As part of our commitment to being an industry leader in every aspect of our business, Bridgestone Americas strives to be a good steward of the earth and its resources. Bridgestone has a long-standing commitment to sustainability that is reflected in our company’s environmental mission “to help ensure a healthy environment for current and future generations.” Bridgestone established the One Team, One Planet environmental program to advance our environmental mission and focus our efforts. Under this program framework, our leadership and our teammates are focused on identifying ways we can change the game by being a leader in sustainable corporate behavior.
A key component of One Team, One Planet is the Bridgestone Tires4ward program, founded on the vision of achieving a waste-free tire industry. For every tire Bridgestone sells in the U.S., our goal is to ensure that one spent tire — or any tire that has been taken out of use — goes on to another valuable purpose. Bridgestone’s company-owned retail stores recycle 100 percent of the spent tires they remove from vehicles. Last year alone, Bridgestone retail stores saved more than 10 million spent tires from the landfill.
The Bridgestone Tires4ward program also recycles tires collected as part of organized public lands, rivers, streams and lakes clean-up events across the country. Citizens participating in an community clean-up event may request Bridgestone’s help recycling the tires collected as part of that effort by completing this form. Once the form is completed, Bridgestone will contact the clean-up project coordinator directly to coordinate the logistics of tire drop-off at a local Bridgestone retail store and/or on-site tire removal, a determination made based on the number of tires expected to be collected during an event. A Bridgestone Tires4ward representative will facilitate all coordination efforts. Logistics can be a challenge at some remote sites, but we will work to offer our full support of all organized community clean-up events.
Since the Tires4ward program launched in 2012, Bridgestone has supported more than 775 community clean-up events and recycled more than 225,000 tires from rivers, streams and communities nationwide. Bridgestone is working to change the landscape of the tire and automotive industry and make a waste-free tire industry a reality.
Our company-owned retail stores are one vital way we are working to making this goal a reality. Currently, 100 percent of all spent tires — tires that have reached the end of their use on a vehicle— are sent to another valuable purpose. Every spent tire that is taken in at one of our more than 2,200 company-owned retail locations is sent to another valuable purpose.
Valuable new purposes for spent tires include use as material in rubberized asphalt, construction materials, landscaping mulch and as tire-derived fuel for energy. Spent tires also are molded into consumer products like floor mats, roof mats, stone paving and even as a component in new tires, such as Bridgestone’s leading Ecopia line of fuel efficient tires.
Bridgestone remains highly committed to practicing environmental sustainability at the local level. We’ve fostered many successful community and environmental non-profit sponsorships over the past several decades, but Tires4ward is the first program Bridgestone has created to help achieve the long-term vision of creating a waste-free tire industry. With the Tires4ward community clean-up program, Bridgestone is able to support more volunteer organizations and aid more communities in the proper recycling of tires collected in organized clean-up events of rivers and waterways.
In 2012, as part of the Tires4ward program, Bridgestone formed a partnership with the River Network a national organization of more than 2,000 state, regional and local grassroots groups whose primary mission is protecting our nation’s lakes, streams and rivers. The River Network plays an important role in educating citizens about the importance of proper tire removal and encourages the recycling of tires pulled from the environment in community clean-up events.
Through the Tires4ward program and our continued partnership with the River Network, Bridgestone has supported hundreds of community clean-up events and ensured the proper recycling of tens of thousands of tires removed from nature. To date, we have supported more than 450 community clean-up events and recycled almost 120,000 tires collected as part of these community-based efforts.
What is a spent tire?
A spent tire is any tire that has reached the end of its useful life and been taken out of use.
What types of events is Tires4ward designed to support?
Bridgestone’s Tires4ward program is designed to support citizens participating in any organized clean-up of rivers and waterways.
What kind of tires can be recycled? Can they have rims?
Bridgestone accepts passenger car tires, light truck tires and commercial truck and bus tires. The commercial truck and bus tires cannot have rims attached to them.
Do tires need to be cleaned before Bridgestone will take them?
Yes. Tires should be cleaned and free of any soil or debris. Many groups partner with their local fire department to come out and spray off the tires.
Are you only recovering Bridgestone/Firestone brand tires?
No. We will accept any brand of tires. We want to make our communities a cleaner place to work, live and play.
How do I apply for assistance for my event?
Please fill out the community clean-up event request form here.