FINDLAY, Ohio — Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has published its 2019 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability Report, which details the firm's progress on a number of environmental, health/safety and community support initiatives.
The 16-page report — "Responsibility the Cooper Way" — stresses the power of the word "and," the company said in the report's introduction.
"We are committed to delivering shareholder value AND operating our company in a way that reduces our impact on the environment AND keeps our people safe," the statement reads. "We believe in innovation, leveraging it to be successful in the marketplace AND to help us be responsible about the life cycle impacts of our products.
"We are relentless about improving the efficiency of our operations, AND we care deeply about our people, especially when it comes to their health and safety. We strive to continually improve our economic performance, AND we connect with our communities through philanthropy AND employee activation. Our future is one where Cooper continues to do the right thing AND succeeds because of it."
Highlights from Cooper's 2019 report include:
- Significant reduction in the amount of waste landfilled by the firm's manufacturing plants over the last several years. Cooper recycles approximately 83% of its waste annually.
- Continued strides in energy optimization through upgrades to energy efficient LED lighting, using new energy sources and infrastructure improvements.
- Sustained focus on employee health and safety, and recognition for safety efforts including two Sustainability Awards for Health and Safety from the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association. Cooper has reduced the number of recordable incidents by nearly 49% globally over the last five years.
- Continued involvement with key industry organizations on CSR topics, including the Tire Industry Project, and that body's Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber.
- Active participation in communities by focusing on tire safety, education, youth career development and donating resources to charities that make an impact where Cooper people live and work, including donating roughly $500,000 to nearly 100 nonprofits, awarded scholarships to deserving students, and matched employee donations to charities around the globe.
- Earning a score of 100% in the most recent Corporate Equality Index conducted by the Human Rights Campaign and being honored by the Women's Forum of New York and 2020 Women on Boards for gender diversity in our boardroom.
