GENEVA—The world's leading tire makers, in a bid to improve their efforts at labeling the lifecycle environmental impact of their products, are embracing a new set of industry standards designed to bring greater transparency and standardization to labeling procedures.
The Tire Industry Project, a voluntary CEO-led initiative involving 11 leading tire companies, is backing the publication of Product Category Rules (PCR), a set of transparency standards to be used in creating Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) covering tires.
Commissioned by the TIP and developed and published by UL Environment, the PCRs ensure compliance to information and transparency standards when creating an EPD, described as an independently verified and registered environmental label for the life cycle impacts of a product.
"TIP members identified the need for a comprehensive, globally relevant PCRs for enabling improved consistency in evaluations for life cycle assessments," said Anne-Cecile Remont, TIP Director at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
"The tire PCRs are a proactive industry contribution to further environmental transparency," she said, "helping to reduce the environmental footprint of the tire lifecycle. This is an important industry commitment to improving environmental performance."
The tire industry PCRs were developed to be suitable for EPD creation in any region of the world, the WBCSD said.
"UL Environment applauds the tire industry for its commitment to the development of the PCRs, and is pleased to work with TIP to issue comprehensive PCRs that will enable the creation of EPDs in global markets," said Anna Lasso, product manager of Environmental Product Declarations at UL Environment.
UL Environment is part of UL L.L.C., an independent enterprise that helps companies demonstrate safety, confirm compliance, enhance sustainability, manage transparency, deliver quality and performance, strengthen security, protect brand reputation, build workplace excellence, and advance societal well-being.
Formed in 2005, the TIP operates under the umbrella of the WBCSD and is designed to advance sustainability throughout the industry. The group's declared aim is to anticipate, identify, analyze and address the potential human health and environmental impacts associated with tire development, use and management through end of life.
TIP member companies work together to anticipate, identify, analyze and collaborate on sustainability challenges facing the industry, improve understanding of and educate about these challenges, and develop potential solutions for a more sustainable future.
The TIP member companies are: Bridgestone Corp.; Continental A.G.; Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.; Goodyear; Hankook Tire Co. Ltd.; Kumho Tire Co.; Cie. Generale des Établissements Michelin; Pirelli & C. S.p.A.; Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.; Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd.; and Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd.