Continental General Tire Uses State Grant to Keep Half a Million Tires Out of Landfills
3 August 1999
Continental General Tire Uses State Grant to Keep Half a Million Tires Out of Landfills
North Carolina Governor Applauds Year-Old Public-Private Recycling Initiative
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 2 -- A Continental General Tire Inc.
recycling program, partially funded by a state of North Carolina grant, has
kept 500,000 used tires out of landfills since July 1998, company officials
said. Grant-related recycling research will continue another three years as
the tire manufacturer helps the state preserve the environment and enhance
business opportunities.
"As we continue our efforts to protect our environment and the health and
safety of our citizens, we welcome the contributions of private industry,"
said North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. "This public-private
initiative is another example of the progress we can make toward a cleaner
environment if we work together to solve our problems."
Last July, North Carolina granted Continental General Tire $1.2 million
through a Department of Environment and Natural Resources Division of Waste
Management program called Development of Manufacturing Methods for Tire-to-
Tire Reuse of Scrap Tires.
"One year after applying the grant, we're recycling at a rate that keeps
12 million pounds of used tires out of landfills," said Ed Morant, Continental
General Tire's director, materials/radial light truck development tire
technology. "Our goal for the next 12 months is to increase that rate of
usage."
Grant money is designated for use over four years, to subsidize intense
research aimed at expanding recycled material usage. In Continental General
Tire's case, the grant augments its established, ongoing recycling efforts.
Through the grant, Continental General Tire benefits by helping its home
state reduce the amount of buried waste. Additionally, by recycling more
tires, Continental General Tire hopes that more recyclers will start
businesses in North Carolina and that current recyclers will stabilize and
grow their companies. That would help rectify a scarce local supply of high-
quality recycled tire material.
Continental General Tire's elaborate testing procedures and stringent
manufacturing standards ensure that tires containing recycled tire material
perform as well as tires made from virgin rubber.
Turning waste into a valuable resource complements Continental General
Tire's strategic emphasis on technological innovation. Currently, Continental
General Tire's radial passenger tires contain up to 6 percent recycled tire
material, while radial light truck tires contain as much as 4 percent.
"We expect the percentage of recycled tire material in our tires to
increase up to 25 percent in the next four years," said Morant.
"That will require a reliable supply of certain grades of recycled tire
material that meets our manufacturing requirements. Recycling is the right
thing to do. It makes sense for us, just as it does for the state of North
Carolina."
Based in Charlotte, N.C., Continental General Tire Inc.
(http://www.contigentire.com ) is a group company of Germany-based Continental AG, a
leading systems supplier to the automotive industry. With annual sales of
approximately US$1.7 billion, Continental General Tire has 9,300 employees and
operates plants in Bryan, Ohio; Charlotte, N.C.; Mayfield, Ky.; Mt. Vernon,
Ill.; and Guadalajara and San Luis Potosi, Mexico. It is a major supplier to
the original equipment and replacement tire markets, selling Continental,
General and private brands in the United States.
Additional Contact: William L. Meyer
Director, Division of Waste Management
North Carolina Department of
Environment and Natural Resources
Phone: (919) 733-4996, ext. 202
Fax: (919) 715-3605
E-mail: meyerwl@wastenot.ehnr.state.nc.us