Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. is trying to make the world a better place one tree at a time.
As part of the three-year-old Yokohama Forever Forest Project, the company is creating forests at its domestic and overseas production sites in commemoration of the company's 100th anniversary in 2017. Under the guidance of Dr. Akira Miyawaki, director of the Japanese Center for International Studies in Ecology, about 500,000 trees indigenous to each local area are being planted.
Yokohama recently held a first-stage tree planting at its Yokohama Tire Vietnam Inc. tire production site. More than 200 people were on hand to help plant approximately 1,600 seedlings.
The event came on the heels of a third-phase tree planting at the Yokohama Tire Philippines Inc. consumer tire plant. More than 1,000 people were on hand to help plant 6,017 seedlings in an area of 1,707 square meters on the plant premises.
Yokohama's Hiratsuka, Japan, factory is the only plant to have completed a fourth-phase planting. To date, approximately 183,000 trees -- 36.7% of the company's goal of 500,000 -- have been planted.
