Tire industry CEOs commit to new sustainability plan

Laguna Niguel, California - Chief executives of 10 major tire manufacturers have confirmed their support for a two-year Tire Industry Project (TIP) 'workplan' to enhance sustainability in the industry.

The TIP plan for 2024 and 2025 targets scientific research with “enhanced action and stakeholder engagement” across projects relevant to environmental, social and governance (ESG) in the tire sector.

As part of the scheme, TIP will initiate a global conference to advance both scientific understanding and mitigation-action on tire emissions, including tire and road wear particles (TRWPs).

TIP will also organise open calls for projects, to “catalyse” studies into tire emissions beyond TRWP, while also continuing to advance tire emission risk assessments.

In parallel, the project will aim to launch TRWP-mitigation pilot projects, continued a 1 Nov press release from the industry body.

In terms of end-of-life tire (ELT) management, TIP said it would contribute expertise toward updating international guidelines.

Complementing this, TIP will deliver workshops, tools, and data to build stakeholder capacity for more circular ELT management.

TIP is also to develop tire-specific sustainability definitions and methodologies to enable the industry to deliver more effective circularity and sustainability assessments.

The goal here is to improve tire-sector alignment on sustainability reporting: improving transparency and making it easier to compare progress across the sector.

“Our new workplan underscores the commitment of our members to a tire value-chain that has positive impact on people and planet,” said TIP executive director Larisa Kryachkova.

The TIP, added Kryachkova, is “evolving and taking an increasingly collaborative and solution-oriented approach” to different aspects of a sustainable tire lifecycle.

The CEOs of TIP member companies meet regularly to review project progress and approve workplans.

TIP’s members are Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Hankook, Kumho, Michelin, Pirelli, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Toyo Tires, and Yokohama. TIP is co-chaired by Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, and Michelin.

During its 2022-2023 workplan, TIP said it published six peer-reviewed scientific studies, including the development of methods that help the identification of TRWP in environmental samples.

Other achievements, it said, included the publication of a report on ELT management, reviewing challenges and potential solutions in the US, Europe and China.