On a sliding scale of pale to dark green, Toyota registers at a deep shade of Forest. Prospective buyers see this in the products they bring to market. The Prius hybrid being one obvious example.  Even the compact Yaris, while not a hybrid, has a pretty light footprint.

Owners experience Toyota's commitment to preserving the environment through their efficiency-enhancing technologies integrated across the new Toyota lineup.

Beyond just products and services, Toyota practices what they preach in their operations. Underscoring this fact, is the Japanese automaker's 29^th LEED certification. That's right, 29.

Do you know any other auto brands that can make such a provocative claim?

?We didn't think so.

Toyota recently earned their 29^th LEED green building certification for their  Kansas City Regional Technical Training Center .

Among the many practices Toyota's Kansas City Regional Technical Training Center follows to obtain and maintain their Gold LEED status are:

1. Offset building's accumulative energy usage by making investments in certified renewable energy development.
2. Build using only wood and wood products that carry the Forest Stewardship Council seal.
3. Plant and upkeep rain gardens and swales to treat water pollution.
4. Avoid as close to 100-percent of waste from unnecessarily going to the landfill as possible.
5. Use high-efficiency plumbing to reduce water consumption.

We won't bore you with an exact run down of the huge impact these efforts have had on waste reduction. Just know it's jaw-gaping impressive.  And, Toyota doesn't see this accomplishment as any reason to let off the proverbial gas pedal, either. If anything, it's only inspired them to push for number 30, especially coupled with the fact that LEED efforts have proven to be not only highly prestigious but fiscally responsible.

Interested in more Toyota news?

Stay tuned. Koons Arlington Toyota located at 4045 Lee Hwy Arlington, VA 22207 is dedicated to keeping you informed.