Yokohama's Salem plant becomes zero landfill operation

SALEM, Va. (Nov. 23, 2015) — Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia L.L.C.'s  (YTMV) Salem plant has become the tire maker's latest facility to become a zero landfill operation.

“All waste generated at YTMV now goes to non-landfill options such as recycling, reuse or energy recovery,” said Neil Dalton, Yokohama Corp. of North America director of environmental health and safety.

To achieve zero-waste-to-landfill status, Yokohama said it had strategically put in processes and practices that have deliberately and significantly reduced waste.

“In order to be a zero landfill plant, it was important to understand as a company that you can't throw anything away because there simply is no ‘away,'” Mr. Dalton said.

By the beginning of 2015, the landfill waste output from the Salem plant was down to 2 percent of all waste generated, and as of September, Yokohama said the facility reached the zero level.

“Our efforts to fulfill our social corporate responsibility of green sustainability begin with our core business of developing products and operating plants that minimize environmental impact,” said Tetsuro (Tex) Murakami, YTMV president.

The zero landfill initiative is part of an ongoing global environmental mandate from Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd., YTMV's parent company in Japan. It stems from Yokohama's “Grand Design 100 Plan” (GD100), which sets standards for Yokohama to harmonize with the environment its company-wide operations in everything from manufacturing to product design.

YTMV has picked up several environmental awards recently, including in March receiving the 2015 Environmental Warrior Award from the Virginia Water Environment Association (VWEA). The award was given to the facility as part of VWEA's 2015 Industrial Waste and Pretreatment Environmental Excellence Awards Program.

Additionally, in 2014 YTMV was appointed into the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program with an E4 status — the highest status rating awarded by the program. YTMV also received ISO 14001 certification for environmental management systems in 2007 and noted that it has continued to promote environmental protection and conservation in all its activities.