Bridgestone launches a tire made with 55% recycled and renewable materials

What do all tires have in common? They are round, black, and they pollute, but times are changing as Bridgestone proves.

More known for its sports products than for its commitment to virtuous practices, Bridgestone demonstrates its dedication to a more reasonable future. One might think that a tire is as easy to recycle as a plastic water bottle. You clean it, melt it down, and pour it into a mold to make a new product. Unfortunately, that is really not the case. A tire is made up of hundreds of chemical and natural ingredients that are combined and bonded through a high-temperature and high-pressure vulcanization process. Essentially, what is bonded can hardly be unbonded. This only adds value to this announcement from Bridgestone.

The manufacturer is thus starting the marketing of the Potenza Sport A tire, the first mass-produced product from Bridgestone that includes 55% of certified renewable recycled materials according to ISCC PLUS. ISCC PLUS is an international certification aimed at increasing transparency and traceability of alternative raw materials used throughout the supply chain, from the point of origin to the customer.

Bridgestone designates sustainable materials as those coming from constantly supplied resources, capable of being used long-term and having a low social and environmental impact throughout their life cycle, including disposal. Thus, for this product, Bridgestone uses 35% of recycled and renewable materials, including natural rubber and bio-attributed polymers, as well as 20% of recycled materials. These include natural rubber, carbon black, rice husk silica fumes, lignin, zinc oxide, and reclaimed carbon black. Do you better understand the complexity of the product? As a bonus, it is perfectly suited for use on electric vehicles and has received an A rating on the European label for wet grip.

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