Nokian Tyres launches the Nokian Tyres Betula concept tire containing groundbreaking raw material made from birch bark. The renewable material by Swedish company Reselo utilises the residue of the global pulp, paper and plywood industry.
The Nokian Tyres Betula represents the first time the material has been used in a tyre. The material is included in the tread compound of the concept tyre, bringing the amount of renewable and recycled material content to 93% of all materials used on the tread.
The new material is seen primarily as a performance-enhancing addition. The concept tyre, that has the tread design of the Nokian Tyres Hakkapeliitta R5 non-studded winter tyre, has been tested in the Nokian Tyres test centers in Ivalo, Finnish Lapland as well as in Nokia, Finland with promising results.
“Since the early stages, the potential of the material to be used in tyres has been evident. The Nokian Tyres Betula concept tyre confirms its applicability and highlights the material’s potential for commercial use in the future. Furthermore, the material is not only sustainable but according to our testing it also shows promise to improve tire performance,” says Teemu Soini, Vice President, Innovations & Development from Nokian Tyres.
The Nokian Tyres Betula concept tyre represents a significant step toward Nokian Tyres’ goal to increase the share of recycled and renewable materials in tyres to 50% by 2030. By pioneering sustainable solutions, Nokian Tyres seeks to set new benchmarks for environmental responsibility across the tire industry. Achieving this ambition depends on strong partnerships, such as the collaboration with Reselo.
“For Reselo, this partnership represents much more than a technical development project. The tyre industry’s sheer scale and traditionally conservative approach make it a challenging but vital space for rubber innovation and seeing the collaboration with Nokian Tyres continue to the next level is something we’re especially proud of. Birch bark is a high-volume forestry side-stream abundant in the Nordics, and step by step we are working together towards better-performing and more sustainable products with circularity at the core,” says Josefin Larsson, CEO from Reselo.
The cooperation between Nokian Tyres and Reselo started already in 2023, when the biomaterial science company won Nokian Tyres’ FAST RACE BIG CHANGE sustainable tyre innovation challenge. In 2024, Nokian Tyres signed a development agreement with Reselo to further develop their renewable material for tyre production. The development project continues together with Reselo after the launch of the concept tyre.
Concept tyres are an important part of product development enabling testing of new materials, technologies and design ideas before commercial production. In 2022, Nokian Tyres introduced the Nokian Tyres Green Step concept tyre with its ambitious design consisting of 93% of all the materials used either recycled or renewable, and in 2024 the company launched the Nokian Tyres Green Step Ligna containing a renewable lignin-based alternative for traditional carbon black. The Nokian Tyres Seasonproof 2 all-season tyre launched in 2025 for the Central European market has the highest share of renewable and recycled materials in commercial production by Nokian Tyres with up to 38%.
