Bridgestone’s Aiken County tire factory has won a “Spare the Air” award for positive environmental impact from South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control.
“We are very proud of this recognition,” says plant manager John Stewart. “Environmental stewardship and a strong commitment to the community are major initiatives of our facility and of our company, and we ask each teammate at our facility to take a direct role in helping improve our impact on the environment. These steps benefit our neighbors, families and those across the state.”
Aiken employees help call attention to environmental issues through public service announcements and volunteering at community events. They are also encouraged to carpool, ride motorcycles or drive hybrid vehicles in order to take advantage of the preferred parking available only to those who help minimize fuel consumption.
Some of the plant’s other efforts include the use of a cement-free process known as Innovative Tire Building Technology, which results in about 60 percent fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It is also home to an array of initiatives such as hydrogen-powered forklifts that generate zero emissions, bio-diesel powered maintenance equipment and 33,000 recently planted longleaf pine seedlings.
Opened in 1998, the Aiken facility is LEED (U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certified, a designation that acknowledges excellent energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and resource stewardship.
Aiken and Bridgestone’s plant in Warren County, Tenn. are the first two tire factories in the world to have attained LEED certification.
For more information, visit www.bridgestone-firestone.com.
