More good news to encourage responsible and effective tyre recycling, as Bridgestone gets on board. Tyre Stewardship Australia, an industry initiative created to deal with the 48 million end-of- life tyres created in Australia every year, now has the support of the major tyre company, Bridgestone.
The company has officially announced it has joined the TSA at an event at Bridgestone’s Bandag Manufacturing facility in the Brisbane suburb of Wacol. The event was attended by Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Bob Baldwin MP, TSA Chairman, Gerry Morvell, and Bridgestone Australia Managing Director, Andrew Moffatt.
“At Bridgestone, we take a multi-faceted approach to ensuring we do everything we can to lower our impact on the environment,” said Moffatt. “This includes our fuel-saving low rolling resistance Ecopia technology, our Bandag retread process, which ensures tyre casings are reused rather than wasted, and our commitment to use only authorised tyre recyclers throughout our dealer network.
“We also extend this commitment to our physical facilities, such as the rainwater harvesting and solar energy program at our Bandag Wacol site, through to our fleet of hybrid vehicles. We believe we are leading by example, and see TSA as a very important vehicle in helping educate the consumer and bring national focus and real solutions to the critical issue of waste tyres in Australia.”
TSA is an initiative led by major tyre manufacturers and backed by the Australian Motor Industry Federation and the Minerals Council of Australia, with the support of Federal and State/Territory Governments.
The Scheme will recognise sustainable end-of-life tyre management through an accreditation and auditing system, reassuring consumers retailers are committed to responsible practices. Consumers will be able to identify participants in the Scheme through TSA signage at retail outlets and by visiting the TSA website.
“Of the approximately 48 million end-of-life tyres created annually in Australia, only 16 per cent are currently recycled. The rest are disposed to landfill, stockpiled, illegally dumped or exported overseas,” TSA Chairman Gerry Morvell said.
“We welcome Bridgestone to Tyre Stewardship Australia. Their participation will add to the considerable strength of this cooperative industry endeavour and will help address the physical management of end-of-life tyres. We are confident that Bridgestone will also play a major role in gaining public recognition and support for the industry’s efforts to address this environmental challenge.”
The Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme will be funded through an ACCC approved levy of 25 cents per new passenger equivalent tyre sold in Australia.