Firestone Polymers earns international sustainability and carbon certification

Bridgestone Americas, with headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, announced its Firestone Polymer Engineering Pilot Center (PEPC) in Akron, Ohio, and has earned the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) Plus recognition.   

ISCC Plus is an internationally recognized third-party sustainability certification system that evaluates all the sustainable raw materials, circular materials, biological materials and renewable energy by means of an audit to determine compliance with environmental sustainability requirements. 

According to a news release from Bridgestone, the company earned the certification for its transparency and traceability of sustainable raw materials. This includes bio, bio-circular and circular-based materials to replace synthetic rubber in its transition to a circular economy.   

“Transparency and traceability are core elements to the success of our company’s sustainability journey and this ISCC Plus certification demonstrates the progress we’re making to deliver sustainable synthetic rubber made with bio-sourced and recycled materials,” says Nizar Trigui, chief technology officer and group president of Bridgestone Americas. “We are reimagining the ways we design and develop products that contribute to a more sustainable mobility future and that includes pioneering changes to the processes at our manufacturing facilities to support material circularity.”  

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the start of synthetic rubber production by Bridgestone in Akron. The company says the PEPC is part of the Bridgestone Americas Technology Center, the hub of all research and product development for the Bridgestone business in America.   

Bridgestone says its expertise in polymer development for synthetic rubber production is an essential element of the company’s ability to deliver on its 2050 sustainability commitments of carbon neutrality and tires made with 100 percent renewable materials. Bridgestone also continues to advance its research and development initiative to diversify the world’s natural rubber supply by commercializing the use of guayule natural rubber in tires by 2030.  

The ISSC Plus certification of PEPC supports the ecology and energy values of the Bridgestone E8 Commitment. This establishes eight values, starting with the letter E to solidify Bridgestone’s commitment to a more sustainable world.