Hennessy Industries Inc. announced that its BADA wheel weight division has been honored with the 2014 Partners in Transformation Award from Sears Holdings Corp. for its implementation of a closed-loop recycling program.
BADA was recognized for developing the closed-loop recycling program specifically for wheel weights and in partnership with Sears Automotive. The comprehensive recycling program starts with the collection of used wheel weights from Sears Automotive shops, after which BADA oversees the sorting, separating and recycling processes.
"By mandates or by choice, nearly half of the North American market has switched to lead-free wheel weights,” said Kevin Keefe, vice president of marketing for BADA’s parent company, Hennessy Industries.
"Due to this shift, we’re implementing more used wheel weight recycling solutions to support customers with the transition, and this prestigious award from Sears is a testament to the difference these programs can make.”
Hennessy says BADA has led the transition in the industry from lead weights to the most environmentally friendly alternative, steel wheel weights. As many BADA customers, such as Sears Automotive, have transitioned to steel it’s become more difficult to recycle used wheel weights because shops don’t have the ability to separate them into lead and non-lead containers.
"Recyclers can’t mix lead with certain non-lead wheel weights, such as zinc, so they’re starting to only accept 100% lead containers,” said George Hoffman, manager of automotive assets at Sears Holdings Corp. “The closed-loop program we created with BADA ensures that we maximize our recycling efforts”
