Sumitomo Rubber turns to Rubberway

Falken tyre brand manufacturer Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) has a new means of verifying supply chain transparency for the natural rubber it utilises. Sumitomo Rubber Singapore Pte. Ltd., a natural rubber procurement company for the Sumitomo Rubber Group, has been using the Rubberway solution since July 2023, and SRI emphasises that “being part of this industry initiative will accelerate sustainable procurement of natural rubber.”

Formed as part of a joint venture between Continental, Michelin and IT agricultural specialist Smag, Rubberway is a technology-based system that evaluates and charts environmental and corporate social responsibility practices as well as potential risks within the entire natural rubber industry, spanning from rubber-processing facilities downstream to rubber plantations upstream. The Rubberway application furnishes its tyre manufacturer users with the compiled information, empowering them to recognise and enhance sustainability across the natural rubber supply chain.

SRI notes that Rubberway assesses a range of factors including deforestation, water resource management, forced and child labour. The tool covers ten natural rubber producing countries, including many of Sumitomo Rubber Singapore’s procurement areas. “The use of this tool will enable us to procure natural rubber from areas that comply with the GPSNR policy,” says SRI.