KUMHO TYRE PLOTS A PATH TO SUSTAINABILITY
Kumho Tyre has announced the outline of its focus on sustainable materials research as the automotive sector continues to place greater emphasis on environmental impact across the supply chain.
The tyre manufacturer has said that the future of sustainable mobility depends on how vehicles are powered, but also on the materials used to manufacture the components that enable them to move.
Kumho Tyre has said that it is investing in research and development to increase the use of sustainable, recycled and bio-based materials throughout tyre production, with work focused on reducing reliance on fossil-based resources while maintaining tyre performance.
“Sustainability is no longer a future consideration for the tyre industry, it is a responsibility that must be embedded into every stage of product development today," said Kumho Tyre Australia Managing Director, Mr Harry Kim.
"It requires us to carefully consider the materials we use, how those materials are sourced and how they can be recovered and reused at the end of a tyre’s life," he added.
“Our investment in sustainable materials research reflects our long-term commitment to delivering products that not only perform to the highest standards but also contribute to a more sustainable future for the automotive industry.”
A modern tyre uses a blend of natural and synthetic rubber, carbon black, steel, textiles, silica and specialist chemicals. Kumho Tyre says that many of these materials have historically been derived from finite fossil-based resources and that it is now evaluating alternatives including bio-based resources, recycled content and recovered materials from end-of-life tyres.
The company said its research programs were focused on renewables, recycling and reducing. This includes work on bio-based alternatives such as bio-based SBR, rice husk silica and bio-based resins, as well as the use of end-of-life tyres and technologies designed to reduce weight and rolling resistance.
Kumho Tyre said its objective was to move towards 100% sustainable materials, with a wider aim of supporting net-zero carbon ambitions by 2045 and reducing waste across the value chain.