Bloomingdale,
Ill. - Thanks in major part to the efforts
of Firestone's company-owned stores, almost a million scrap
tires have been removed from parks and roadsides to be recycled
into a variety of new uses as part of Keep America Beautiful's
(KAB) Great American Cleanup 2003.
"The
men and women of Firestone's company-owned stores remain
committed to strengthening our communities and protecting
our environment, and we are proud of all of our associates'
efforts this year that helped collect a record number of
stray tires - almost one million," said John Sheerin,
Retail Environmental Manager, BFS Retail & Commercial
Operations, LLC (BFRC), which owns and operates Firestone
Tire & Service Centers. "Keep America Beautiful
has been the nation's leading community improvement and
beautification organization for a half century and we are
proud to be a part of this effort."
During
this year's event, more than 918,000 tires were collected
for recycling. This represents a 143 percent - or more than
double - increase from 2002's efforts, which yielded 377,000
tires collected, and was the highest increase of all recycling
efforts during the 2003 campaign. This also represents one
of the largest private collections in a single volunteer
campaign, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association
(RMA), which served as an educational partner with Keep
America Beautiful. BFRC is a subsidiary Bridgestone Americas
Holding, Inc., which is a long-standing and active member
of the RMA.
"The
recycling efforts of Firestone Tire & Service Centers
are wonderful examples of Keep America Beautiful's mission
in action," said G. Raymond Empson, president of Keep
America Beautiful, Inc. "The Firestone Tire & Service
Centers' commitment to product stewardship and to the issues
of recycling, litter abatement and community improvement
is apparent in its support of the Great American Cleanup.
We are very proud to have Firestone Tire & Service Centers
as a National Sponsor of our 2003 Great American Cleanup.
The involvement of the men and women of Firestone's company-owned
stores certainly helped ensure the incredible accomplishments
of the 2003 Great American Cleanup program."
During the 2003
event, company-owned stores across the country participated
in locally organized clean-up, beautification and community
improvement programs. Company-owned stores served as drop-off
locations for scrap tires and worked with their respective
cities' local KAB affiliates to remove scrap tires from
area parks and waterways. More than 3/4 of the collected
and recycled tires have received a new life. They have been
or will be used as playgrounds and tire swings as well as
in erosion control for gardens and for interstate crash
barriers, among other productive uses.
"This year's
campaign exceeded our expectations, and I know its success
can be attributed to the hard work and dedication of our
associates, many of whom spent countless hours devoted to
championing this cause," said Larry Magee, BFRC president,
CEO and chairman. "They deserve to be commended for
their willingness to volunteer to work toward a clean and
safe environment."
BFRC
is a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH),
which, through its various subsidiaries, has a long tradition
of supporting the environment and conservation. This is
the second consecutive year that Firestone Tire & Service
Centers and the Bridgestone/Firestone Trust Fund partnered
with KAB as a national sponsor of the beautification and
community cleanup program. In addition, the company-owned
stores recycle tires, oil, oil filters, antifreeze, air
conditioning refrigerant, batteries and lead wheel weights,
among other items.
Further, BSAH
companies have received recognition from many well-known
and respected conservation and environmental groups for
its environmental programs and commitments. The companies
have been honored by KAB, Honda of America Manufacturing,
Inc. the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Conservation
Fund, the Environmental Federation of Oklahoma, the Iowa
Governor's Office, the Tennessee Department of Environment
and Conservation, and the National Geographic/Eastman Kodak
Company/Conservation Fund.
Firestone
Tire & Service Centers are owned and operated by BFRC,
which operates the largest number of company owned automotive
retail generalist stores in the world and employs 22,000
associates. MasterCare® technicians perform part repairs
and replacements, routine scheduled maintenance services,
and a variety of diagnostic services covering major systems
within a vehicle. For more information on MasterCare®
Car Service or Firestone Tire & Service Center locations
visit www.MasterCareUSA.com.