As the first tyre manufacturer in the world, France-headed global tyre major Compagnie Générale des Établissements Michelin (Michelin Group) scoops the "Environmental Achievement of the Year – Tire Design", and "Tire Manufacturer of the Year" awards at the recent Tire Technology Expo 2023 in Hannover, Germany.
In October last year, Michelin unveiled two tyres, a car tyre and a bus tyre, that contain 45 percent and 58 percent environmentally sustainable materials respectively.
Swedish recovered carbon black
The car tyre contains, among others, ISCC-certified recovered carbon black that was delivered by Swedish end-of-life tyres (ELT) recycler Scandinavian Enviro Systems AB (Envrio) in which Michelin is the largest shareholder.
Both tyres have been approved for road usage and have the same performance as conventional tyres.
According to Michelin, the tyres pave the way for the future technology that will be used to manufacture Michelin’s standard tyres in two to three years’ time. The Group has set a target of using 100 percent renewable materials in all its tires by 2050.
The newly expanded Tire Technology awards have served as a showcase for the “incredible innovation” evident across the industry.
We felt we needed the ability to recognize and celebrate more aspects of this ever-expanding industry. Overhauling the categories gave us the chance to better acknowledge where the really exciting innovation is taking place. It enabled us to focus more on the environmental achievements being developed in multiple areas, and also to zero in on some areas of exciting R&D that didn’t perhaps fit our previous category structure. Judging by the caliber of this year’s shortlist, and the tough time the jury had in choosing their winners, we can expect some fascinating competitions in the coming years, commented Matt Ross, Editor-in-Chief of Tire Technology International and Chairman of the awards.
