Opportunity TOTO USA is committed to innovating products that make people’s lives better, protect the environment and keep our water pure. To honor our commitment to sustainability, it is important that we conduct Life Cycle Assessments to evaluate the environmental impacts of our products in all stages of life, from raw materials to manufacturing and even through to end of life. The goal of conducting a Life Cycle Assessment is to explore the full range of environmental impacts our products have and to identify ways to improve processes and lessen any negative effects. This project is critical to TOTO’s PeoplePlanetWater mission of innovating products for the benefit of people, the planet and our water supply. In order to understand the true impact of products throughout all life cycle stages, TOTO has chosen to conduct the Life Cycle Assessment using a cradle-to-grave approach. By factoring in all stages, we are more informed on how to reduce impacts on a broader scale. TOTO is the first company in the U.S. plumbing industry to conduct a LCA. TOTO is interested in having Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data available for the most important products to be able to obtain a SM Transparency Report, a type III environmental declaration that can be used for communication with and amongst other companies, architects and consumer communication, and can also be utilized in whole building LCA tools. TOTO commissioned Sustainable Minds to help develop LCA’s for the most important ceramic products. However, TOTO wants to develop the internal capacity to develop LCAs. This means that an effort has been made to gather data and to train TOTO staff to model LCAs and how to report on them. TOTO wants to learn from the results and is looking forward to having guidance for future product improvements that can be deduced from the results.
sinks, urinals, faucets, flush valves, showerheads and valves, bathtubs, and their accessories. TOTO products infuse style with substance, optimize water conservation and strive for consistent and high performance. TOTO embraced water and energy conservation years before government mandates. Through their consistently evolving manufacturing practices, they aim to develop and manufacture plumbing fixtures that are efficient and sustainable. For more information on TOTO products, go to . The products studied in this report include three ceramic toilets manufactured by TOTO USA in Morrow, GA. All are variations of the same design concept: The Ultramax, and include the EcoUltramax, the Ultramax II, and the Ultramax II 1G. These are listed in Table 2.1a. The categories of Transparency Reports and manufacturing locations as well as other products’ information are presented in Tables 2.1b, 2.1c and 2.1d. Table 2.1a Product codes, names and SM project concepts Product Code Product Name Description Project concept MS854114E Eco Ultramax 1.28gpf toilet LCA of a TOTO toilet MS604114CEFG Ultramax II 1.28gpf toilet LCA of a TOTO toilet MS604114CUFG Ultramax II 1G toilet LCA of a TOTO toilet 2.1b Vendors and manufacturing locations Product code Part # Production plant/vendors Production Location MS854114E CST854E TOTO USA Morrow, GA USA MS604114CEFG CST604CEFG MS604114CUFG CST604CUFG Table 2.1c Categories of declarations Product Category MS854114E a declaration of an average product from a manufacturer’s plant MS604114CEFG MS604114CUFG Table 2.1d Product Information Product code CSI master format classification ASTM or ANSI product specification Physical properties and technical information or any other market identification MS854114E 22 41 13.13 ASME A112.19.2/CSA B45.1 Certifications: IAPMO(cUPC) Vitreous China Plumbing Fixture MS604114CEFG MS604114CUFG Table 2.2 lists the production volume of products during the calendar years 2012 and 2013 which are used in the declaration of the average product. Additionally, the weights of the products are listed in Table 2.3 below.