Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) has revealed that it has manufactured a batch of demonstration tyres using 75% recycled and sustainable materials.

The materials used include synthetic rubber produced from recycled plastics and natural rubber harvested from shrubs grown in the Arizona desert. The company has completed the production of 200 demonstration tyres and is collaborating with automakers to assess their suitability for the next generation of electric SUVs and crossovers (CUVs).

Bridgestone's dedication to achieving its target of using 100% sustainable materials in its products by 2050 was emphasised by Bridgestone Global CEO Shuichi Ishibashi during a media and industry analysts briefing in Tokyo on February 16.

The company also announced its intention to develop a tyre design for passenger cars that would incorporate 90% recycled and renewable materials, reflecting its unwavering commitment to sustainability.

Bridgestone's newly designed and engineered tyres were created at its Americas Technology Center in Akron, Ohio and manufactured at the Aiken County Passenger/Light Truck Radial Tire Plant in Graniteville, South Carolina.

The Aiken facility is the first tyre production site in the United States to obtain International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS certification for transparent and traceable sustainable raw materials, including bio, bio-circular, and circular-based material. The Aiken plant also operates an on-site, 8-acre solar array, which generates renewable energy to help power the plant's manufacturing activities.

Paolo Ferrari, the President & CEO of Bridgestone Americas, stated that the company is making tremendous strides in using recycled and renewable materials to develop sustainable tire technology that can be put to use. He further mentioned that the production and implementation of tyre technology utilising 75% recycled and renewable materials is a noteworthy achievement in Bridgestone's journey towards employing completely sustainable materials in its products by 2050. As a result, the company is transforming into a sustainable solutions enterprise.

75% Recycled and Renewable Materials

The tyres consist of a variety of materials that come from recycled and biobased sources, such as recycled monomer, which is generated from recycled materials like plastic bottles, to form the tyre's synthetic rubber. Additionally, recycled steel, recycled carbon black, TPO-derived carbon black, and bio-based carbon black are used. Various materials are certified by ISCC PLUS.

Bridgestone's latest tyre is the first road tyre to feature natural rubber obtained from the guayule desert shrub, which is grown at the company's guayule R&D agricultural facility located in Eloy, Arizona.

The company has invested more than $100 million and over ten years researching and developing guayule as a substitute for natural rubber imported from the Hevea Brasiliensis tree, which is predominantly grown in Southeast Asia. In America's arid southwest, guayule can be a viable alternative to existing crops like alfalfa and cotton, necessitating as little as half the amount of water to cultivate.

Guayule is an essential component of Bridgestone's aim to attain carbon neutrality and manufacture tyres made entirely from sustainable materials by 2050. By the end of the decade, the company aims to begin commercial production of natural rubber derived from guayule.

Bridgestone's development of a tyre made up of 75% recycled and renewable materials is in line with the Bridgestone E8 Commitment, which is based on eight Bridgestone-like principles starting with the letter "E" (Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease, and Empowerment) to foster a more sustainable community.

To view and compare company ESG Ratings and Sustainability Reports across sectors, follow our Company ESG Profiles page.

For more technology news

Source: Bridgestone