rCB – Bridgestone & Michelin share progress in white paper

Following on from their call to action at the 2021 Smithers rCB conference, Bridgestone Corporation and Michelin Group have updated progress on their goal of increasing recovered carbon black (rCB) utilisation in tyre production. A joint technical white paper, titled Bridgestone & Michelin: Recovered Carbon Black Guidelines, shares the results of their work with other stakeholders to develop a global standard to this end. The partners are uploading this white paper to rcbrubber.com.

In 2022, the two companies released a position paper focused on the joint initiative to increase the use of recovered carbon black. The position paper outlined the reasoning behind this call to action and the goals that Bridgestone and Michelin plan to achieve through this collaboration.

The two tyre companies collaborated with rCB suppliers and other stakeholders in the value chain to define initial proposals for standards, including grades, specifications, and awareness of quality and performance requirements for the tyre industry. Then they produced a set of definitions, proposed specifications, and guidelines for regulatory requirements, as well as a foundation for supporting the growth of the rCB industry.

Market barriers still remain

An estimated one billion tyres, representing around 30 million tonnes of material, reach the end of their useful service life every year. Although many of the technical challenges surrounding the use of recycled and recovered materials from end-of-life tyres are a known quantity, significant market barriers still stand in the way of achieving material circularity at the scale necessary to realise material circularity in tyres. Less than one per cent of all carbon black material used globally in new tyre production today comes from recycled end-of-life tyres; Bridgestone and Michelin blame a “sub-optimal supply chain for the recovery and reuse of carbon black” for this low level of uptake.

The tyre makers are convinced that rCB presents an opportunity to reduce the industry’s reliance on petrochemicals by replacing a portion of traditional carbon black with a sustainable and circular alternative without introducing performance compromises. They further emphasise that the use of rCB in new tyre production can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 85 per cent compared to tyre production employing virgin materials.

From linear to circular value chain

“No one company can deliver the supply chain advancements necessary to achieve our shared aim of a more sustainable and circular tyre economy,” says Marco Musaio, Head of End-of-Life Tire & Circular Economy, Bridgestone Europe. “The use of recovered carbon black in tyres is a critical element of our efforts to achieve products that are made from 100 per cent sustainable materials by 2050.”

“The shift from a linear value chain to a circular one presents a crucial challenge necessitating a shift in mindset and increased adaptability,” adds Fabien Gaboriaud, Senior Vice President of Sustainable Materials & Circularity, Michelin. “The partnership between Bridgestone and Michelin serves as a prime illustration of this transition, aimed at fostering the development of a novel value chain for reclaimed carbon black. The conversion of end-of-life tyres into cutting-edge materials that can be reused in our tyres marks a significant initial stride towards achieving our goal of 40 per cent recycled and renewable sustainable materials by 2030.”