Yokohama Tire Corp.’s manufacturing facility in Salem, Va., – Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia (YTMV) – has become a zero-waste-to-landfill operation.
“All waste generated at YTMV now goes to non-landfill options such as recycling, reuse or energy recovery,” said Neil Dalton, Yokohama Tire Corp.’s director of environmental health and safety.
The zero landfill operation is part of an ongoing global environmental mandate from Yokohama Rubber Co. that stems from YRC’s “Grand Design 100 Plan”. The plan sets standards for company-wide operations from manufacturing to product design with the environment, the tiremaker said.
The Salem plant’s waste output was down 2% by the beginning of 2015 and reached the zero level in September. The plant has already received numerous environmental honors including being appointed into the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program (VEEP) in 2014, and receiving the 2015 Environmental Warrior Award from the Virginia Water Environment Association.
“Our efforts to fulfill our social corporate responsibility of green sustainability begin with our core business of developing products and operating plants that minimize environmental impact,” said Tetsuro (Tex) Murakami, president of the Salem facility.