Bridgestone, Michelin issue joint call on sustainable ELT solutions

LONDON—Michelin and Bridgestone are to issue a joint call to advance sustainable solutions for end-of-life tires (ELTs), including the increased use of recovered carbon black in the production of new tires.

The world's two largest tire makers will deliver a joint keynote presentation on "sustainable ecosystems" for ELTs during the Recovered Carbon Black Conference 2021, which is to be held Nov. 22-23 in Amsterdam.

Jake Ronsholt, vice president of strategy and transformation EMIA at Bridgestone, and Sander Vermeulen, vice president of the ELT products and recycling business at Michelin, will explore how the tire industry can best align across a diverse group of global stakeholders towards achieving a circular economy for tires.

"Ecosystems are the future of tire recycling as they enable an environment for talking and collaboration," said industry expert Martin von Wolfersdorff, who will be opening the event.

In an "ecosystem," said von Wolfersdorff, "there are no competitors but only partners, and that is what the industry needs today."

Bridgestone and Michelin will, therefore, outline how tire companies can work together to increase the use of recovered carbon black and other recycled materials produced via ELT pyrolysis.

Along with other major tire makers, both companies have significantly stepped up their sustainability efforts in recent years to target 100-percent sustainable materials by 2050.