Environment | In harmony with nature
Enhancing contribution

Para rubber trees are a major source of natural rubber, a critically important raw material for ensuring a sustainable supply chain for manufacturing tires. 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 materials 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 both small farms and large plantations. Globally, rubber tree farming provides employment for more than 6 million people.

Bridgestone 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, Bridgestone provides high-quality Hevea rubber tree seedlings and conducts technical training in key producing countries using the same productivity-improvement techniques it developed for its own rubber farms at the agricultural training center in the city of Siantar in North Sumatra. Bridgestone 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.

Symptoms of white root rot disease (WRD), which affects rubber trees, a natural rubber resource, is a disease that causes tree death by infecting the roots with pathogenic fungi and causing tissue decay. Since the onset is difficult to detect and discover, it poses a challenge to the sustainable and stable supply of natural rubber. Bridgestone is trying to combat this destructive disease.

AI-based disease diagnostic technology

Bridgestone has developed a simple breakthrough diagnostic test for the 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 this news release.

In December 2020, Bridgestone announced the development of diagnostic technology that can successfully identify diseased trees across vast farm areas quickly and with about 90% accuracy, regardless of tree type or age. A joint project with Information Services International-Dentsu, Ltd., the drone-based technology merges aerial photography and AI image analysis to detect disease, 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, thereby contributing to improved productivity at rubber farms.

For more details, see this news release.

Joint research on the prevention of white root rot disease in Para rubber trees

In 2024, Bridgestone joined a project conducted by the Fukuoka Bio Community^*1 and has commenced a collaborative research initiative with Kyushu University and National Research and Indonesia’s Innovation Agency (Indonesian: Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional, BRIN). The goal of the research project is to develop technology to prevent white root rot disease (WRD) in Para rubber trees and contribute to improved productivity at natural rubber plantations. By developing technology that prevents infection by the pathogenic fungi that cause WRD, the project aims to stabilize the yield of natural rubber and improve the stable productivity of natural rubber plantations.

*1 The Fukuoka Bio Community is a regional bio community certified in Japan based on the "Bio Strategy" promoted by the Cabinet Office. With Kurume Research Park serving as secretariat, Fukuoka Prefecture and Kurume City collaborate to create new industries and bio-ventures centered on biotechnology. The aim is to form a bio community composed of biotechnology-related companies and research institutions.

In order to help decouple business growth from its environmental impact and resource consumption, Bridgestone 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 announced that it had developed a system for implementing plans 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, Bridgestone developed an innovative system that addresses these issues to provide higher farm yields 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 optimal solutions for planting trees. These solutions include guidance on which tree clones to plant and when, where, and how many to plant.

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

For more details, see this news release.

Near PT. Bridgestone Kalimantan Plantation (BSKP) in Indonesia’s South Kalimantan Province, there is a neglected state-owned forest that has been destroyed by fire. The W-BRIDGE Initiative, jointly operated by Bridgestone and Waseda University from 2012 to 2020, implemented a project to revitalize this forest by means of a citizen-based forestry program. In addition to Waseda University and BSKP, the Japan International Forestry Promotion and Cooperation Center (JIFPRO), 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 conserving biodiversity. Local residents also conducted patrols and other activities to prevent forest fires. These activities empowered residents to become self-sufficient and created a framework for long-term forest revitalization and management. BSKP supported local residents by providing rubber tree saplings and agricultural technologies.

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

At the end of 2023, BSKP newly restarted reforestation activity. The effort involved several parties, such as Lambung Mangkurat University, a local forest management unit (KPH), the Forestry Department, JIFPRO, and the local community. A survey was conducted to estimate the current carbon stock of vegetation covering an area of approximately 100 hectares, which is the target area of the reforestation project and the site of various kinds of ongoing reforestation activities. Besides supplying rubber seeds for the targeted areas, BSKP is also pursuing capacity building by educating farmers on plantation-related techniques.

Regarding “Collaboration with WWF Japan”, and “Capacity building”, see this page.

In 2024, Bridgestone undertook 309 initiatives^*1 related to the environment in 18 countries and regions. This includes 230 initiatives with outside partners,^*2 involving 20,501 employee volunteers,^*3 reaching 34,388 people^*4 in local 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 activities varies by country and region and only includes those activities whose status has been confirmed.

In Japan, Bridgestone is pursuing forest management activities in collaboration with local governments near its plants. In 2004, it established forest maintenance activity zones and began activities that are now being carried out at eight sites in Japan as ECOPIA Forest projects. Specifically, by carrying out thinning and other forest management activities, Bridgestone is enhancing the ability of forests to recharge and help prevent mountain disasters, preserving the CO₂ absorption capacity of forests and their role as habitats for wild animals and plants, and making use of forests to offer environmental education to local children. In 2024, events were held at 12 ECOPIA Forests in Hofu City and Shimonoseki City (Yamaguchi Prefecture), Hikone City (Shiga Prefecture), Nasushiobara City (Tochigi Prefecture) in collaboration with local governments. A total of 1,227 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 has been operating in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture for over 40 years, and has been working with various local groups since 2004 to protect the water environment of Lake Biwa. Bridgestone is currently engaged in a wide range of activities, including holding nature observation gatherings for local residents and supporting research into the breeding of an endangered species of fish, called golden venus chubs. To date, it has held 76 nature observation gatherings, drawing about 5,340 participants. Breeding research on the golden venus chub takes place in the Biwa-tope biotope on Bridgestone plant grounds. This biotope is also a place for environment-related communication with the community, hosting nature observation gatherings and rice planting and harvesting events attended by local kindergarten children. Additionally, Bridgestone provides the golden venus chubs it has bred to nearby elementary schools to help children learn about the environment.

The Bridgestone Nasu Plant began hosting a sweetfish release event in 2024 to protect the ecosystem of the nearby Naka River, used by the plant in its tire production, and to provide local children with an opportunity to come into contact with nature and local natural resources.

On the day of the event, participating five-year-olds from a nearby nursery school, after receiving an explanation about the sweetfish ecosystem from an expert from the Tochigi Prefectural Fisheries Experimental Station, could release sweetfish into the Naka River. Parents taking part in the event commented that, “It was a valuable experience, which seems to have sparked the kids’ interest in fish,” and “I found out for the first time that so much effort is going into such a wonderful activity. I hope this keeps going.”

Employees and families at Bridgestone Kitakyushu Plant take part in an activity to eradicate golden apple snails in the nearby Hibikinada Biotope. Golden apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata) were initially imported for food in the 1980s but never caught on with the general public in Japan and reverted to the wild when they were discarded or left unmonitored. Due to their high reproductive capacity, the snails can cause great damage to rice paddies. For this reason, they have been designated as one of the top 100 worst invasive alien species in the world by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and as a priority alien species by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Through this activity, participants and related parties are made aware of the impact and damage caused by invasive alien species, as well as the difficulty of eradicating such species after they have been released into the wild, coming away with greater environmental awareness. Bridgestone carries out this activity every year in cooperation with the Hibikinada Biotope in Kitakyushu City.

PT. Bridgestone Sumatra Rubber Estate (BSRE), which operates a rubber plantation in Indonesia, organized a biodiversity conservation event in 2021 and which continued until 2025, 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 was also 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. This activity continues to be carried out every year in different areas in the BSRE area to ensure that the water flow along the riverbanks is well maintained and to provide ongoing education to the younger generation about the importance of protecting the ecosystem.

In Indonesia and Thailand, local Bridgestone employees have planted thousands of mangrove trees to restore mangrove forests that protect people and the environment in coastal villages. To help do so, Bridgestone has planted 26,040 trees in Bekasi Regency, West Java since 2016, and continues to conduct regular monitoring activities to maintain mangrove development. In August 2023, Bridgestone Indonesia planted 10,000 mangroves on 1 hectare of land in the same area as the first plantation.

Started in 2024, the Sanggabuana Conservation project has involved the planting of 100 trees on Sanggabuana Mountain to support water sources, provide food to local wildlife, and enhance the livelihoods of the local community. In 2024, the project also supported the community in the voluntary surrender of protected wildlife that had been held by households.

Employees of the Nong Khae branch of Thai Bridgestone Co., Ltd. (TBSC), nestled in Saraburi Province, took on an ambitious task to “greenify” their environment.

Through comprehensive stakeholder engagement with the community, local government, and 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 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, and waste reduction where possible, as well as for planting more trees native to Southeast Asia. Since its inception in 2013, the program has planted 5,400 trees covering 21,600 square meters, engaging 2,680 people in the community and 200 employees. These trees are estimated to sequester about 349 tons of CO₂ over their lifespan (in total).

In 2024, Bridgestone Natural Rubber (Thailand) carried out an environmental activity to clean up a canal in Prik, Songkhla Province. A total of 82 people, including employees and members of the local community and local government, worked together to remove garbage and scrap wood that was obstructing a 2,000-meter stretch of the canal, reviving the natural processes of the canal to restore biodiversity, providing benefits to both people and wildlife.

The Chonburi Plant of Bridgestone Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (BTMT) has been engaged in an agricultural project on an unused area of the grounds since July 2020.

In the past, Bridgestone has encouraged employees to participate in planting, promoting production, and distributing products from this project to employees. Currently, products distributed to employees include bananas and papayas. Soon, plans call for the distribution of coconuts and pomelos as well.

The plant is pursuing other activities to promote sustainability, including distributing banana shoots for propagation and making compost fertilizer from dried leaves gathered at BTMT’s areas for household use.

Since 2011, the Chonburi Plant in Thailand has collaborated with local primary schools to promote biodiversity awareness among youth, including the children of employees and students in the community.

The program combines theoretical and practical learning, such as educational games and nature studies at the BTMT Eco Forest, where participants explore ecosystems and observe plants and animals. It aims to enhance environmental knowledge, life skills, and a sense of responsibility toward nature.

The program concludes with a tree-planting activity, fostering environmental awareness and contributing to carbon reduction efforts.

The Bridgestone India Private Ltd. plants in Indore and Pune have 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) have been held to raise awareness of environmental conservation.

Awareness sessions include various topics like waste management, water conservation, the importance of bees, human-leopard conflict, the importance of ecofriendly lifestyles, and ecology and the food web. The Butterfly Gardens are open to the public and to school children for visits, allowing a hands-on experience of the biodiversity nurtured at BSID plants.

In 2024, three face-to-face events were held—a visit by school children to the Butterfly Gardens, stakeholder participation in tree planting, and an onsite awareness session for the local community to learn about butterfly lifecycles.

The Aiken Plant, a tire manufacturing site in South Carolina (United States), 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 the region.

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 50,000 USD 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 locations in the United States and Mexico are Certified Wildlife Habitats. Bridgestone works with the Wildlife Habitat Council to help manage the more than 350 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 to 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 trash pickup, seed planting, trail maintenance, song-bird nest box installation, and 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 was 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. In 2022, Bridgestone implemented an iNaturalist project, which allows collection of species inventory data by members of the public who visit the site.

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. This is a classroom setting that includes a nature trail to educate school children about the environment and its importance. 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, almost 35,000 students have visited BEECH, receiving over 107,000 hours of learning. The program has expanded to four counties in Tennessee, and now includes programs for homeschooled children. The program continues to grow each year. BEECH is a fully integrated part of the Warren County school curriculum.

The Dyersburg Plant has operated a pollinator project since 2019. On-site beekeeping was established in the hopes of repopulating the pollinator population and has since expanded, with educational events to inform people of the health benefits of honey and the importance of pollinators to the community. Several employees also operate hives out of their own homes.

Since 2019, the Monterrey Plant has operated a Habitat School program in a local primary school and high school. This program encourages students to investigate the habitat of their community and promotes actions that contribute to its conservation. Every year, three science fairs are held to display projects created by the students as part of the program.

Firestone Airide Turrialba received Bandera Azul certification in the category of climate change. This certification indicates a special commitment toward caring for the environment and looking for a better way to reduce and compensate for the impact of production processes on the environment. Tree planting activities along the Firestone property aimed at protecting its 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 entitled “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 a 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, drawing 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 square meters. The event was held to celebrate the International Day of Forests promoted by the United Nations. The initiative, launched in 2009, was attended by 50 family members, friends, and employees of the 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 have been rehabilitated with the planting of 1,800 trees. Since 2019, the action has moved to other parts of the 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, the collection of electro-waste and its reuse for plant seedlings, an ecological knowledge quiz, and more.

Ecoteam “Bridgestone Poznan 4 Nature” planted over 10,000 trees from 2021 in the city forest. Poznan Plant cooperates with the Polish State Forests - Babki Forest District and The Forests of the City of Poznań.

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.

In 2024, the Izmit and Aksaray plants started a new partnership with the Turkish Foundation for Environmental Education (TÜRÇEV) to support the Sustainable Development Goals. As part of this collaboration, the Izmit and Aksaray plants developed educational content for preschool, primary, and secondary school students, covering key environmental topics such as biodiversity, zero waste, circular economy, water resources, and consumption habits. These materials have been made freely accessible to students and are now actively used in Eco-Schools across Türkiye. Additionally, 18,000 saplings were donated through our collaboration with TEMA Foundation.

In 2024, Bridgestone South Africa made a significant contribution to the environment and to local communities through the expansion of its Food and Trees for Africa (FTFA) project. The newly added Trees for Homes Program focuses on planting indigenous and fruit trees in South African townships. In partnership with FTFA, Bridgestone donated 500 trees to homes in areas that have been degraded. This initiative aimed to provide essential green infrastructure, enhance the environment, and improve air quality.

Beyond the immediate benefits of improving the local ecosystem, the trees are expected to foster social cohesion and contribute to the long-term sustainability of the community. As part of its broader efforts in 2024, Bridgestone successfully planted 1,000 trees in total and established four vegetable gardens, further promoting environmental and social well-being.