Steel wire company Bekaert has successfully delivered the initial batches of third-party certified recycled steel to Bridgestone Corporation. According to the steel company, the pilot represents the first stride toward establishing an industry standard for recycled content in tire reinforcement.
Highlighting the environmental impact, Bekaert emphasized that the substantial recycled content in its products contributes to a remarkable 50% reduction in the CO2 footprint. Bekaert’s tire reinforcement comprises a minimum recycled content of 50% for tire cord and 70% for bead wire. The processes at both the supplier’s wire rod factory and Bekaert’s steel cord plant enable precise tracing of content composition.
Heiko Isselee, innovation platform manager of recycled steel at Bekaert, explained, “There are many claims about circularity of materials in the tire industry, but lack of clear definitions and standards can lead to doubt on the validity of those claims.
“This third-party certification of both Bekaert and our wire rod supplier enables us to provide our customers with a guarantee of compliance of the recycled content claims based on recognized industry standards. This certificate allows customers to confidently include the recycled content in the Bekaert products to the tally of recycled content in their tires.”
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