Michelin Tyres To Be 100 Per cent Sustainable By 2050

Four billion plastic bottles could potentially be recycled into tyres every year, said Michelin

Michelin has announced that by 2050 its tyres will be made entirely from renewable, recycled, biosourced or otherwise sustainable materials. Currently, nearly 30 per cent of the components used in the manufacturing of Michelin tyres are already made from natural, recycled, or otherwise sustainable raw materials, said the tyre maker in a release.

According to the Michelin, its tires comprises more than 200 ingredients. The main one is natural rubber, but the many ingredients also include synthetic rubber, metal, fibers and components that strengthen a tire’s structure, like carbon black, silica and plasticizers (resins, etc.). Incorporated in perfect proportions, these materials interact to deliver an optimal balance of performance, driveability and safety, while steadily reducing the tire’s environmental impact.

Also Read: Michelin Increases Tyre Prices In India

To steadily reduce a tyre’s environmental impact, Michelin has 6,000 people working in seven R&D centres around the world. The tyre maker said that the commitment of its engineers, researchers, chemists, and developers has led to the filing of 10,000 patents covering tyre design and manufacturing. They work hard every day to find the recipes that will improve tire safety, durability, ride and other performance features, while helping to make them 100% sustainable by 2050.

Michelin reveals how to make a tire 100% sustainable

Check out the video showing you the recipe

Michelin has also partnered with innovative companies and start-ups whose technologies can produce recycled styrene from plastics found in packaging, like yogurt pots and food trays, or in insulating panels. It will also recycle polystyrene and recover carbon black or pyrolysis oil from used tyres.

Looking for new tyres? Find dealers

It has partnered with French startup Carbios which uses enzymes to deconstruct plastic waste into its original pure monomers, which can be infinitely recovered and reused to make new PET plastics. One of these recovered plastics just happens to be the polyester yarn used in tire manufacturing. Some four billion plastic bottles could potentially be recycled into Michelin tires every year.

Source: Michelin