Hankook Tire is the latest tyre maker to establish a policy setting out social responsibility within the natural rubber value chain. The policy aims to ensure each link in the natural rubber supply chain is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.
In parallel with the International Rubber Study Group’s (IRSG) 75th Anniversary, the association has organised a photo competition to pay tribute to women’s contribution in the rubber industry. The contest is supported by Singapore Committee for UN Women and prizes are sponsored by Namazie International.
Yokohama Rubber has introduced a procurement policy for sustainable natural rubber based upon the Sustainable Natural Rubber Initiative (SNR-i) launched by the International Rubber Study Group as well as the main proposals made by the Tire Industry Project (TIP) at the World Rubber Summit 2018 in May. With its policy, the tyre and rubber products manufacturer addresses concerns such as unlawful deforestation, land exploitation, human rights violations, and adverse effects on biodiversity. Not only will Yokohama Rubber adhere to the procurement policy, it will also promote it through its supply chain.
In Anklam, near Germany’s Baltic coast, Continental is setting up a centre to oversee its efforts to industrialise rubber sourced from Russian dandelions for use in tyre production. Groundbreaking on the Taraxagum Lab Anklam facility took place last November, and Continental reports that the first machine for extracting rubber from the roots of the Russian dandelion plant was installed several days ago.
The results of joint research projects undertaken between Yokohama Rubber and two universities in Thailand since 2013 were announced at The International Polymer Conference of Thailand 2018 (PCT-8) in June. The joint research projects were conducted with researchers at Mahidol University and Prince of Songkla University and focused upon ensuring stable, reliable supplies of natural rubber.
While natural rubber production may have risen 0.2 per cent in May 2018 to 35,789 tonnes compared with 35,726 tonnes in April 2018, year-on-year production decreased 18.6 per cent.
Cambodian rubber exports rose 21 per cent during the first half of 2018, according to the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture.
The data shows that local producers exported 84,419 tonnes of rubber during the first six months of this year, an increase of 14,376 tonnes compared to a year earlier. Total rubber cultivation was also up, at 436,299 hectares.
In spite of alternatives such as guayule and Russian dandelion, the Hevea brasiliensis tree will remain an important source of rubber for tyre manufacturers. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company recognises this and has announced a new natural rubber procurement policy. The tyre maker says this new policy “reflects its strong commitment to the responsible sourcing of raw materials” and believes its implementation and adherence will help address deforestation, land grabbing, and human rights in the areas of the world where natural rubber is produced.
To mark the occasion of International Women’s Day, Apollo Tyres has inaugurated a rubber sheet making unit at Vellavoor Panchayat in Kottayam, Kerala. Established with the help of one of company’s reputed Suppliers, the unit was inaugurated by Adv S Jayasooryan, vice chairman, Rubber Board of India in the presence of the Panchayat President, other Rubber Board members and the team from Apollo Tyres.
A partnership between Continental and the German Corporation for International Cooperation (the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, or GIZ) aims to improve the sustainability of the natural rubber supply chain in Indonesia, the world’s second largest producer of natural rubber. The goals of the collaboration are to develop a criteria catalogue for the sustainable production of natural rubber, to train farmers in sustainable production in accordance with these criteria and to track the rubber from smallholders all the way to production at Continental. By doing so, the partners expect that this optimisation of the supply chain, paired with increases in rubber quality and yield, will generate higher incomes for rubber tree cultivators.
Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) and Versalis are forming a strategic partnership to develop and deploy “a comprehensive technology package to commercialize guayule in the agricultural, sustainable-rubber and renewable-chemical sectors.”
The Sri Lanka Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Rubber Products (SLAMERP) celebrated its 31st Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Cinnamon Grand Colombo on the 16 January 2018. The association was inaugurated in 1985 in order to offer “comprehensive representation, advocacy and to champion to all manufacturers and exporters of rubber products in Sri Lanka”.
The University of Arizona has received a five-year grant of up to $15 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to lead a new centre focusing on the mass production of biofuels and bioproducts in the Southwestern US.
Continuing the theme of technological development, Linglong Tire – a top five Chinese tyre enterprise – exhibited a number of technological developments including its: a dandelion natural rubber-based tyre, a tyre featuring a graphene compound and a polyurethane tyre manufactured with 3D printing techniques.
The importance of unimpeded access to natural rubber has been acknowledged by the European Union, which has added the raw material to its Critical Raw Material List. the decision was made with the support of the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA), which contributed to the process of revising the List. The association has since welcomed the inclusion of natural rubber in the 2017 List, which is valid for three years.
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