Lots of little ‘do’s’ make big ‘do’s’. Doing makes things better. Wash at 30, turn the tap off when you brush your teeth, don’t leave the TV on standby, turn the heating down a degree or two – you know the kind of thing. Small steps add up to big change.

Back in 1986, Honda revealed the first incarnation of one of its big do’s – a humanoid robot that could function independently in a human environment and ultimately help people in their daily lives.

Early prototypes resembled washing machines on legs that couldn’t balance and fell over. But after approaching 25 years of doing, the company has developed ASIMO – the most advanced humanoid robot in the world – which can run, talk, climb stairs, kick a football and recognise faces.

Lots of little ‘do’s’, lots of trial and error, resulting in what could become a huge development for society. But the doing is not done yet.

One of the biggest challenges we face as a society is how we get around this little planet of ours. Honda’s ultimate ‘do’ here is a car that emits nothing but water.

Decades of doing makes this more possible every day; with the FCX Clarity – powered by hydrogen and emitting nothing but pure H2O - which is being driven in limited numbers on US streets today.

There’s plenty more to do to make this car a mass market reality. The hydrogen refuelling infrastructure isn’t in place, the car is still costly to produce and the production of the hydrogen is not yet carbon neutral.

But Honda and many others in the industry are determined to keep doing, and few would disagree that our children and their children will be getting about in such a car in years to come.

The thing about doing is how long all these do’s take. Along the way we need stepping stones – stop gaps – smaller but still hugely significant ‘do’s’ which make a difference now.

Take Honda’s recently launched Insight Hybrid car. Using a combination of a petrol engine and a battery it improves fuel consumption and reduces CO2 emissions by around 30 per cent compared to a similar sized petrol car.

It also features an ingenious system called Eco Assist, part of which helps the driver to drive more economically, rewarding him along the way.

Another little ‘do’ which breeds further doing. And as the most affordable Hybrid in the UK, more and more people can now afford to do their bit.

Honda’s history of doing stretches back decades. More than 50 years ago the company’s founder said: “After materials are carried into the factory, nothing but products should be carried out.”

Today, Honda’s UK car plant in Swindon recycles around 96 per cent of all waste generated and only sends six kg of waste per car to landfill, compared to 71kg in 1994.

Lots of doing to work towards the big do of zero waste to landfill by 2010 – a target hit in Honda’s Japanese plants in 2000 – through such innovations as recycling incineration ash to make cement.

The doing goes on and on, lots of little steps in the right direction. Fancy doing your bit?

Honda (UK) has recently teamed up with the UK wide database of volunteering opportunities – provided by do-it.org.uk in partnership with the Volunteer Centre network.

It matches volunteers to environmental projects looking for support.

To find out more, visit www.do-it.org.uk and get doing!