There are many ways to become a greener driver these days! We’re talking of course about your vehicle, not becoming a rage-fueled superhero. But as for your car, going green can happen on and off the road. For instance, you can equip the right tires to improve fuel efficiency, carpool, switch to an electric vehicle, properly dispose of your oil, and even recycle your old tires with Firestone’s Tires4Ward program!
Are you ready to learn more? Here are five simple green-driving tips to help you build eco-friendly driving habits.
1. Equip Your Vehicle with the Right Tires
The right tires can make a difference in your fuel economy. For instance, all-terrain tires may serve you well on an off-road adventure, but they may not help you get the best gas mileage on the highway.
Equipping the right tires for the season can also make a difference. Winter tires can help you grip the road during the colder months. But once the roads warm up, those winter tires may not do your gas tank many favors.
If you’re not sure which tires are best for your vehicle, head to your nearest Firestone Complete Auto Care. Our tire experts can help you select the right tires for your vehicle, your budget, and the environment.
2. Carpool When You Can
Carpooling is one of the simplest eco-driving tips you can implement today! After all, fewer cars on the road mean less emissions being spent, and carpooling is a great way to do this! Traveling together not only gives you the opportunity to connect with others, but it can also cut carbon emissions by 2-3 times or more depending on how many passengers you take. If you travel for work and have coworkers that live in your area, consider choosing a communal meeting spot or factoring pickup times into your commute.
3. Consolidate Your Errands
Running errands is an inevitable part of life. And often, our errand destinations are rarely limited to one location. But instead of making several trips, take a little time to plan out everything you need to do. Then, map the shortest traveling route between all the destinations.
Being deliberate about the time you spend driving may not seem like it would make a huge impact. But over time and combined with other fuel-saving tactics, making the most of your errand run can help save you money at the pump and set you on the path toward greener driving.
4. Switch to an Electric Vehicle
These days, electric vehicles are far from novelties. While EVs used to perhaps seem like a pricey alternative to many gas-powered vehicles, they are now being made more accessible by many auto manufacturers.
Since many EVs don’t have combustion engines (some do, believe it or not), they don’t emit carbon emissions while you drive, making driving an EV the simplest eco-friendly driving technique you can do! If you’re not quite ready to completely make the switch to an electric vehicle, consider a hybrid option that combines the features of both gas and electric vehicles.
What about maintaining EV and hybrid vehicles?
Maintaining an electric vehicle looks a bit different than gas vehicle maintenance. For instance, no combustion engine means no oil changes or traditional engine repair (unless your EV has a combustion engine, of course). However, EVs still need to be maintained routinely. Fortunately, the experts at Firestone Complete Auto Care are trained to properly service EV and hybrid vehicles. If anything ever seems off, our expert techs can help fix you up.
5. Properly Dispose of Your Used Oil
Used motor oil is slow to degrade and can contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals that pollute the environment. It’s also very sticky, which can be very unfortunate for things like lakes, streams, beach sand, or even wildlife.
It’s simple to keep used motor oil from contaminating the ecosystem and drinking water sources by disposing of it properly. If you have used motor oil at home, make sure it is all contained within a closed container until you are able to recycle it. For easier peace of mind, schedule your next oil change at your local Firestone Complete Auto Care where our technicians will properly dispose of or repurpose your used oil so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
6. Recycle Old Tires With Tires4Ward
Tires don’t last forever. And once they’ve run their course, many tires end up in landfills or our communities’ waterways. Here, they can take as long as 2,000 years to decompose and return to nature — all while leaking harmful chemicals and heavy metals into the ecosystem.
Firestone Complete Auto Care is making an effort to remove used tires from landfills and our ecosystem through Tires4Ward, a tire recycling program. Tires4Ward first launched in 2012 to help create a waste-free tire industry and work towards making the tire and automotive industry more sustainable.
How does Tires4Ward work?
Our recycling program helps turn spent tires into other usable materials such as construction material, rubberized asphalt, rubber mulch, and fuel for energy. Or they are repurposed into items like floor mats, roof mats, stone paving, or even other tires.
Tires4Ward doesn’t just divert tires from landfills and the ecosystem. We also help remove tires that have already ended up in rivers, lakes, streams, and public lands across the country. Bridgestone has partnered with River Network to help more than 2,000 regional, state, and local groups clear tires from their local waterways to be recycled in the program.
How to get involved with Tires4Ward
Playing your part in the Tires4Ward program is easy! Businesses and organizations can fill out a clean-up request form to get started. Bridgestone will set up a tire drop-off at one of our retail stores near you, including Tires Plus and Firestone Complete Auto Care locations. Playing your part in keeping our country free from tire debris has never been easier!
