Nokian signs rCB deal with Enviro JV

NOKIA, Finland—In an effort to reach a key sustainability target, Nokian Tyres P.L.C. has entered a long-term purchase agreement for recovered carbon black with a tire recycling joint venture.

Nokian said in a Feb. 8 press release that the deal, signed with the Antin Infrastructure Partners and Scandinavian Enviro A.B. JV, will help the tire maker increase the share of recycled and renewable raw materials in tires to 50 percent by 2030.

The JV is establishing end-of-life tire recycling plants across Europe, seeking a total capacity to recycle up to 1 million metric tons of ELT annually by 2030.

The first plant located in Sweden—construction of which broke ground last month—is expected to be fully operational by 2025. Deliveries for Nokian will begin in 2026, the tire maker said, noting it has been using rCB in a commercial product line since 2022.

"As virgin carbon blacks are fossil-based, replacing them partly with recovered carbon black decreases the environmental burden of tires' raw materials," Nokian said. "It also accelerates the circular economy of the tire industry, as the recovered carbon black is made with pyrolysis from end-of-life tires."

Juha Hietalahti, vice president of procurement at Nokian Tyres, said using rCB will also help reduce emissions along the supply chain the tires.

"The emissions from manufacturing recovered carbon black are over 90 percent lower than those from virgin carbon blacks. On a larger scale, use of recovered carbon black also increases circularity and sustainability in the tire industry," Hietalahti said.

The rCB that Nokian will receive as part of this agreement "is an important step in creating even more sustainable premium tires that provide safety in all driving conditions," he said, noting Nokian must find the right balance between raw material selection and tire properties, "as the use of recycled or renewable materials must not impair a tire's safety characteristics."

European Rubber Journal contributed to this report.