Costco Wholesale Corp. reports it plans to voluntarily replace all remaining lead wheel weights with Perfect Equipment Inc.’s non-lead alternatives in all stores throughout New York and Vermont.
In 2008, Costco began adopting a non-lead program on a regional basis in an effort to reduce the amount of lead released into the environment, the company reports. As a result, the Costco Wholesale stores in California, Washington and Oregon are 100% lead free. Currently, Costco is working with Perfect Equipment to remove all remaining lead from stores in New York and Vermont with the same goal in mind.
Last year, Costco Wholesale joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Lead-Free Wheel Weight Initiative. Joined by a small group of manufacturers and retailers, they pledged to reduce their use of lead wheel weights.
"I am confident that our proactive efforts are a significant step toward reducing the overall amount of lead released into the environment," says Robert Moyer, director of tire operations for Costco Wholesale. "We're pleased to be working with an experienced company like Perfect Equipment who provides us with the highest quality product offerings and reliability we can count on. They have overseen our non-lead transition from the start and will continue to the finish."
Perfect Equipment provides a complete wheel weight program in two lead-free materials; zinc and steel. "We continue to invest in innovative manufacturing and design processes that give our customers the solutions they need to make it easier for them to do business," says Mike Pursley, Perfect Equipment’s vice president of sales and marketing.
"We enjoy helping retailers like Costco position themselves with consumers who increasingly value companies that are working to minimize their impact on the planet."
Perfect Equipment has partnered with Westesco to distribute all non-lead wheel weights to Costco Wholesale stores.
