COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has accepted two Bridgestone Americas Inc. factories in Aiken, S.C., into its Environmental Excellence Program.
Bridgestone's passenger/light truck and OTR tire plants in Aiken were made part of the program for their recycling, conservation and community support, Bridgestone said.
The passenger tire plant plant was recognized for several initiatives, including its recycling program, which has maintained a 100-percent recycling rate for plant waste, Bridgestone said.
The OTR tire plant was recognized for its efforts in rainwater harvesting, having collected more than 16 million gallons of rainwater since 2015, reducing the plant's demand on the public water supply system.
Both plants work together on the Bridgestone Environmental Education Program, holding classes in the longleaf pine ecology restoration habitats at both plants. The child-focused program is a partnership with the Aiken Campus of the University of South Carolina to develop curriculum to supplement grade school courses. Hundreds of students each year visit the Bridgestone Environmental Learning Centers, Bridgestone said.
The plants are committed to good environmental stewardship within the South Carolina manufacturing community, said Myra Reece, director of environmental affairs for South Carolina's Department of Health and Environmental Control.
The South Carolina Environmental Excellence Program was designed to recognize and reward facilities demonstrating superior environmental performance through pollution prevention, energy and resource conservation, and the use of an environmental management system. The program is in its 20th year of recognizing companies that practice good environmental stewardship.