A run of demonstration tires made with 75% recycled and renewable materials – including synthetic rubber manufactured from recycled plastics and natural rubber harvested from desert shrubs – have been produced by Bridgestone.
A total of 200 tires were produced for joint evaluation by OEMs for use on the next generation of electrified sports and crossover utility vehicles. The tires were designed and engineered at Bridgestone’s Americas Technology Center in Akron, Ohio, and were produced at the Aiken County Passenger/Light Truck Radial Tire Plant in Graniteville, South Carolina.
The sustainable tires were produced using several materials derived from recycled and bio-based feedstocks, including recycled monomer manufactured with recycled materials such as plastic bottles to create synthetic rubber. Recycled steel, recycled carbon black, TPO-derived carbon black and bio-based carbon black were also used. Several materials used within the tire are ISCC PLUS certified.
The Bridgestone tire is the company’s first street tire to use natural rubber derived from the guayule desert shrub cultivated at Bridgestone’s guayule R&D agricultural facility in Eloy, Arizona.
“As we progress in our transformation to a sustainable solutions company, we are making incredible progress in the use of recycled and renewable materials to bring sustainable tire technology from the drawing board to the driveway,” said Paolo Ferrari, president and CEO, Bridgestone Americas.
“The production and deployment of a 75% recycled and renewable materials tire technology marks a significant milestone as we accelerate our progress toward using fully sustainable materials in our products by 2050.”
