The CEO of Scandinavian Enviro Systems (Enviro), Thomas Sörensson, on November 22 participated in a panel of CEOs when tyre manufacturers Michelin Group and Bridgestone Corporation presented how the tyre industry can improve its sustainability by using more recovered carbon black. The presentation was given at Smithers Recovered Carbon Black Conference, an international conference in Amsterdam for the tyre and rubber industry.
In the joint presentation, Michelin and Bridgestone both highlighted the environmental advantages of the increased use of recovered carbon black and explained how this could become a reality. The companies also invited operators from different parts of the value chain within the tyre and rubber industry to participate in what they called “the shared journey toward increased material circularity.”
“It’s incredibly encouraging that two competitors, and two of the largest tyre manufacturers in the world at that, are joining forces in an appeal to the tyre industry to accelerate the transition to recovered carbon black,” says Enviro’s CEO, Thomas Sörensson in a comment.
Thomas Sörensson was one of the five participants in the panel, which was put together to raise the issue of how to increase sustainability in the tyre and rubber industry. Sörensson stressed that in the light of the recent IPCC report and COP-26, Enviro as a sustainability enabler in the value chain needs to increase the pace in the transition. Sörensson also reported on Enviro’s plan to, by establishing new plants by 2030, increase the total recycling capacity for end-of-life tyres to 90,000 ton per plant and year.
“Thanks to our technology, several players in the tyre and rubber industry have already increased their sustainability. As we expand our industrial footprint, we’ll be able to contribute even more to this transition that we’re seeing all industries striving for,” continued Thomas Sörensson.
In September, Enviro was the first company in the world to have its recovered carbon black certified under the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification system (ISCC).
The French company Michelin and the Japanese company Bridgestone collectively account for nearly 30 percent of the global tyre market and have both announced very ambitious goals in terms of reducing their environmental impact. Michelin, which is also Enviro’s single largest owner, announced its intention to be a world leader in sustainability and for its tyres to be entirely sustainable by 2050. Bridgestone has announced its goal that its tyres will consist entirely of recovered material by 2050 and that eventually all of the tyres that they manufacture will be recovered. Today, less than 1 percent of the carbon black used in tyre production comes from recovered end-of-life tyres. Close to a billion end-of-life tyres are discarded around the world every year.
