What do you know about how tires and the manufacturing of tires can affect the environment? It’s fairly common knowledge that both of these can have a negative impact on our environment. But what are manufacturers doing to make the best of the situation and reduce the harm?
You would be amazed that many tire manufacturers go above and beyond as they feel the burden to improve the environment and do their part to help make this Earth and their businesses just a little bit greener.
These manufacturers you understand that their businesses could have a negative impact on the environment and have determined to be proactive and preserve the environment. After all, we only get one Earth so it’s important that we take care of it.
In the following section, we will share just how the top tire manufacturers deal with such environmental issues.
Environmental Impacts of Tires
Let’s start by covering some basic information as to just how tires and the manufacturing process could potentially impact the air and the world around us.
Scrapped Tires
An astronomical number of tires are scrapped per year, just for the purchase of new tires. This does not take into consideration the number of tires scrapped by manufacturers for various reasons.
Scrapped tires present hazards such as tire fires, breeding places for viruses and bacteria, injury, and they take up an exorbitant amount of space at landfills and dump sites.
There are specific rules and regulations for burning tires because of the smoke that burning them produces and the oily residue it leaves behind. Tire fires are not easily extinguished and can burn for weeks at a time.
Tire Shreds
There are options for refurbishing tires that result in a much better end result than dumping them. A great option is to shred the tired remains. Tire shreds can be used for a lot of purposes. Here are just a few things that tire shreds can be used for.
- Mulch for gardens
- Protective ground cover in playground areas
- Gravel filler or replacement
- Landfill liner
- Landscaping medium
- Mats, flooring, vehicle parts, asphalt
- Coal replacement carbon source
Tire Manufacturers Take the Lead
Manufacturers tend to be very aware of the impact that they can have on the environment. These companies are heavily regulated by EPA regulations but many of them also take their own actions to identify issues and try to better the environment as best they can.
Giti Tire
Giti Tire sponsored the Electric Touring Car Challenge. This company has multiple examples of what manufacturers can do in favor of the environment. Giti proactively attempts to be green for the environment and they strongly practice principles that reduce waste through reduction, reuse, and recycle-based methods.
Giti places a strong focus towards improving processes, supplies, and the overall processing in an effort to protect the overall health of the Earth and the air we breathe. They comply with all of the laws and regulations at each of their factories.
Another proactive measurement that Giti has taken is to obtain national certification in areas such as occupational health & safety management, quality management, and environmental management. These actions go a long way for their efforts.
Michelin
Michelin has a strong vision for sustainable development. They are very open to the challenge of becoming more eco-friendly than such plants have previously been. Their focus has turned towards how their actions can specifically affect the globe long-term.
With that in mind, they focus on solutions that are green, safe, and accessible to everyone. Michelin’s plan for sustainable development focuses on the overall picture. Michelin focuses on the 4 R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle, and renew, which is a common trend you will see amongst these manufacturers.
Additionally, they utilize products that have a low-carbon footprint and consistently work their supply chain to reduce gas emissions through their productions. They have also implemented accidental pollution prevention techniques to continually work towards better processes.
Bridgestone
Bridgestone’s mission is built to specifically address climate change, biodiversity, and resource depletion. They see the continual impact to the environment and they take a stand to move towards a better Earth.
Not only does Bridgestone see the need to sustain the current society but they look towards future generations and how they can help provide a better life for them as well.
Bridgestone focuses specifically on preserving natural resources, reducing CO2 emission through both manufacturing and product design, and being familiar with how various aspects of their business could potentially affect the environment.
Bridgestone utilizes the caption “one team, one planet” in their description of their specific environmental mission. They compound on the fact that it takes a team to make a better world for all.
Pirelli
Pirelli has a strong background in improving their overall environmental impact. They have extremely specific goals for each aspect of the 3 primary pieces that tire manufacturers deal with directly related to the “green side”.
Their published goals include a 58% reduction in water withdrawal, 18% reduction in energy consumption, and a 15% reduction in CO2 emissions. Each of these is no small goal to make and take considerable effort on their part. Additionally, these are their targets to reach by 2020.
Pirelli appears to have taken sustainability to a whole new level with the determination to do so much more than just sustain the Earth. Rather they have implemented sustainability into their entire business model from corporate levels to risk management and more.
Technology & Advancement
Sustainability and what each company does to work towards their goals does not have to be a secret. If each of these companies works hand-in-hand towards similar eco-friendly goals they can make a significant environmental impact now and for the future generations of this world.
As technology continues to evolve, tire manufacturers have new and brilliant ideas that they are working on based on things that can harm the environment.
Here are just a few examples of some of the ideas in the works:
- Single piece wheel and tire made from recycled materials
- Eco-friendly tire line which improves fuel efficiency and emissions
- Sustainable materials used for tire design and production
- New tire products built wholly with eco-friendly products
One thing that certainly rings true is that in order to proactively work for a better environment, technology must continue to advance and new options must continue to be made available on an accessible level.
Conclusion
As you can see, the tire manufacturers across the globe to see how they can impact the Earth and they proactively take measurements to improve their footprints, contributing positive reductions and changes to better the planet.
Despite the harsh industry they are involved in, they take the steps necessary to not only work within regulations but also to come up with new ideas to sustain and protect the environment well advanced beyond what regulations require.
There is something positive to be said of industries that are aware of how they could potentially hurt the environment and what they are willing to do to prevent further harm, within their abilities to do so.
Aigerim Berzinya is the Marketing Director at SEIRIM. She has got her Master’s Degree in Social Sciences. She specializes in GPS tracking systems and transportation.
