Bridgestone a treble Honda environmental awardee

Honda builds vehicles at nine manufacturing facilities in the US, and has received original equipment tyres from Bridgestone Americas for many years. To honour the tyre maker’s green efforts, at its 22nd annual Environmental, Safety and Ergonomics Symposium, Honda acknowledged Bridgestone’s Wilson (North Carolina) tyre plant with three ‘Green Factory Environmental Achievement Recognitions’. Honda recognised the Wilson facility in three categories: energy reduction, natural resources and pollution prevention.

“This is a remarkable accomplishment for Bridgestone and our Wilson teammates,” said Wilson plant manager Michael Darr. “We are committed to practicing sustainable business and have implemented several initiatives to reduce the plant’s carbon footprint. We are honoured to be recognised by Honda for our achievements as we work toward our corporate environmental mission of helping to ensure a healthy environment for current and future generations.”

The Wilson plant earned an energy reduction award for achieving Superior Energy Performance (SEP) Mature Pathway ISO 50001 certification, a management system model of continuous improvement in energy performance. It was the first manufacturing facility in the world to attain this certification. Between 2001 and 2011, the Wilson plant achieved an energy savings of 16.8 per cent by switching the primary fuel source to natural gas in boilers, shutting down equipment when not in operation, promptly repairing steam and air leaks, insulating piping across the plant and executing several lighting optimisation projects.

The Honda award for natural resources was presented to the Wilson team for its community education programme that teaches local students about land and wildlife preservation. Bridgestone designated 350-acres of the Wilson plant site to create the Wilson Plant Freedom Wildlife Habitat and Refuge which is a Corporate Lands for Learning program certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council. In accordance with Bridgestone’s global environmental mission, the land serves as a classroom for many community-focused educational and preservation activities.

Pollution prevention recognition was awarded for the plant’s zero waste to landfill achievement, a claim validated by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) in January 2014. The Wilson plant is the first manufacturing facility of any kind to receive this validation from UL. The Wilson plant reached zero waste to landfill in early 2013 and has kept that rate intact to date.

Bridgestone produces more than 32,000 passenger car tyres a day at the Wilson facility.