Bridgestone plant first to earn ISCC PLUS recognition in U.S.

GRANITEVILLE, S.C.—Bridgestone Americas Inc.'s Aiken County plant has been granted International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS recognition, the first tire plant in the U.S. to have done so.

ISCC PLUS—a globally applicable sustainability certification system—recognizes the Aiken plant for its transparency and traceability of sustainable raw materials including bio, bio-circular and circular-based material to replace synthetic rubber, recognition for its transparency and traceability of sustainable raw materials including bio, bio-circular and circular-based material to replace synthetic rubber, according to Bridgestone.

The company said the recognition at the Aiken County passenger and light truck radial tire plant is an example of its drive to make tires by 2050 from 100 percent sustainable materials.

"Step-by-step, we are working to overcome the technological and market barriers to fully sustainable and renewable tires made with bio-sourced and recycled materials," said Nizar Trigui, chief technology officer and group president, Bridgestone Americas.

"This ISCC PLUS certification for our Aiken County Plant is an important mile marker in our journey to become a leading sustainable solutions company."

In 2021, Bridgestone announced the manufacturing process at the Aiken County facility would be directly powered by its first ground-based solar array. The facility is powered by approximately eight acres of solar panels that generate enough electricity to power more than 200 homes a year while also reducing 1,400 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year.

The 2.78 million-square-foot manufacturing facility in Graniteville employs more than 1,740. It began production of passenger and light truck radial tires in 1997. Tires produced at this plant equip standard passenger vehicles and light trucks for original equipment and retail.

Sustainable practices in its manufacturing facilities is a critical element of Bridgestone's 2050 sustainability commitments, including its aims to achieve carbon neutrality and tires made with 100 percent sustainable materials, the company said.

Bridgestone Technical Center Europe SpA in Roma also recently earned an ISCC PLUS certification for bio-circular and circular based materials. Bridgestone also continues to advance its leading initiative to diversify the world's natural rubber supply by commercializing use of guayule-derived natural rubber in tires by 2030.

The ISSC PLUS certification of the Aiken County Passenger/Light Truck Radial tire plant supports the "Ecology" and "Energy" values of the Bridgestone E8 Commitment, which establishes eight values starting with the letter "E" to solidify Bridgestone's commitment to a more sustainable world.