Nokian Tyres partnership tests birch bark rubber's potential

NOKIA, Finland—Nokian Tyres P.L.C. is looking to take sustainability further with a new raw material, one sourced from birch bark.

The Finnish tire maker recently signed an agreement with Swedish biomaterials science company Reselo A.B. to further explore the possibility of using Reselo Rubber—a renewable material made from birch bark sourced from the residue of the global pulp, paper and plywood industry—in its tires.

"According to the initial laboratory tests we have conducted on Reselo Rubber, it has great potential to replace traditional fossil-based materials in tires," Heini Siekkinen, Nokian Tyres' senior manager of research and sustainability, said in a statement.

The best part about the material? It's not just renewable, it could be one of those materials that take tire performance further.

"We believe it may also be used to improve the tire's performance features," Siekkinen said. "We are excited to develop it further in cooperation with Reselo and hope to have Reselo Rubber in Nokian Tyres tires in the future."

If the material proves itself out, it will be an important one for Nokian Tyres as it will help move the company closer to its 2030 goal of producing tires with half of the raw materials coming from renewable and recycled sources.

Reselo was the winner of Nokian Tyres' Fast Race, Big Change sustainable tire innovation challenge, which was intended to find new solutions for more sustainable tires. It was through this initiative that the two companies began working together.

"We are proud and excited to join forces with Nokian Tyres to improve the sustainability of the largest rubber industry segment even further," said Henrik Otendal, CEO and one of the founders of Reselo. "The partnership with Nokian Tyres marks an important milestone in our ambition to revolutionize the rubber industry with a high performing bio-based rubber."