KERLA, India—When it comes to the all-in kind of sustainability plan, Apollo Tyres Ltd. is demonstrating that its products could be about three-quarters of the way there.
The India-based tire maker has unveiled a concept agricultural tire that it says is made with 75-percent sustainable materials.
And that, the tire maker notes, is a big deal, especially as it focuses on its short-term goal of achieving 40-percent sustainable raw materials usage in its tires by the end of the decade.
"This is a big milestone in the sustainability journey of Apollo Tyres," P.K. Mohamed, Apollo's chief adviser for R&D, said in a statement. "Being the early movers in this space, especially in India, and with investments in R&D and manufacturing toward achieving the 40-percent sustainable-material target by 2030, we have been able to develop this tire with 75-percent sustainable materials, which is now being tested extensively before being commercialized."
So what went into the sustainable tire?
A whole lot of recycled materials, some bio-based oils and little bit of transparency.
This included the use of recycled rubber, sustainable carbon black from end-of-life tires, bio-based oil, recycled nylon and bead wire processed with higher recycled content. Apollo also used Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber-certified base polymers with bio-circular-based feedstocks.
That's a recipe that fits well into Apollo's vision for sustainable products. The company said in December it planned to achieve its 40-percent sustainable materials goals by using biomaterials to make up 30-percent materials usage. Recycled materials, Apollo expects, will account for about 10 percent of the tire.
The 75-percent sustainable materials tire was manufactured by Apollo Tyres' Perambra factory in Kerala—the company's first manufacturing facility.
Apollo sees its recent R&D milestone as just one big step on a much larger sustainable journey. One that the tire maker says is imperative if it intends to responsibly lead the industry forward.
"With an aspiration to be carbon neutral by 2050, we are working toward creating climate-resilient operations," Neeraj Kanwar, Apollo vice chairman and managing director, said in a statement. "Dedicated teams and investments are being made in energy-saving initiatives and toward renewable energy to be prepared for the future and to contribute toward a decarbonized tomorrow."
To this end, Apollo recently articulated some of its largest over-arching sustainability goals. The goals are built around creating more sustainable operations—think manufacturing and facilities as well as employment—and products.
Among its goals is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 by focusing on the following 2026 targets:
At the same time, Apollo remains focused on its aim of achieving 40 percent sustainable materials usage by the end of the decade.
When it comes to establishing carbon neutral operations, Apollo is starting with a critical look at where it is and mapping out where it wants to go.
The tire maker said it has systems in place to monitor and analyze its greenhouse gas emissions and uses third-party verification to ensure its plans move forward as expected. Apollo also has undergone climate risk assessment in line with the Taskforce on Climate Related Financial Disclosure framework.
"Climate change and greenhouse gas emissions have been posing significant challenges for companies, governments and society at large," Apollo said in December. "… Based on the identified areas, mitigation strategies have been formulated and action plans drawn, to put them into action."
Some steps already have been taken to improve the efficiency of operations in India. This includes the Andhra Pradesh facility's plan to move away from fossil fuels and run completely on biomass. Meanwhile, Apollo's Chennai plant has invested in solar power and its Vadodara facility is using both solar and wind energy.
During the 2022 fiscal year, 10 percent of power requirement was met by renewable resources, Apollo said, adding that it will achieve 25 percent renewable energy efficiency by 2026.
And just as third-party verification plays a critical role in monitoring the efficiency of its operations, those third-party insights are driving how the tire maker uses and monitors its water usage.
"Apollo Tyres lays paramount importance to the judicious use of water, which is a scarce natural resource," the tire maker said. "Several steps have been taken within the organization to ensure reuse and recycling of water, in addition to increasing the awareness regarding the same in the communities around. The company monitors the specific water withdrawn per metric ton of product and has a road map to reduce it over a period."
To achieve its D&I targets, Apollo said it is bringing changes in policies and practice to its global operations and is committed to recruiting and building global cross-cultural teams.
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