LCA shows significant advantages for Marangoni Ringtread

Supported by the University of Trento’s Department of Industrial Engineering, Marangoni recently conducted a lifecycle assessment (LCA) of one of its pre-cure retreaded truck tyre products, the Ringtread Blackline WSS 300 M. It compared this with a new tyre intended for the same application. Marangoni and the department tested both tyres in size 385/65R22.5.

What they found is that the retreaded tyre was more environmentally sustainable than its new counterpart in all 11 test categories that are examined to calculate an LCA. The following values were determined for the main categories:

• CO2 emissions (GWP/ Global Warming Index, calculated in kg) were 74 per cent lower for the retreaded tyre. In absolute figures, this represents 310 kg of CO2 emissions that are not emitted compared to a (single) new tyre.
• RU-E (fossil resource impact index) was 77 per cent lower for the retreaded tyres.
• RU-MM (resource impact index for the extraction of raw materials) was 75 per cent lower for the retreaded tyre.
• PM10 (particulate matter emissions) was 55 per cent lower for the retreaded tyre.
• WS (water consumption) was 83 per cent lower for the retreaded tyre.
• AP (acidification of precipitation) was 70 per cent lower for the retreaded tyre.
• ODP (depletion of the ozone layer) was 74 per cent lower for the retreaded tyre.

“It is not surprising that the production of a retreaded tyre basically consumes less energy and resources. But the fact that the differences are so great may surprise some tyre experts,” comments Marangoni.

About the LCA

The LCA was carried out in accordance with ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards; the PCR (Product Category Rules) applied are those for tyres (UL10006) in accordance with ISO 14025. The test team used SimaPro Version 9.4 Multi User software for their calculations.

The calculations made the following assumptions:

The retreaded tyre’s rolling resistance and mileage correspond exactly to that of the new tyre. Measurements have shown that these values are identical, if not better, for retreaded tyres. This study was based on the “cautious” assumption of equivalence.

The casing is not taken into account when calculating the retreaded tyre’s LCA, as it is a waste product that would have a significant impact on disposal. Marangoni believes that these comparative figures should be taken into serious consideration when deciding between a new and a retreaded tyre.