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 E8 Commitment, specifically the Ecology component: “Bridgestone is committed to advancing sustainable tire technologies and solutions that preserve the environment for future generations.”
Overview
Our efforts work toward our long-term vision that 100% of scrap tires enter sustainable end-use markets after they are removed from vehicles. The three main pillars are:
1) Provide end-of-life tires for beneficial next use
2) Community, river, and waterway clean-ups support
3) Expand the market for recycled materials
Provide end-of-life tires for beneficial next use
Our company-owned retail stores are one vital way we are working to make our vision a reality. Last year alone, Bridgestone retail stores saved more than 10 million end-of-life tires from the landfill by sending them to a beneficial next use. Valuable new purposes for end-of-life tires include use as material in rubberized asphalt, construction materials, landscaping mulch and as tire-derived fuel for energy. End-of-life tires are also molded into consumer products like floor mats, roof mats, stone paving and even as a component in new tires.
Support community, river, and waterway clean-ups
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.
In 2012, we formed a partnership with River Network, a national organization that grows and strengthens the national network of water, justice, and river advocates, made up of over 2,200 individual members representing 750 organizations. River Network plays an important role in supporting community members and organizations working on the ground to protect waters across the U.S.
Over the course of our partnership with River Network, Bridgestone supported hundreds of community clean-up events and ensured the proper recycling of tens of thousands of tires removed from water systems. We supported more than 1,050 community clean-up events and recycled over 300,000 tires collected as part of these community-based efforts.
In 2023, our support for environmental efforts focused on keeping rivers clean evolved into its next phase. Bridgestone is now making donations to support river clean-ups hosted by their local partners across the U.S. Each clean-up engages volunteers to remove litter from our nation’s waterways. Our partnerships are extending into local communities and waterways, further sharing Bridgestone’s commitment to sustainability across the U.S.
Expand the market for recycled materials
Bridgestone, the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) and all its members share an aspirational sustainability vision that 100% of scrap tires enter circular and sustainable end-use markets. To achieve this goal, Bridgestone, as a member company of USTMA, works with state regulators, legislators and our value chain partners to advocate for a free market-shared responsibility system for scrap tire management, develop new and existing scrap tire markets, prevent illegal dumping, and remediate existing scrap tire piles.
