Bridgestone Americas Monterrey, Mexico Tire Plant Earns Two Certifications from Wildlife Habitat Council Plant is first Bridgestone facility outside of U.S. to receive certifications
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(Dec. 15, 2014) – Bridgestone Americas today announced that its passenger and light truck tire plant in Monterrey, Mexico received two certifications from the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC). The plant is the first Bridgestone facility outside of the U.S. to receive Corporate Lands for Learning certification and Wildlife at Work certification. Additionally, the plant was a runner-up for the Corporate Lands for Learning 2014 Rookie of the Year award.
“Congratulations to our Monterrey teammates for this tremendous recognition. Their efforts are another remarkable example of the many environmental efforts underway at Bridgestone facilities around the globe,” said Tim Bent, Director of Environmental Affairs, Bridgestone Americas. “It is only by working together that we can achieve our company’s global environmental mission of helping ensure a healthy environment for current and future generations.”
WHC’s Corporate Wildlife Habitat Certification/International Accreditation Program recognizes programs that focus on wildlife habitat and biodiversity, as well as conservation education. Restoration, creation, protection and enhancement of habitat and individual species management are among the types of Wildlife at Work programs that qualify for accreditation. Certified environmental education programs, through WHC’s Corporate Lands for Learning program, include cooperative efforts with schools using corporate lands for outdoor classrooms and one-on-one mentoring programs with students.
- Hosting a community open house to educate employees and community members about local biodiversity, underscoring how native plants, animals and birds all have an important role in fostering the local habitat
- Rallying local community members and employees to collect discarded tires from the Salinas River to help restore natural beauty; volunteers went door-to-door collecting old tires in exchange for a seedling to plant in a nearby location; collected tires were used to form pathways along natural habitat areas and used to build a community compost shed
- Educating area children about conservation by landscaping surrounding areas with new, native plants and creating a nursery; volunteers built a pollinator garden near the tire plant grounds to assist with education efforts
- Implementing a zero waste to landfill program to educate the local community about materials that can be recycled; this has helped influence change in support of proactive recycling
- Building a greenhouse to grow seedlings, using reclaimed tires as planters; additionally, employees and community members harvest seeds from local trees and plants to grow more green spaces in the surrounding communities
For additional information about Bridgestone’s One Team, One Planet environmental activities, or the company’s environmental mission, visit BridgestoneAmericas.com.
About Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations:
Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) is a business unit of Bridgestone Americas, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. Reporting into the BATO business unit are the company’s Latin American tire operations; the U.S. and Canadian consumer tire businesses; the U.S. and Canadian commercial tire businesses; and the Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC, which operates the largest network of company-owned automotive service providers in the world. BATO develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires. The business unit is focused on retail, wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires, as well as retreads, to its customers in the Americas.