Nokian Tyres signs rCB agreement with Enviro/Antin JV

To help achieve one of its key sustainability targets, Nokian Tyres has secured a long-term purchase agreement for recovered carbon black (rCB). The Michelin-supported joint venture tyre recycling operation that Scandinavian Enviro Systems and Antin Infrastructure Partners formed last year will deliver rCB to Nokian Tyres from 2026, a year after its first plant in Sweden enters operation.

Nokian Tyres aims to increase the share of recycled and renewable raw materials in its tyres to 50 per cent by 2030, and first used rCB in a commercial product line in 2022. This new long-term purchase agreement will enable it to increase utilisation of this sustainable raw material.

“The use of recovered carbon black has several sustainability-related benefits,” comments Juha Hietalahti, vice president of procurement at Nokian Tyres. “It reduces the use of virgin raw materials and increases the share of recycled ones. The emissions from manufacturing recovered carbon black are over 90 percent lower than those from virgin carbon blacks. On a larger scale, use of recovered carbon black also increases circularity and sustainability in the tyre industry.

“When introducing new raw materials in tires, one of the most demanding tasks is to find the right balance between raw material selection and tyre properties, as the use of recycled or renewable materials must not impair a tyre’s safety characteristics,” Hietalahti continues. “The recovered carbon black that we will receive with this agreement is an important step in creating even more sustainable premium tyres that provide safety in all driving conditions.”

The tyre recycling joint venture intends to set up end-of-life tyre recycling plants across Europe. It is aiming for a total capacity to recycle up to one million tonnes annually by 2030.