Hankook Tire has hosted a kick-off event for the ‘Development of Tire Manufacturing Technologies Using Sustainable Materials’ project carried out out as part of South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE)’s 2026 Environmental Technology Development Program.

The initiative seeks to accelerate Korea’s circular economy by securing high-quality recycled raw materials from end-of-life tires and advancing their commercialization in tire manufacturing. It consists of two key workstreams: the development of technologies for producing premium recycled feedstock from waste tires; and the establishment of tire manufacturing technologies using sustainable materials.

Participation in the national project expands existing private-sector research into a broader collaborative ecosystem involving industry, academia and research institutions.

Continue reading Korean consortium launches project to advance sustainable tire manufacturing and circular economy at Tire Technology International.

With sustainability becoming an increasingly important focus for the tire industry, manufacturers are exploring ways to improve circularity across the sector. In response, the ISCC Plus pilot project aims to develop industrial ecosystems that recover and process waste materials for reintegration into tire manufacturing, supporting more sustainable production across the supply chain.

Pirelli has announced that it has actively supported and participated in the ISCC Plus pilot to add recycled steel to the ISCC Plus materials list, working alongside Xingda, a strategic supplier and manufacturer of rubber reinforcement materials.

As part of the initiative, Pirelli contributed to the development of technical requirements and sustainability guidelines, supporting Xingda and its upstream suppliers throughout the ISCC Plus certification process.

Continue reading Pirelli supports ISCC Plus initiative to introduce recycled steel into tire manufacturing at Tire Technology International.

Chemicals company Orion has announced it is producing circular carbon black at its ISCC Plus-certified plant in the Chinese eastern coastal city of Qingdao.

The facility is making three grades of circular carbon black, Ecorax Circular 200, 210 and 215, from tire pyrolysis oil (TPO). Ecorax 200 is a hard black suitable for tires, while the 210 and 215 grades can be used for tires and mechanical rubber goods (MRG).

“This new capability in China marks a key step in offering circular carbon black grades globally,” said Orion CEO Corning Painter. “The product line extension gives us greater flexibility to meet growing demand for circular products, while maintaining the performance, consistency and quality our customers expect.”

Last year, Orion scaled up its circular capabilities in Europe, launching large volume production of Ecorax Circular 200 and 210 – both made from TPO – through a commercial reactor in Jasło, Poland.

Continue reading Orion launches circular carbon black production in China at Tire Technology International.

Pirelli North America has launched its first closed-loop tire recycling initiative as part of a strategy to increase the use of recycled and bio-based materials in its products.

The initiative focuses on recovering scrap tires generated during the manufacturing process in North America. The materials from these are collected and processed by Bolder Industries using pyrolysis technology to produce ISCC Plus-certified BolderBlack recovered carbon black (rCB), which Pirelli then reuses in the North American production of new tires.

The project is part of a broader Pirelli plan that will also involve additional facilities, with the objective of creating industrial ecosystems capable of valorizing waste by producing recovered materials to be reintegrated into tire manufacturing across the group’s production network.

Continue reading Internal recycling model drives Pirelli’s circular manufacturing approach at Tire Technology International.

Chemical companies Unibio and BioVerde Tech have announced a strategic collaboration to develop biomanufacturing processes for the production of sustainable chemicals.

Under the agreement, BioVerde will use Unibio’s U-Loop vertical loop gas fermentation technology platform together with BioVerde’s genetically engineered strains of Methylococcus capsulatus. The collaboration aims to convert methane into a range of value-added chemical products through advanced microbial fermentation.

Initial development efforts will focus on intermediates – molecular entities or compounds formed during a multi-step chemical reaction that are then consumed to produce the final product, acting as bridges between reactants and products – relevant to the synthetic rubber value chain, including pathways toward bio-based butadiene, a key building block used in both synthetic rubber and engineering plastics such as ABS.

Continue reading Unibio and BioVerde co-develop methane-based manufacturing processes for sustainable chemical intermediates at Tire Technology International.

Bridgestone Corporation has launched a joint research project with Universitas Indonesia, Public University Corporation Yokohama City University (Yokohama City University) and Public University Corporation Maebashi Institute of Technology (Maebashi Institute of Technology) for the genetic analysis of para rubber trees. This collaboration will leverage trees and genetic information from Bridgestone’s natural rubber farm in Indonesia.

The joint project aims to create a marker-assisted selection technology that enables early identification of elite trees (high-yielding, stable performers). Through this effort, Bridgestone and the partner universities seek to contribute to improvements in the productivity and stable supply of natural rubber.

Masashi Otsuki, executive director, Institute of Advanced Technology, Bridgestone Corporation, said, “By co-creating with stakeholders across the natural rubber industry and promoting the sustainable use of natural rubber, Bridgestone strives to achieve the corporate commitment of ‘Ecology: Committed to advancing sustainable tire technologies and solutions that preserve the environment for future generations’ described in its Bridgestone E8 Commitment.”

Stable yet sustainable

While natural rubber is a renewable resource, its source, the para rubber tree, grows only in geographically limited regions near the equator and is susceptible to external factors such as climate change and disease.

Continue reading Bridgestone and three universities collaborate on genetic analysis of para rubber trees to boost natural rubber production at Tire Technology International.

Around the world, more than one billion tires reach the end of their usable life each year. These materials represent a valuable resource for the circular economy, but collection, recovery and recycling remain fragmented, with outcomes varying significantly across regions.

The Tire Industry Project’s (TIP) End-of-Life Tire (ELT) Toolkit 2.0 is a practical guide aimed at improving sustainability and circularity in tire management worldwide. It provides strategies for developing resilient, transparent and effective ELT systems amid varying regulatory and market conditions.

The Toolkit consolidates the latest knowledge, case studies and expert insights on the evolving challenges and opportunities across the ELT value chain.

Continue reading Tire Industry Project releases End-of-Life Tire Toolkit 2.0 to support circularity at Tire Technology International.

Nokian Tyres’ production facility in Romania has earned LEED v4 Gold certification from the US Green Building Council, making it the first tire factory in the world to achieve this level of recognition for sustainable building.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a globally recognized standard for environmentally responsible construction. Certified buildings typically use less energy and water, produce lower CO₂ emissions, divert more waste from landfills and provide healthier indoor environments.

The Romanian factory was recognized for multiple sustainability features, including energy efficiency measures, on-site solar panels and an advanced water management system.

Continue reading Nokian Tyres’ Romanian tire factory first in the world to earn LEED v4 Gold at Tire Technology International.

Bridgestone Americas has announced that Firestone Racing will start the 2026 IndyCar season with Firehawk race tires featuring Bridgestone’s Enliten technology. Starting at this weekend’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, both the NTT IndyCar Series and Indy NXT by Firestone will use these tires, which highlight the brand’s sustainability-focused technologies.

NTT IndyCar Series and Indy NXT

The Firestone Race Tire Engineering (RTE) team will design, develop and deliver approximately 37,000 Firestone Firehawk Enliten technology race tires. Of that total, more than 32,000 race tires will be supplied to the NTT IndyCar Series. They span 60 different specifications to meet the diverse demands of oval, road and street course configurations on the 18-race schedule.

Continue reading Firestone unveils sustainable Enliten Firehawk tires for 2026 IndyCar season at Tire Technology International.

Solvay has opened its bio-circular silica facility at its Livorno, Italy plant, advancing Europe’s industrial shift toward sustainability. The investment supports the European Green Deal and the upcoming Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), while strengthening Italy’s position as a center for green innovation.

The unit aims to produce highly dispersible silica (HDS) using bio-based sodium silicate derived from rice husk ash, an agricultural byproduct. This breakthrough process reduces CO2 emissions by 35% per ton of silica compared to traditional methods and creates a local circular value chain that benefits the agricultural sector, industry and communities.

“By acting now, Solvay is helping tire manufacturers prepare for future EU requirements and meet their own sustainability goals,” said Philippe Kehren, CEO of Solvay.

Continue reading Solvay launches bio-circular silica facility in Livorno to drive sustainable tire production and circular innovation at Tire Technology International.