Toyota Suntory Midorie (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

  • Head Office
    23th Floor, Central Park Jing’an, No.329 Hengfeng Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai 200070, China
  • Established
    April 2012
  • Capital
    US$ 196,000
  • Business Description
    Manufacturing and sales of environmental greening systems including “Hana no Kabe,” “Mori no Kabe,” “Midorie,” and “GG.” Design Manufacturing and sales of ozone purifying paint "Ozoeater" products
  • Website
Toyota Suntory Midorie (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. A Hana no Kabe (literally “Flower Wall”) that is among the largest in Japan (Kyoto)

A Hana no Kabe (literally “Flower Wall”) that is among the largest in Japan (Kyoto)

Company Overview and Philosophy

TOYOTA and SUNTORY—Activities of both companies to date

  • Toyota began basic research on biotechnology in 1989. In 2001, the Biotechnology & Afforestation Business Department was established as a specialized organization, and since then has promoted bio/greening projects such as afforestation in Australia, urban greening, flower production, and livestock biomass. In the field of urban greening in particular, TOYOTA has released numerous greening products that contribute to the global environment, such as Smart Green Parking and Smart Green Wall.
  • In 2008, Suntory established the Environmental Greening Department and entered the environmental greening business. Based on the concept of "turning the city green," Suntory Midorie Ltd. was spun off as an independent company in April 2009. With its revolutionary indoor/outdoor greening system using Pafcal, a new soil replacement material developed independently, Suntory Midorie continued to offer the creation of comfortable spaces with greenery, receiving high acclaim in China, including being adopted for use in Shanghai World Expo 2010.
  • In April 2012, the two companies established Toyota Suntory Midorie (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. in Shanghai, China. Since then, we have now consolidated our business entities in China and have been pursuing environmental greening projects in 13 countries and regions, mainly in China.

Green to Blue ― The meaning of green, the value of green, green for change

Midorie’s urban greening work began with the development of the new soil replacement material Pafcal. By combining this new soil with the Hana no Kabe wall greening system, we have created a structure that allows city dwellers to join in the creation of a perpetually green environment. From greenery that is simply placed or simply displayed to verdure that can be freely designed. We believe it is through urban greening that we can make our best contribution to this blue planet.

Ozoeater ― Clean the air

Ozoeater is a paint developed by Toyota Motor Corporation and Aisin Chemical Co., Ltd. that decomposes ozone, a harmful substance, into oxygen, and has been confirmed to have high air purification performance. Toyota Suntory Midorie (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. began manufacturing and selling products that utilize this paint in 2022. We have started working on a new business that contributes to the environment.

Primary CSR Activities

Promoting Sustainability Management

Our business itself contributes to the global environment and overlaps with the Group’s corporate philosophy, "To Create Harmony with People and Nature." We therefore believe that the key to sustainable management through our core business lies in expanding and growing our business operations.
Regarding corporate governance, we strive for prompt decision-making and business execution through management meetings, and have established a system for prior prevention and quick response to the various risks involved in management. In addition, we promote thorough awareness of compliance based on the Group’s Code of Business Ethics and promote compliance management among all employees.

Relations with Customers

Offering the best greening plans for wall and indoor greening

While developing greening materials suitable for plant growth based on the new soil replacement material Pafcal, Toyota Suntory Midorie (Shanghai) proposes optimal greening plans for wall and indoor greening with a wide variety of planting variations.

A Lexus showroom in China

A Lexus showroom in China

Initiatives for the Suntory Sustainability Vision

CO2CO2

CO2 Reduction Effect

In the 10 years since its establishment in 2012, the company has installed a total of 2,500 wall greening projects covering more than 50,000m2, reducing CO2 emissions by more than 170 tons per year.

HealthHealth

Health & Spiritual Well-being

In addition to its air purification, sound dampening and humidity maintenance effects, wall greening also contributes to people’s health and mental well-being by promoting relaxation and comfort.

Human RightsHuman Rights

Human Resource Development

We train and support our employees in maximizing their individual capabilities in the workplace so that each one can develop their own capabilities in their own life planning and apply them to the company’s business. We also operate a personnel system that rewards employees for their efforts through fair evaluation and clear-cut performance-based treatment.

Initiatives for Business Partners

Information and Opinion Exchange with Domestic and Foreign Business Partners

Toyota Suntory Midorie (Shanghai) actively communicates with the suppliers from which we procure materials and seedlings. Regarding materials, we confirm that quality standards are being adhered to at production sites, while exchanging information and opinions.

We also communicate regularly with our distributors, who are responsible for on-site installation and sales, to improve quality when providing products and services to our customers.

Other Environmental Initiatives

Air Purification Initiatives

Toyota Motor Corp. and Aisin Chemical Co. jointly developed Ozoeater, an ozone purifying paint that semi-permanently decomposes ozone (O3), the second most potent greenhouse gas after CO2 and CH4 (methane), directly into oxygen. In China and elsewhere in Asia, where ozone pollution is becoming an increasingly serious problem, Ozoeater Pafcal, made by applying Ozoeater to Pafcal, has been commercialized as an air-purifying product. Ozoeater is also more than 99% effective in eliminating odors caused by ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. We are working to develop commercial products with Ozoeater to make it available for use in various situations.

Activities to Start a Green Flame in the Heart

Wall greening has been introduced in the offices and plants of both Toyota Group and Suntory Group in order to foster environmental awareness and eco-mindedness among employees, among whom Pafcal with seedlings has been distributed as well. In addition to the healing and vitality from which each person benefits while growing plants, this distribution of Pafcal with seedlings has also elicited many positive comments noting increased awareness of environmental issues. In April 2023, we released "GG," a new brand of houseplants developed based on the feedback we received.

  • Activities to Start a Green Flame in the Heart

    Activities to Start a Green Flame in the Heart

  • "GG," a gift of houseplants without soil

    "GG," a gift of houseplants without soil

Biodiversity Initiatives

We used a Hana no Kabe installation with a total area of 1,120 m2 as the greening system for the walls of the Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Kyoto facility, which opened in November 2010. This project was planned and constructed with an ecological perspective in mind, mainly using plants that grow in the Tadasunomori Forest in Kyoto.

In addition, GAC Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. in Guangzhou, China, built a biotope with local plants in the park in 2020 in order to focus on protecting local biodiversity. Toyota Suntory Midorie (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. is also participating in this construction project as part of its efforts with Toyota Motor Corporation.