With so much talk about electric vehicles (EVs) and other environmentally friendly changes, it’s no surprise that tire manufacturers are looking for ways to reduce waste and source renewable materials for their product.
Cultivating alternate sources of natural rubber and other tire raw materials is important in reducing dependency on supplier’s resources and minimizes the environmental stress of shipping. Rubber, synthetic and natural, comprises the majority of the material used in manufacturing a tire.
Can you recycle tires? Yes, absolutely. And America's Tire maintains that recycling and repurposing of tire materials is very important for the environment.
(Wondering what to do with your old tires? Recycled tires have tons of uses and properly disposing of them is imperative to reduce waste and pollution.)
WHAT IS BRIDGESTONE DOING FOR SUSTAINABILITY?
According to America's Tire’s Chief Product & Technical officer, Dr. John Baldwin, who has a BS in Chemistry and PhD in Polymer Science, "Bridgestone is a leader in researching and using renewable and recycled materials in their tires. We are proud to have Bridgestone as a partner and look forward to working together to make the world a better place."
Alternative Rubber Sources
Bridgestone, a leading tire manufacturer, has produced a run of 200 demonstration tires that are made with 75% recycled and renewable materials. These street style tires are designed to be used for the next generation of electric CUVs and SUVs.
The tires are made from a wide range of recycled and renewable materials, including synthetic rubber that is made with recycled plastics and rubber naturally harvested desert shrubs called guayule from the Arizona desert.
Other materials include recycled steel, carbon black, bio-based carbon black and TPO-derived carbon black. Bio-based Silica is sourced from rice husk ash, oils and resins. Many of these are ISCC PLUS certified, allowing Bridgestone to utilize a mass balance approach of sustainable manufacturing to reduce waste across their entire process. The International Sustainability and Carbon Certification initiative is an independent certification system for social, environmental and economically sustainable production.
Utilizing recycled and biobased feed stocks gives Bridgestone the power to seek alternative sources of materials for their highly rated tires. They have spent more than a decade and over $100 million on research and development on guayule, a desert shrub that can be used as a source of natural rubber. It can also serve as an alternative to existing crops in America’s drought-stuck Southwest, including alfalfa and cotton, as it requires as little as half the amount of water.
Guayule is part of Bridgestone’s goal to reach carbon neutrality and produce 100% sustainably derived tires by 2050. Their target? Commercial production of guayule-derived natural rubber tires by 2030.
ENLITEN Technology
Bridgestone also utilizes its ENLITEN Technology to deliver improved fuel efficiency, driving performance and sustainability.
ENLITEN Technology enables tires to have a super low rolling resistance (saving on fuel), maximize wet and wear performance and requires less raw materials to produce. It’s available on Bridgestone’s Turanza Eco tires that are commonly original equipment (OE) tires for Volkswagen’s ID.3, Golf 8 and the Nissan Rogue.
The beauty of ENLITEN Tech? It doesn’t sacrifice performance for sustainability and fuel efficiency; the technology’s wear compound boosts tread wear and handling without ignoring traction.
Bridgestone’s latest addition to its sustainability lineup includes the Turanza EV, an electric vehicle specific tire that employs ENLITEN Tech for better mileage, battery range and efficiency. This tire is also notable in that it doesn’t utilize an inner foam layer to minimize cabin noise, reducing unnecessary weight and increasing tread life.
Bridgestone Ecopia Tires
Bridgestone’s Ecopia line of tires are committed to reducing waste. Their design allows for low rolling resistance to boost fuel efficiency and safety. This also reduces CO2 emissions that contribute to global warming.
There are a number of Ecopia tire models, but we recommend checking out the Ecopia EP422 Plus, an all-season touring tire with a robust 70,000-mile warranty and a Fuel Saver™ sidewall and innovative tread pattern. It features increased rolling efficiency, confident wet condition handling and a quiet, comfortable ride.
ARE THERE OTHER SUSTAINABLE TIRES?
Yes, we stock lots of eco-friendly tires that help reduce pollution and are often made from sustainable materials.
We go into how to be an eco-friendly tire shopper elsewhere, but sustainable living and going green boils down to tire maintenance and utilizing sustainable materials whenever feasible.
Keeping your tires maintained and healthy keeps them as fuel efficient as possible. Plus, healthy tires tend to last longer and you will not be contributing to premature tire replacement.
Purchasing more premium, higher mileage tires is a sustainable action for drivers because it creates less road wear particles and ultimately reduces the amount of end-of-life tires.
Electric vehicles also offer impactful ways to contribute less to pollution. But if an electric vehicle isn’t in the cards, then you can still keep things green by checking out sustainable tires. While Bridgestone’s guayule sourced tires aren’t available on the market yet, we still stock a wide selection of eco-friendly options!
If you’re not sure what tires work best for you, our smart tire buying guide Treadwell is an easy way to find what you need. It uses scientifically backed data to deliver only the best options for you, your vehicle and your driving style.
Ready to get rolling? Wait less time when you buy and book online!
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