Australia's largest wholesale produce market has commissioned a specially modified Toyota forklift as part of its award-winning environmental sustainability practices.

Sydney Markets Limited commissioned the new 2.5-tonne payload 32-8FG25 forklift in early August, bringing its Toyota forklift fleet to four.

The latest forklift has a special rotating attachment to empty organic and general waste from large cardboard bins at the Flemington markets.

The organic waste is sent to EarthPower Technologies in nearby Camellia where it is goes into an anaerobic digester to produce green energy and nutrient-rich fertiliser.

Sydney Markets Limited's Environmental Manager Mr Con Kapellos says the Toyota forklift has a special attachment that rotates the bins at 180 degrees.

"It saves us time and money by quickly emptying the bins," he says. "By reducing damage to the cardboard bins they also can be re-used - another cost saving.

The new Toyota forklift is another element in the Sydney Markets Limited leading edge waste reduction and recycling strategy, which includes a purpose-built Green Point Recycling Facility (opened in August 2005) to sort, separate and divert recyclable waste streams.

In 2008, the World Union of Wholesale Markets named Sydney Markets Limited the world number one for environmental sustainability.

It currently recycles 50 per cent of waste generated on site into six streams - organic, cardboard, timber, steel, plastic and polystyrene.

The Sydney Markets Limited has four Toyota forklifts, including the machine with the rotating attachment and another new 8-FG25 with adjustable tynes.

Overall, there are some 800 forklifts on the site, of which more than 70 per cent are Toyota forklifts. Toyota's 32-8FG25 forklift is part of Toyota's leading edge 8-Series range of forklifts.

Safety features of the Toyota 8-Series forklift range include Toyota's exclusive System of Active Stability (SAS) and Operator Presence Sensing (OPS) as standard features.

About Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc.

Celebrating more than 40 years of established operations in the United States, Irvine, Calif.-based TMHU has been the No. 1 selling lift truck supplier in the U.S. since 2002 and currently offers a full line of high-quality lift trucks sold under the Toyota brand. TMHU, as the sole United States distributor for Aichi, now offers a line-up of aerial work lifts, including scissor lifts, crawler and wheeled boom lifts designed specifically to meet a wide range of indoor and outdoor needs.

Built on a reputation of excellence, Toyota remains the industry leader due to its quality, durability and reliability. Quality is the hallmark of Toyota’s world-renowned Toyota Production System practiced at all Toyota manufacturing facilities, including Toyota Industrial Equipment Mfg., Inc. (TIEM). Most of the Toyota lift trucks sold in the United States are manufactured at TIEM, a zero-landfill facility, in Columbus, Ind.

TIEM, and all Toyota manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Canada, comply with the ISO 14001 standard from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and have been honored for their environmental management systems and dedication to continuous improvement.

Toyota’s commitment to excellence in customer service extends nationwide. Sixty-eight authorized Toyota Industrial Equipment dealers, with a total of 188 dealership locations throughout the United States, offer comprehensive customer service support, including one-stop shopping for both new and Certified Used lift trucks, parts and service, fleet servicing, and financing.