MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (July 5, 2011)—Tire recycling and rubber products maker Tire International Environmental Solutions Inc. has appointed Andrew G. Acho to the company's board of directors.
Acho recently retired after a 40-year career at Ford Motor Co., where he most recently served as worldwide director of environmental outreach and strategy. He was responsible for what Tire International said were several innovative recycling and re-use programs including the promotion of recycled content in Ford vehicles, environmentally responsible management of facility waste streams, and the recycling of more than 8 million Firestone Wilderness AT tires that Ford replaced on its Explorer sport-utility vehicles between 2002 and 2005.
According to Tire International, the Firestone tire recycling program conducted at more than 4,600 Ford and Lincoln/Mercury dealerships allowed for the recycling of over 150 million pounds of rubber that was used in recycled rubber molded products, athletic fields, playgrounds, therapeutic riding arenas, landscaping products and in road construction.
None of the tires were landfilled or burned, the company said, adding that many of the recent innovations in the tire recycling industry were a result of this program, and most of the independent car dealerships have continued to recycle their scrap tires.