NTB National Tire & Battery Announces Success of Dumped Tire Clean-Up
20 April 1998
NTB National Tire & Battery, Motor City Blight Busters and NRI Industries Remove More Than 15,000 Tires From Detroit Communities
Initiative continues April 30, National Playground Safety Day, with
creation of basketball court made from recycled tire rubber
DETROIT, April 20 -- More than 1,000 Detroit residents helped
rid the area of more than 15,000 tires at the NTB Tire Sweep and Blight Flight
held Saturday, April 18, at the Motor City Blight Busters (MCBB) resource
center in northwest Detroit.
"Thanks to the efforts of caring volunteers throughout the Detroit area,
NTB and our partners were able to launch this milestone event, which helped to
reduce the number of illegally dumped tires in our neighborhoods," said Wade
Hopper, district manager for NTB's Detroit region. "By combining corporate
resources with the coordinated strength of so many volunteers, we are able to
clean up our communities and create a safer playground."
John J. George, founder and executive director of Motor City Blight
Busters, also attributed the success of the program to the strong level of
cooperation by both the corporate and non-profit communities.
"Without the support of the corporate community much of the tire sweep
would not have been possible," George said. "We also thank the many
volunteers who helped make this event one of the most successful tire sweeps
ever."
Scheduled for April 30, and designated National Playground Safety Day by
the National Program for Playground Safety and the National SAFE KIDS
campaign, part two of the pilot initiative focuses on bringing used tires back
to benefit the community in the form of recycled rubber.
Approximately 7,000 pounds of pea-sized ground rubber will be delivered by
NRI Industries to Clarita Playfield, located at Clarita and Lahser streets in
northwest Detroit. The grounded "crumb rubber" will be mixed with a urethane
binder and applied to the park's basketball court surfaces to make play both
safe and comfortable.
"We are pleased to contribute to the community in such a unique and
creative way," said Mike Schnekenburger, vice president of corporate
development for NRI Industries. "We appreciate the work of both NTB and Motor
City Blight Busters in partnering with us to help make this program a
reality."
An estimated 700 million to 850 million tires remain in stockpiles
throughout the country, creating an environmental and safety hazard. Through
this pilot initiative, NTB is planning to highlight an innovative use for
recycled rubber. In addition to playgrounds, widespread applications of
recycled rubber throughout the United States include: ramps for the disabled,
running tracks, horse tracks, bike paths, roofing compounds, driveway
sealants, truck bed liners, mail box posts, computer mouse pads, car parts,
cow mats and hockey targets.
The NTB National Tire & Battery division of Sears, Roebuck and Co.
was launched in March 1997 when Sears announced that it was
converting its 150 Tire America and 125 National Tire Warehouse (NTW) stores
into one format, NTB. Throughout the summer, all 275 stores were converted to
NTB and many new stores opened as well. NTB plans to open 70 new stores in
1998. All NTB stores carry national brand name and private label tires and
custom wheels. Stores also sell batteries and related starting and charging
accessories, including DieHard, the nation's most preferred battery. NTB
stores offer ride-control services including brakes, shocks, struts,
alignments and front-end repairs.
Founded in 1988 with its mission and goal to stabilize and revitalize
Detroit's long-forgotten neighborhoods, MCBB is now celebrating its 10th year
of rejuvenating homes throughout northwest Detroit. MCBB has boarded up and
secured more than 350 vacant and abandoned properties, renovated more than 140
homes now occupied by homeowners, demolished 66 properties by hand and built
42 new homes. Over the years, MCBB has also helped to remove trash and
thousands of tires from numerous vacant lots throughout the city for recycling
purposes.
NRI Industries is a leading manufacturer of automotive parts and
industrial products based on recycled rubber. The company is a Tier 1
supplier to Ford, General Motors, Chrysler and Nissan and includes Firestone,
Navistar and Alcan among its industrial customers. The materials division
consists of three tire recycling facilities that convert waste tires into
valuable materials and compounds used in NRI Industries' manufacturing
operations and sold to manufacturers.
SOURCE NTB National Tire & Battery
