Bridgestone Australia leaves ATIC, investigating own recycling programme

Bridgestone Australia states it has relinquished its Australian Tyre Industry Council (ATIC) membership for “a variety of business reasons pertaining to the operation of the Council.” No further details explaining the tyre firm’s differences with the ATIC have been given.

Once consequence of Bridgestone Australia’s withdrawal from the ATIC is the end of its participation in Tyre Stewardship Australia, a non-profit, end-user funded body that aims to reverse unsustainable end of life tyre collection and disposal practices. Instead, Bridgestone Australia says it is independently investigating its own tyre recycling programme. Furthermore, the company also recently engaged with non-Government environmental organisation the Boomerang Alliance to gain advice on best practice and environmental compliance for end of life tyres. 

Bridgestone Australia says it supports a mandatory uniform levy on all imported new and second hand tyres (no new tyres are manufactured in Australia), the proceeds from which should be applied for the responsible recycling of end of life tyres.