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NPEP Success Story: BFRC
BFRC Recycles Lead from Wheel Weights and Lead-Acid Auto Batteries
BFS Retail & Commercial Operations, LLC (BFRC), a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc., is headquartered in Bloomingdale, Ill., and operates the largest number of company-owned automotive retail generalist stores in the world — more than 2,000 vehicle service and tire locations across the United States — including Firestone Complete Auto Care™, Tires Plus™, ExpertTire™, and Wheel Works™ store locations.
BFRC’s NPEP Goal
BFRC’s NPEP Goal was to recycle approximately 319,020 lbs of lead from lead wheel weights and approximately 8,603,554 lbs of lead from lead-acid auto batteries from their retail customers. During calendar year 2007, BFRC met their NPEP goal for lead recycling.
Recycling Program
BFRC educates their teammates (employees) in each store to properly handle waste and ensure it is managed correctly by their recycling vendors. In addition, BFRC issues policies on proper waste management and routinely audits facilities to verify that waste is properly managed.
Future Activities
Substitution of less toxic raw materials
BFRC voluntarily substituted steel for lead for wheel weights used in their operations. Lead is a toxic substance and substituting steel will result in a significant decrease of lead in the environment.
Waste Minimization Results
BFRC is on target to achieve our NPEP goal. All sizes and types of wheel weights that were previously made of lead are now available in steel. By the end of 2008, we expect that virtually all wheel weights being supplied to our 2,000+ locations will be made of steel.
Additional NPEP Goal
BFRC’s NPEP Goal calendar year 2008 is to reduce the amount of lead used in wheel weights used by 76% by substituting lead wheel weights with steel wheel weights. Wheel weights are applied onto the wheels of vehicles when tires are installed to help the wheels balance properly and run smoothly. The weights can fall off and may get thrown onto the edges of roadways, possibly contaminating soil or water.
The substitution of steel for lead used in wheel weights will result in a reduction of approximately 1,618,044 lbs of lead from January 2008 to December 31, 2008. In addition, all used lead wheel weights will be properly recycled.