraging natural light and LED fixtures to reduce light usage by 50 percent.
Water:
Toyota then opened the flood gates on water conservation and alternative usage methods. Whether from a subtle spring shower or a Mississippi monsoon, raindrops are directed from the building's roof into a 5,000-gallon underground holding tank to use for flushing the facility's toilets, saving fresh water for drinking and handwashing.
Biodiversity:
The site's unique bio-retention pond functions as a natural filtration system for rainwater runoff in the parking lot and provides a thriving eco-system for biodiversity. As storm water flows into the pond, it filters sediment naturally creating a habitat for local flora and fauna including the site's two indicator species: the Northern Bobwhite quail and Wood duck.
Circular Economy:
As sure as the world turns, so does Toyota's continued mission for a circular economy, which means optimizing resource use and minimizing waste across the entire production and consumption cycle. Simply put, reduce or eliminate waste, reuse and recycle. The Toyota Mississippi Experience Center leveraged this focus area by using reclaimed materials within the building while minimizing waste sent to the landfill during construction.