Environmental Leadership at Les Schwab

Les Schwab takes pride in being involved in local communities and environments. Environmental stewardship has always been a focus of Les Schwab’s strategies, and we continue to develop new ways to lead the way with environmentally conscious policies in the retail tire industry. Here are some of our current efforts.

Lead Removal

The wheels on your vehicle are fitted with small weights to keep it balanced. In the past, those wheel weights were made of lead. Since 2009, our tire weights have been 100% lead-free, using steel instead. Additionally, we supported the development of laws in both California and Washington to ban lead wheel weights altogether.

Tire Recycling

When you buy new tires from Les Schwab, we send many of your old tires off to be recycled. Some of the more common uses for that rubber include gym flooring, workout and playground mats, truck bed liners, and fuel for generating electricity.

Battery Repurposing

You know Les Schwab offers free battery checks, free charging, and free charging system inspections, but what you might not know is that we work with a supplier to repurpose up to 99% of the materials found in dead batteries. It’s an easy step that keeps toxic materials out of landfills.

Retreading

Adding new soles to a nice pair of shoes is just like retreading a tire — in a manner of speaking. Retreading truck tires extends the life of the tire casing. In some cases, we can retread tires multiple times. This can help save energy and resources. It can also save you some money.

Improving Brake Pads

Copper is amazing at dissipating heat, which is why the metal has been used in brake pads for decades. It really is the best option. However, as you use your brakes, that copper grinds down to dust, ending up on the roads, which can eventually contaminate lakes, rivers and reservoirs.

To minimize these effects, we worked with brake manufacturers to reduce the amount of copper used in brake pads without affecting performance. Today, we’re proud to say that we adhere to these strict minimums in our entire line of brake pads, despite the fact that many states do not enforce these easy, earth-friendly guidelines.

Planning Ahead

At Les Schwab, we’ve been working hard to minimize our environmental impact on the planet. Some of our changes include xeriscaping the grounds of our corporate headquarters and many of our tire center locations, employing LEED architectural initiatives in our new construction, updating our truck fleet for increased fuel efficiency and reduced carbon dioxide emissions, and recycling fluids whenever possible.

Let’s Work Together

There are things you can do on your vehicle that can both save you money and help the environment. These include: checking your tire’s air pressure and keeping your vehicle aligned. When you have your tires properly inflated, you’ll improve your vehicle’s fuel efficiency, and when properly aligned, your vehicle will run more efficiently, burn less fuel, and could last longer. Stop by Les Schwab and we’ll check your tire pressure and car alignment for free.

Together, we can help care for the environment and go about our daily lives. That includes your commute, as well as trips to the store, after-school sports, and outdoor adventures. Stop by your local Les Schwab to add some environmental consciousness as well as decades of safety expertise to your next trip.