Marko Hanželic
Most car buyers are used to taking from dealers car brochures, where they can learn more about the models they want and compare them with competing offers. However, times have changed, they have websites and online brochures an environmentally friendly alternative. In this regard, Toyota announced that with January 2025 discontinued in Japan "paper product catalogs", which aims to further reduce carbon emissions.
According to the car manufacturer, brochures require approx 7.000 tons of paper – and this figure probably only refers to the needs of the Japanese market. In addition, a recent study revealed that the production, transport, storage and disposal of paper brochures each year results in 11.000 tons of carbon emissions. This amount could be saved, in addition to precious forest resources, if retailers switched from paper to purely digital solutions.
Toyota made the following statement: "In order to continue to promote sustainable development goals and carbon neutrality initiatives, we will stop producing and printing all paper catalogs for Toyota brand vehicles in January 2025."
It will be an alternative to paper car manufacturer introduced in its Japanese showrooms "smart catalogs" in the form of digital terminals. Potential buyers will have access to high-resolution tablet computers that will provide them with all the necessary information through video and graphic images. Digital interface will also allow buyers to compare several models or versions side by side. It will be for more traditional buyers Toyota continued to offer PDF versions of the brochures on its Japanese website.
Although the abolition of paper brochures is only intended for now Toyota dealers in Japan, a similar strategy could follow in other markets as part of the automaker's decarbonization goals. The move may disappoint some car enthusiasts and brochure collectors, but chances are it will a new generation of customers gladly gave up paper in favor of screens. After all, this trend has already been proven by the significant decline in magazine sales in the age of social media and websites.
