Get The Lead Out Program Honored For Environmental ImpactFirestone Complete Auto Care and Firestone Racings lead reduction program receives Corporate Social Responsibility Award from PR News
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 26, 2009) — PR News recognized Firestone Complete Auto Care™ and Firestone Racing today with a Corporate Social Responsibility Award honorable mention for a program aimed at reducing the amount of lead in the environment. The 2008 “Get The Lead Out” program is a joint initiative of Firestone Complete Auto Care and Firestone Racing, both members of the Bridgestone Americas family.
“We’re thrilled PR News chose to recognize our commitment to protecting the environment,” said Christine Karbowiak, Bridgestone Americas’ Vice President of Community and Corporate Relations. “Our work to reduce the amount of lead in the environment is just one example of Bridgestone Americas’ ongoing dedication to improving the communities we call home.”
In late 2007, Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC (BSRO), which operates more than 2,000 automotive service store locations, including Firestone Complete Auto Care, Tires Plus™, ExpertTire™ and Wheel Works™, became the first major automotive service provider to announce the move away from the use of lead wheel weights.
Wheel weights, traditionally made of lead, are small clips applied onto the wheels of vehicles when tires are installed to help the wheels balance properly and run smoothly. The weights can fall off and may get thrown onto the edges of roadways, possibly contaminating soil or water if they are made of lead or another environmentally harmful material.
“Wheel weights may be very small, but considering the number of vehicles on the road, we saw that replacing these lead weights could have a positive effect on the environment,” said Larry Magee, Chairman, CEO and President of BSRO.
In June 2008, Firestone Racing switched to using the 3M Wheel Weight system, a non-lead product that uses an adhesive to stick to wheels. Firestone Racing is the sole supplier of tires to both the IndyCar Series and the Firestone Indy Lights series.
“This switch proved that non-lead wheel weights were of professional racing quality, ensuring non-lead products clearly would fulfill the requirements of everyday driving,” said Al Speyer, Executive Director of Bridgestone Firestone Motorsports.
Firestone Complete Auto Care and Firestone Racing’s lead reduction efforts gained the attention and support of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which approached the companies about taking a leading role in the EPA’s new environmental coalition, the National Lead Free Wheel Weight Initiative. The initiative generated nationwide coverage from outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, The Detroit Free Press, Bloomberg and the Associated Press.
Firestone Complete Auto Care was honored again by the EPA at the agency’s WasteWise and National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) Conference for parent company BSRO’s recycling efforts, resulting in more than 319,000 pounds of lead from wheel weights being recycled in 2007.
About Bridgestone Americas, Inc.:
Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM) is the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BSAM and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies are also engaged in retreading operations throughout the Western Hemisphere and produce air springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber and industrial fibers and textiles. The BSAM family of companies also operates the world’s largest chain of automotive tire and service centers. Guided by its One Team, One Planet message, the company is dedicated to achieving a positive environmental impact in all of the communities it calls home.
About Firestone Racing:
The Firestone brand has appeared in world-class motorsports events across the globe since its first documented victory in the inaugural Indianapolis 500-Mile Race® in 1911. Since 2002, Firestone has served as the official tire of the IndyCar® Series, Firestone Indy Lights and the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race®, which has been won by a Firestone-equipped driver 59 times in its 92-year history.
About Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC:
Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC (BSRO) is headquartered in Bloomingdale, Ill., and operates the largest network of company-owned automotive service providers in the world — more than 2,000 tire and vehicle service centers across the United States — including Firestone Complete Auto Care™, Tires Plus™, ExpertTire™ and Wheel Works™ store locations. Credit First National Association and Firestone Complete Fleet Care™ operations are also part of BSRO. BSRO is a member of the Bridgestone Americas family of companies.