Environment | In harmony with nature
Enhancing contribution

Natural rubber is a renewable resource that provides livelihood opportunities for millions of people around the world. The natural rubber economy is massive but fragmented, consisting of many complicated layers of raw material dealers, processing plants, rubber product manufacturers and smallholder farmers. Most of this rubber is grown by farmers in Southeast Asia, where rubber trees are planted on small farms and large plantations. Globally, farming of rubber trees provides employment for more than 6 million people.

The Bridgestone Group uses large volumes of natural rubber, but unfortunately, many farmers face efficiency challenges and the natural rubber they produce varies in quantity and quality. To help smallholder farmers improve the quantity and quality of their farming operations, the Group provides high-quality Hevea rubber tree seedlings and conducts technical training in key producing countries using the same productivity-improvement techniques the Group developed for its own rubber farms at the agricultural training center in the city of Siantar in North Sumatra. It also implemented a technical training program for select instructor candidates.

Such initiatives are expected to improve the quality of natural rubber, increase income per unit area for the farmers and help control expansion of agricultural lands.

Para rubber trees are a major source of natural rubber, a critically important raw material for ensuring a sustainable supply chain for manufacturing tires. However, these trees are vulnerable to disease, including white root disease (WRD), which is on the rise and is difficult to diagnose because it affects the roots of the plant.

Bridgestone Corporation developed a simple breakthrough diagnostic test for early detection of WRD using a reagent kit (based on analyzed DNA sequences of pathogens), which provides a simple visual confirmation in the field without the need for special devices. (For more details, see news release)

In December 2020, the Company announced the development of diagnostic technology that can successfully identify diseased trees across vast farm areas quickly and with about 90% accuracy, regardless of type or age. As a joint project with Information Services International-Dentsu, Ltd., the drone-based technology merges aerial photography and artificial intelligence (AI) image analysis for disease detection with the knowledge of on-site farm disease experts to distinguish trees with WRD.

This technology makes it possible to diagnose and treat trees with WRD at an early stage, before the disease impacts rubber yield, and thereby contributes to improved productivity at rubber farms.

For more details, see news release.

In order to help decouple business growth from its environmental impact and resource consumption, the Group is working on research and development to improve the efficiency of farms producing Para rubber tree-derived natural rubber, which is currently used to produce tires.

In January 2021, Bridgestone Corporation announced that it had developed a system that seeks to achieve a plan for optimal tree planting over more than 30 years. Rubber tree plantations use different tree clones over vast areas and face many different management issues, such as how to optimize the number of trees in a planting area and harvest procedures. In consultation with the Institute of Statistical Mathematics, an academic research organization in Japan, the Company developed an innovative system that addresses these issues to provide higher farm yield and contribute to a sustainable rubber supply over the long term. Leveraging big data that includes various farm data, yield projections, and tree varieties, the system uses a mathematical model developed by Bridgestone together with a programming approach to derive an optimal solution for planting trees. These solutions include guidance on which tree clones, when, where, and how many to plant.

Going forward, Bridgestone will further customize the system before offering it for use at other farms with the aim of contributing to a sustainable and stable global supply of natural rubber.

For more details, see news release.

Near the P.T. Bridgestone Kalimantan Plantation (BSKP) in Indonesia’s South Kalimantan Province, there is a neglected state-owned forest destroyed by fire. The W-BRIDGE Initiative, jointly operated by Bridgestone and Waseda University from 2012 to 2020, implemented a project to revitalize this state-owned forest utilizing a citizen forestry program. In addition to Waseda University and BSKP, the Japan International Forestry Promotion and Cooperation Center, Lambung Mangkurat University and the Tanah Laut Regency Forestry Department also collaborated in the project.

The project helped local citizens plant rubber trees and other agricultural products in the forest, as well as native trees and shrubs that used to grow there long ago. This forest management project provided high economic value for the community and contributed to biodiversity conservation. Local residents also conducted patrols and other activities to prevent forest fires. These activities empowered local residents to become self-sufficient and created mechanisms for long-term forest revitalization and management of forests. BSKP supported the residents by providing rubber tree saplings and agricultural technologies.

The project, which has involved the collective efforts of the local community, academia and the Company, completed a cumulative total of 67 hectares of forest reclamation by 2020. BSKP has been able to collect latex by tapping the rubber trees that were planted near Siring cliff in 2012. BSKP conducted tapping training for neighbors in 2020 and donated rubber trees in 2021.

In the end of 2023, BSKP reforestation activity was newly started. The effort involved several parties such as Lambung Mangkurat University (local university), Forest Government(KPH), Tanah Laut, JIFPO and local community. A survey will be conducted to estimate the carbon stock of the current vegetation in an area of approximately 100 hectares, which is the target area of the reforestation project and where various kinds of activities for reforestation are held.

BSKP also educates farmers for technical plantation.

In 2023, 250 initiatives^*1 related to the environment were implemented in 23 markets. This includes 179 initiatives with external partners,^*2 involving 15,739 employee volunteers,^*3 reaching 77,670 people^*4 in those communities.

1. Counting of “initiatives” varies by country or region.
2. Counting of “partners” varies by country or region.
3. The number of volunteers is the total number, including estimates for some activities.
4. The number of people who directly benefited from the Group’s activities varies by country and region and only includes those activities for which the Group has confirmed data.

In 2004, the Group established forest maintenance activity zones and began activities that are now being carried out at nine of its sites in Japan as ECOPIA Forest projects. In 2023, events were held at seven ECOPIA forests in Kurume City (Fukuoka Prefecture), Hofu City and Shimonoseki City (Yamaguchi Prefecture), Hikone City (Shiga Prefecture) and Nasushiobara City (Tochigi Prefecture) in collaboration with local governments. A total of 694 people participated. Through tree thinning in forests, observing plants and animals, and by conducting forest cleanups, the events help participants learn about the roles and functions of forests and the importance of biodiversity.

Bridgestone Corporation has now been operating in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture for over 40 years. In 2004, the Company launched an activity for protecting the water environment of Lake Biwa. It has also supported the efforts of various local groups with the same goal.

Recently, the Company has been carrying out a nature-observation gathering with local participants, as well as a series of experiments to breed an endangered species of fish called the golden venus chubs (Hemigrammocypris rasborella). To date the Company has held 76 nature-observation gatherings for about 5,340 participants. Biwa-tope, the biotope on the premises of the Company’s plant in the area, is not only the site for research on golden venus chubs breeding, but also a place for environment-related communication with the community. Young students and others are often invited to Biwa-tope for nature-observation gatherings and rice planting and harvesting activities. Additionally, the Company provides the golden venus chubs it has bred to nearby elementary schools, which they use in their environmental studies.

Each year since 2003, Bridgestone Corporation has held the Bridgestone Children’s Eco-Art Contest. This contest, which is based on the desire to preserve our precious natural environment for the children of the future, emphasizes appreciation for nature as seen through children’s drawings.

Going forward, the Group will continue to support the education of the next generation through these and other activities.

PT. Bridgestone Sumatra Rubber Estate (BSRE), which operates a rubber plantation in Indonesia, organized a biodiversity conservation event in 2021 to address the threat of landslides caused by heavy rains that could damage the surrounding ecosystem. Approximately 200 people participated in the event, including local students, local government and BSRE employees. A program teaching the importance of biodiversity also was implemented to help raise awareness of biodiversity in conjunction with activities such as cycling, tree planting, releasing fish and cleaning up in and around a local river.

In Indonesia and Thailand, local Bridgestone Group employees have planted thousands of mangrove trees to restore mangrove forests that protect people and the environment in coastal villages. Bridgestone Indonesia has also been working with the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation since 2012 to help protect and reintroduce Bornean orangutans to their natural habitat. To help do so, the Company has planted 26,040 trees since 2016, and currently continues to conduct regular monitoring activities to maintain mangrove development. It is also sponsoring two orphaned orangutans by paying for their care and rehabilitation until they can be released back into their natural habitat. In August 2023, Bridgestone Indonesia planted 10,000 mangroves on 1 ha land in the same area as the first plantation, which is Muara Gembong.

The Nong Khea branch of Thai Bridgestone Co., Ltd. (TBSC) is nestled in Saraburi Province, and our colleagues there took on an ambitious task to “greenify” their environment.

Through comprehensive stakeholder engagement with the community, local government and even Bridgestone’s customers, the team set out to achieve the collective aspiration to increase green space in and outside the TBSC Nong Khae Plant, and to create greater harmony with nature. The team collaborated with stakeholders to establish a program that engages school children and the community. The program promotes activities for learning and caring about the environment, planting and the importance of biodiversity, waste reduction where possible, as well as for planting more trees native to South East Asia. Since its inception back in 2013, the program has planted 5,400 trees covering 21,600 m², engaged 2,680 people in the community and 200 colleagues. These trees are estimated to sequester about 349 tons of CO₂ over their lifespan (in total).

Working with a government agency, Bridgestone Natural Rubber (Thailand) conducted an environmental activity for restoring a natural watershed forest in Thung Nari, Phatthalung Province. In 2019, 64 employees planted about 100 trees of various indigenous species in the 6,400 m² forest together with 10 members of the Thung Nari protection unit.

Thai Bridgestone Co., Ltd. (TBSC) has been organizing the Green Young Investigator project to raise environmental conservation and biodiversity awareness among younger generations since 2009. To encourage them to specialize, students choose activities from among four themes set by TBSC: Local Habitat, Biodiversity, Species, and Climate Change. The project’s goal is to help schools in central Thailand develop an environmentally aware culture and education system that will eventually shape the younger generation as future environmental citizens.

The Chonburi Plant, a tire manufacturing site of Bridgestone Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (BTMT), held the opening ceremony of an agriculture project in July 2020, with the participation of 555 employees. The project encompasses seven plantations with 2,000 jackfruit, papaya and banana trees around the premises. It is also home to two ponds with a total of 12,000 fish of five species. Through these activities, the company encourages employees’ participation in farming and promotes local production and consumption at the BTMT plant. The company also supplies produce from the farm to the company canteen and distributes produce to employees.

The Bridgestone India Private Ltd. plants in Indore and Pune planted more than 3,500 tree saplings. The Butterfly Gardens at the plants also host various species of butterflies, snakes and insects. More than 60 events (online and face to face) were held to raise awareness of environmental conservation.

The Aiken Plant, a tire manufacturing site in South Carolina (U.S.), has been collaborating for over 10 years with the University of South Carolina to deliver educational programs on biodiversity conservation to local schools. Plant employees also actively engage in ecosystem restoration activities, including those for longleaf pine trees, a native plant important to a variety of organisms. In 2023, the Aiken Plant conducted biodiversity education and awareness activities for more than 1,500 local residents.

Bridgestone Americas (BSAM) celebrated 2018 World Environment Day by donating 2,332 hectares of the Bridgestone Nature Reserve at Chestnut Mountain to The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee (TNC). The land is adjacent to more than 6,000 hectares of the Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness Area that BSAM gifted to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency in 1998 and 2000.

The donation helps protect habitats for many endangered plant and animal species. TNC has conducted a forest carbon offset project to fund the reserve’s management and offset carbon emissions from the BSAM headquarters building in downtown Nashville, Tennessee for 25 years.

BSAM remains dedicated and involved with the TNC and its neighbors, and in 2019, participated in the Bridgestone Nature Reserve at Chestnut Mountain inaugural Community Day celebration. In addition, in 2021 BSAM tapped into the Bridgestone Trust Fund to donate US$50,000 to the South Carolina Forest Carbon Program, and renewed this commitment in 2022 with a focus on Longleaf Pine Research. As a result of this renewed commitment, this project is reaching multiple audiences, including scientists sharing research, agency partners who manage forests and private landowners learning how to implement best practices on their land.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zHK9qbhkqA

Also, five of the Group’s manufacturing locations in the U.S. and Mexico are Certified Wildlife Habitats. The Group works with the Wildlife Habitat Council to help manage the more than 300 hectares in the program to foster habitat conservation and improve biodiversity.

In the United States, the Woodlawn Wildlife Area is a habitat on a former landfill site in rural Cecil County, Maryland. Bridgestone has been maintaining the site as a wildlife habitat since the early 2000s. The property features a mix of woodlands, grasslands and wetlands.

The team manages about 50 acres of forest dedicated solely for wildlife (there is no timber harvesting), in accordance with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Stewardship Program. Students and community volunteers are involved in invasive plant removal. A vernal pond was built in the forest to support amphibious creatures, and forest monitoring includes evaluating tree health. In 2001, a set of native grassland plants were planted to support the sustainability of grassland species. The grassland is maintained periodically by mowing, reassessing seeding needs and removing non-native invasive plants. Monitoring of the grassland includes tracking usage of nest boxes installed on-site for cavity-nesting birds.

The site is open to visitors and has a walking trail with information signage and benches. The trail helps to encourage observation and educates guests about the ecosystems and wildlife in the area.

To help inspire the next generation’s interest in the natural environment, Bridgestone Americas established the Bridgestone Environmental Education Classroom and Habitat (BEECH) at the Warren County facility in Tennessee. Students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade learn about wildlife habitats, water conservation and how to care for the environment. Since it was founded in 2008, over 34,000 students have visited BEECH with over 104,000 hours of learning, and the program has expanded to four counties in Tennessee and to include programs for homeschooled children. The program continues to grow each year. BEECH is a fully integrated part of the Warren County school curriculum.

Firestone Airide Turrialba received Bandera Azul certification in the category of climate change. This certification shows a special commitment toward caring for the environment and looking for a better way to reduce and compensate for the impact our production process has on the environment. Tree planting activities along the Firestone property aimed at protecting our own spring of water as well as educational activities in partnership with the City Hall were evaluated.

The Bari Plant (Italy) involved more than 200 employees in an event titled “Christmas & Solidarity”, celebrating World Water Day and World Environmental Day by raising employee awareness and distributing gadgets.

The Burgos Plant (Spain) actively contributes to the local community through several projects. These activities include opening the doors to students with the “Schoolyards- Learning Spaces” project and organizing the yearly event “Christmas at the Plant” to promote sustainability with a contest for young students. In 2021, the Burgos Plant won a Sustainability Week Award for the innovative idea of a sustainable mobility app pilot, which was developed to help reduce the carbon footprint of the plant’s employees.

The Bilbao and the Usansolo Plants (Spain) organized “Green Power Car Race” and “Bridgestone Popular Solidarity Cycling” events with more than 1,800 participants.

Volunteers from the Bridgestone Burgos Plant planted 200 pines and oak trees in an old sandstone quarry in Quintanar de la Sierra covering an area of 10,000 m². The event was held to celebrate the International Day of Forests promoted by the United Nations. The initiative, launched in 2009, was attended by fifty family members, friends and employees of our plant. An identifier was placed on each tree with the names of the people who collaborated in its planting so that, on successive visits, they can see how the trees are growing. 
Apart from celebrating awareness and the importance of forest management among workers and family members, the aim of the initiative was to improve the soil substrate, biodiversity, and landscape. To this end, specialized training in planting and reforestation was offered and field work was carried out using ecological forestry techniques. After finishing the planting, which allowed participants to learn about the different species that live in the environment, ethnographic and cultural values of the area were promoted with a guided visit to the Mataca Oven, traditionally used for making tar. This initiative started in the forest of Revenga where 7 hectares were rehabilitated with the planting of 1,800 trees. Since 2019, the action has moved to other parts of our province. 

The Stargard Plant (Poland) is also involved in educational events to promote sustainable mobility such as “Bicycle Town,” an event organized in cooperation with the local primary school and the Police Department of Stargard. Activities included events related to road safety and first aid. The local community was also involved in organizing exhibitions on ecological issues, collection of electro-waste and its reuse for plant seedlings, an ecological knowledge quiz, and more.

The Poznan Plant (Poland) continues to hold educational events under the framework of “Play Green” including three student-focused events dedicated to educating younger generations about environmental protection and the planting of 1,500 trees in the city forests.

The Tatabanya Plant (Hungary) conducted biodiversity activities including a bird feeder making competition, a frog rescue program, and activities to support the country’s national parks.

The Izmit and the Aksaray Plants (Turkey) started a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2013 and continue that relationship today under the framework of the “Let the Cranes Fly Forever” project. This project has donated 100,000 saplings and contributed to education and awareness-raising events, such as the 6th World Cleanup Day.