TOTO Pioneers Plumbing Industry’s First Environmental Product Declarations for Bidet Seats and Smart Bidet Toilets

TOTO Again Leads in Environmental Reporting Innovation, Setting a New Standard for Clear, Accessible Reports that Empower the Design-Build Community and Consumers to Make Informed, More Sustainable Choices

(Morrow, GA) December 5, 2024 — TOTO, the world’s largest plumbing manufacturer with over $5.34 billion in annual sales, announced a historic milestone today with the introduction of the plumbing industry’s first Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for its WASHLET_® S7 bidet seats and NEOREST_® NX and WX smart bidet toilets. These revolutionary EPDs provide comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) and material health data in a user-friendly format, demonstrating TOTO’s ongoing leadership in sustainability and product transparency.

This achievement builds on TOTO’s landmark 2013 accomplishment as the first plumbing manufacturer to introduce EPDs for its high-efficiency toilets. By pioneering product transparency over a decade ago, TOTO set a lasting precedent for sustainability in the plumbing industry, paving the way for today’s groundbreaking advancements.

“As a company committed to shaping a sustainable future, TOTO is pleased to be the first in the plumbing industry to provide environmental product declarations for our WASHLET and NEOREST models. This is a significant step in empowering our customers and the design-build community with the information they need to make informed, more sustainable choices,” said Hidemi Ishikawa, CEO of TOTO USA. “We believe transparency is key to creating a better world, and we are honored to lead the way.”

Key Features of TOTO’s Groundbreaking EPDs

With its revolutionary new Transparency Reports [EPD]™ from Sustainable Minds® (SM) for its bidet seats and smart bidet toilets, TOTO is redefining industry standards by presenting comprehensive LCA and material health data in a user-friendly format. As the first company to develop EPDs for bidet seats and smart bidet toilets, TOTO is again demonstrating its leadership in environmental transparency and sustainable innovation. These reports provide clear and actionable insights into the environmental performance and material health data of TOTO’s WASHLET S7 series bidet seats and NEOREST NX and NEOREST WX series smart bidet toilets, covering everything from raw material extraction to manufacturing and end-of-life disposal.

During the development of its SM Transparency Reports [EPD], TOTO meticulously analyzed over 1,600 components parts in its WASHLET and NEOREST products, with five months spent collecting data across the TOTO Global Group and an additional four months conducting analysis using advanced LCA modeling software.

Verified by NSF to global environmental reporting standards, TOTO’s SM Transparency Reports [EPD] establish a new industry benchmark for sustainable plumbing products and transparent environmental reporting.

“TOTO’s leadership in transparency and sustainability has set a powerful example for the entire industry,” said Terry Swack, CEO of Sustainable Minds. “Through our work together, we’ve seen firsthand how providing meaningful environmental and material data can transform how consumers and design-build professionals make informed purchasing decisions that help create higher-performing, healthier buildings.”

Advancing Sustainability and Material Health: The Living Building Challenge and Declare Program

TOTO is proud to announce that its NEOREST NX, NEOREST WX, and WASHLET S7 series are also “compliant” with the Living Building Challenge (LBC) materials requirements established by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI). Recognized as one of the most rigorous sustainability frameworks globally, the LBC promotes regenerative design, healthier built environments, and non-toxic materials. Achieving “compliant” status under the exacting LBC framework reflects TOTO’s unwavering commitment to sustainability and material health. It reinforces TOTO’s leadership in creating innovative products that support global environmental, wellness, and material health goals while advancing a sustainable built environment.

Through the ILFI’s Declare Program, which simplifies and facilitates the transparent exchange of information about product components, these TOTO products have been evaluated for their material health and sustainability. The NEOREST NX series has achieved LBC “Red List Free” status, confirming the absence of harmful chemicals identified by the LBC’s Red List. Additionally, the NEOREST WX and WASHLET S7 series have earned “Red List Approved” status, meeting the LBC’s stringent transparency requirements and adhering to its approved exceptions. These designations highlight TOTO’s dedication to producing sustainable, transparent, and environmentally responsible products that support the development of healthier, more sustainable buildings.

Empowering Consumers and Professionals

Both design-build professionals and consumers benefit from TOTO’s SM Transparency Reports [EPD] with LBC and Declare data, which provide clear, reliable data on the sustainability and material health of TOTO’s products.

For consumers, this means they no longer need to choose between luxury and sustainability. Products like the WASHLET S7 bidet seat and NEOREST smart bidet toilets provide high-performance, luxurious features while being environmentally responsible and ensuring safe, non-toxic materials.

These reports also contribute valuable points toward LEED certification for sustainable building projects.

A Reflection of TOTO’s Corporate Social Responsibility

TOTO’s leadership in sustainability is also evident in its efforts to reduce the company’s carbon footprint globally, which is a cornerstone of its WILL2030 goals and its commitments to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). TOTO’s dedication extends to transparent environmental reporting and sustainable manufacturing, reinforcing TOTO’s broader commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainable innovation.

Global Recognition by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)

TOTO’s sustainability efforts received global recognition when the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) named it an “A List” leader in environmental transparency and effectiveness. This honor highlights TOTO’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions, advancing water conservation initiatives, and meeting the CDP’s rigorous ecological performance and transparency standards.

In 2023, over 23,000 companies registered with the CDP, but fewer than 400 earned an A rating. This distinction places TOTO among the elite 1.74% of companies worldwide, highlighting its sustainability leadership and proactive strategies to mitigate environmental impacts.

Industry Impact and Future Innovation

With 22 EPDs already published and more in development, TOTO’s commitment to transparency reporting is burgeoning.

The next step includes expanding its SM Transparency Reports [EPD] to additional product lines, such as commercial and residential fixtures, lavatories, and faucets. Building professionals have already praised these reports for helping them make informed, sustainable design decisions. By setting this new standard for environmentally conscious innovation, TOTO will continue driving green building practices across the industry.

“As an independent and accredited third-party certifier, the credibility of NSF-certified environmental information cannot be overstated,” said Dave Purkiss, Vice President of Water at NSF. “SM Transparency Reports [EPD] are an important contribution to the plumbing industry’s sustainability efforts, and we’re proud to provide TOTO third-party support to help them fulfill their vision.”

About TOTO

TOTO USA is headquarters for the Americas Division of the TOTO Global Group, established in 1917 with the founding of TOTO, Ltd., in Kitakyushu, Japan. TOTO is the world’s largest bathroom fixtures and fittings manufacturer, with $5.34 billion in annual sales (April 2022 to March 2023). For over 100 years, TOTO has been the recognized leader in innovation, technology, performance, and design with products that enhance the luxury bathroom experience. Today, the company maintains 36,188 employees in 17 countries and owns manufacturing facilities worldwide in countries as diverse as Japan, Mexico, Germany, the USA, India, and China. TOTO is dedicated to engineering products that respect the environment while meeting people’s comfort, beauty, and performance needs. Winner of numerous domestic and international awards and recognitions, TOTO is the only plumbing manufacturer honored as Water Efficiency Leader by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information, consumers may visit www.totousa.com or call 1.888.295.8134, Option 5. Follow TOTO on X (@TOTOUSA) and Instagram (@TOTOUSA) and become a TOTO fan on Facebook.

About Sustainable Minds

Sustainable Minds is the only end-to-end product transparency solutions provider for building product manufacturers today. The company is an ISO 14025 EPD / PCR program operator committed to understandable and reliable reporting; provides LCA, material evaluation and carbon accounting services, and delivers innovative digital tools to get products into projects. The Transparency Catalog™, the leading source of building & construction products for high-performance, low-carbon and healthier buildings, makes it super easy for industry professionals to collaboratively select, specify, and procure products, and reward building product manufacturers for making them.

About NSF International

NSF is an independent, global services organization dedicated to improving human and planet health for more than 80 years by developing public health standards and providing world-class testing, inspection, certification, advisory services and digital solutions to the food, nutrition, water, life sciences and consumer goods industries. NSF has 40,000 clients in 110 countries and is a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Food Safety, Water Quality, and Medical Device Safety.

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