During weekend national Earth Day activities in Washington, D.C., Bridgestone Americas, Inc. announced a one-for-one spent tire program that sets a waste-free vision for the future of the tire industry.
Building upon the 98% rate of valuable reuse already achieved by the company’s 2,200 Bridgestone retail operations stores nationwide, Bridgestone Americas is launching its One Team, One Planet Spent Tire Program. It is designed to eventually assure that for every tire Bridgestone Americas sells in the U.S., one spent tire (a tire that has been removed from use) will be used for a valuable purpose.
Currently, spent tires in the U.S. go to valuable end use at a rate of approximately 85%, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association.
“At Bridgestone Americas we are working hard to help preserve our environment for future generations,” said Gary Garfield, CEO and president of Bridgestone Americas. “We view this program as a major part of our responsibility to do the right thing for the world around us.”
“The purpose of this program is simple – to improve our environment by moving towards a waste-free tire industry where all spent tires are captured and sent to another valuable use,” said John Sheerin, environmental director for Bridgestone Retail Operations and program spokesperson. “It’s a lofty goal, but failure is not an option when it comes to ensuring the future health of our environment.
“And that’s why we’re not doing it alone. By working together with our affiliated retailers, community partners, academia, government entities and others in our industry, we can and will find even better solutions for our products at the end of their useful lives.”
To learn more about Bridgestone America’s One Team, One Planet Spent Tire Program, to fill out a form requesting tire recycling support for a community clean-up program or to learn more about many of the company’s other environmental activities, visit www.OneTeamOnePlanet.com/Americas.
