Recycled Materials Innovation in Bridgestone Tyres

As a result of increasing attention being paid to sustainability by both vehicle manufacturers and drivers, the global automobile industry is going through a massive transformation. Due to recent economic and climate changes tyre manufacturers, who primarily depended on traditional natural rubber, and petroleum-derived materials are exploring new ways of producing tyres in order to decrease their impact on the environment. One example of this is Bridgestone Corporation leading the way when it comes to combining recycled materials and Circular Economy principles into tyre technology.

Bridgestone’s focus on advanced material science and sustainable engineering is changing the way tyres are designed, manufactured and reused. Bridgestone's objective extends beyond creating lower-emission tyres, as they aim to develop tyres that will actively support restoring our planet's environment.

Why Are Sustainable Tyre Materials Required?

As more and more people purchase vehicles throughout the world, the amount of waste produced by old tyres has become a serious environmental issue. Every year millions of tyres go out of circulation and are added to the overall total of landfills while at the same time depleting the ever-increasing number of natural resources used to produce these tyres. As a result of this growing issue, tyre manufacturers are now trying to find ways to substitute virgin materials in the production of tyres with other materials to help reduce their dependence on virgin materials.

Bridgestone tyres Evesham has accelerated its research efforts for recycled and renewable resources, as well as new designs to produce tyres from natural and sustainable materials. By producing tyres in a sustainable manner, manufacturers reduce the amount of waste associated with the production process while at the same time conserving natural resources and continuing to provide high levels of performance from the tyre.

Advanced Recycling Technologies

To turn waste back into raw materials of value, Bridgestone has invested substantially in advanced recycling technologies that deal specifically with obtaining usable materials from the end-of-life status of a tyre or material that has had prior use in an industrial waste stream.

An example of the significant advances to date is the development of the chemical recycling process that enables Bridgestone and companies of the tyre industry to use old, discarded tyres as carbon black and as a substitute for synthetic rubber, thereby lessening the need for conventional fossil fuels to make their original raw materials.

Use of Recycled and Renewable Materials

Bridgestone is also investigating how to recover valuable oil, gases and other reinforcing materials used in making the tyre at high temperatures through a process called pyrolysis.

Through the use of recycled or renewable materials in tyre construction beyond that of traditional recycling, Bridgestone can produce tyres at a lower cost and increase profitability as a company.

From the use of bio-based and other types of rubber alternatives, to the use of recycled polyester fibre used to reinforce the sidewalls, the innovative applications of alternative materials into tyre construction demonstrate that waste materials can be converted into highly engineered components with equal or greater performance and durability than those produced from virgin materials.

Collaborative Innovation Through Research

Different sectors must join together in order to achieve technological improvements in sustainable tyres; therefore, Bridgestone collaborates with institutes that conduct research, organisations focused on environmental sustainability, and partners in technology to speed up changes in: materials used in manufacturing.

Partnerships for joint research help develop new polymer technology, sustainable rubber formulations, and reduce the ecological footprint of manufacturing. These joint research endeavours also help create a faster testing cycle to develop eco-friendly materials and compliant to international environmental regulations. Additionally, using research to solve real-world problems provides Bridgestone with the knowledge necessary to increase its leadership in sustainable mobility initiatives.

Protecting the Environment and Looking Ahead

Using recycled materials results in measurable environmental benefits such as lower carbon dioxide emissions, less consumption of raw materials, and reduced landfill waste. Bridgestone has established a set of ambitious goals that will support the global commitment to lower climate impacts through increasing the percentage of recycled and/or renewable materials included into their tyres Evesham over the next few decades.

Ultimately, Bridgestone wants tyres to be entirely sustainable products. These products will be made from renewable resources, monitored using intelligent technologies, and continually recycled after use. This vision demonstrates a larger trend in the automotive industry to promote responsible methods of innovation.

Conclusion 

In summary, recycling innovations will have a dramatic impact on the tyre manufacturing sector. The advanced recycling technologies used by Bridgestone Corporation provide an example of how these two aspects can play nicely together through sustainable sources and circular production lines that demonstrate both environmentally responsible manufacturing and engineering excellence.

As society's expectations grow for increased sustainability around the world, Bridgestone has set an example of what future mobility will look like; tyres no longer being seen as waste but rather as critical pieces in a regenerative resource-efficient economy.