Bridgestone Americas Inc., Nashville, Tenn., has announced that its Wilson, N.C. passenger and light truck tire manufacturing plant has achieved UL Environment’s (ULE) landfill waste diversion claim validation for Zero Waste to Landfill. According to the company, Zero Waste to Landfill is the highest claim validation ULE gives for landfill waste diversion, which is performed and delivered by ULE, a business unit of UL. Bridgestone says this tire plant is the first facility of any kind to receive this designation.

The Wilson facility achieved its zero waste to landfill goals in February 2013 and began the process of applying for ULE’s claim validation. The facility had to undergo an extensive, two-part ULE-led audit, which included document evaluation and on-site visits. During the evaluation process, ULE verified Wilson’s Zero Waste to Landfill claim with 14 percent waste to energy, determining that a majority of the facility’s waste to energy diversion—11 percent—is the best possible use for that material.

Innovation is a key to Bridgestone’s success in finding beneficial uses for what was once landfilled waste, says the company. Facility leadership worked closely with disposal partner Waste Management Sustainability Services (Waste Management) to identify all of the remnant waste materials from manufacturing processes such as whole scrap tires, rubber components, and packaging, as well as ancillary support processes such as offices and cafeterias. Together, Bridgestone and Waste Management found other beneficial-use markets for these materials.

Bridgestone’s passenger and light truck tire manufacturing plant in Aiken, S.C. achieved zero waste to landfill in December 2012. Since adding a corporate recycling focus in 2006, recycling by the company’s Aiken, SC; Bloomington, Ill.; Des Moines, Iowa; Joliette, Quebec, Canada; LaVergne, Tenn.; Monterrey, Mexico; Warren, Tenn.; and Wilson, N.C. tire plants has progressed from nearly half of all waste going to landfills to less than 15 percent today.