As of today, specialty chemicals company Lanxess enters the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World index. In announcing its addition to the index, company Management Board member Werner Breuers commented: “Sustainable economic success is impossible without a diligent approach to the environment and society. This conviction is part of Lanxess’ philosophy. That is why the principle of sustainable development is firmly anchored in our corporate strategy.”
Amongst the myriad of new releases on display at September’s IAA Motor Show in Germany, Hankook Tire presented its latest cold-weather products. The first of these was the i*cept RS, a replacement for the Icebear W440 intended for the moderate climates of Central and Western Europe. The Korean manufacturer says standout features on the i*cept RS include its “particularly reliable and stable handling characteristics on wet, snowy, slushy and also dry roads.”
State-owned China National Chemical Corp (ChemChina) said in its first Sustanability Report that scientific development will be the main focus of its next five-year plan (2012-2017). During 2006-2011, ChemChina put more than 12 billion yuan ($1900 million) into technology research, an annual increase of 14.5 percent. The company owns seven subsidiaries, including Aeolus Tyres, Guilin Rubber, Yiyang Rubber and the Xinghuo Organic Silicon Co, that are national technology centres.
Specialty chemical and advanced materials manufacturer Dow Chemical Company and Lehigh technologies, manufacturer of sustainable, micronised rubber powders, have announced their intention to collaborate in order to develop sustainable materials for the tyre industry. Under this partnership, the two companies will combine proprietary technologies to create modified rubber particles, a programme that will combine Dow's expertise in polymer chemistry with Lehigh's strength in sustainable rubber compound development and testing.
US-based green materials company Lehigh Technologies has introduced two new butyl based micronised rubber powders. These products, MicroDyne and PolyDyne, are aimed at tyre and rubber industry customers wishing to reduce butyl rubber expenses while increasing their products’ sustainability.
Stephen Blakely, managing director of Wigan-based Blakeley’s Waste Management Ltd, has referred to his company’s decision to renew its three-year pence per kilometre (PPK) contract with Michelin as a “sound business decision.” Explaining this in greater detail, Blakely said the waste management firm “previously suffered from frequent tyre-related downtime, but this began to drop noticeably with the Michelins. The peace of mind we get from Michelin rubber has been one of the driving forces behind our decision to renew this contract.”
Launched in 2000 by the then UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, the United Nations Global Compact is a global initiative for corporate social responsibility that sets out principles in the areas of human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and anti-corruption. Today the Global Compact boasts over 8,000 signatories from 135 countries; Germany’s Lanxess has now added its name to this list.
On May 18, Tire Industry Association executive vice-president Roy Littlefield met with members of US President Obama’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. The Commission is charged with identifying policies to improve the United States’ fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run; according to the TIA, Littlefield was invited to meet Commission members to discuss economic policy, the US budget deficit and economic outlook, how public policy drives the deficit, and how budget cuts will impact future policy.
It’s been 150 years since the unified Kingdom of Italy was formed, and to mark the occasion Pirelli presented the country’s head of state with a Formula One tyre resplendent in the tricolour of Italy’s national flag. The presentation took place during a March 19 visit by the President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, and his wife to the Italian tyre maker’s new facility in Settimo Torinese, Turin Province. Escorted by Pirelli chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera and Pirelli Tyre CEO Francesco Gori, Italy’s president toured the new site, which will reach full operational status during the year and be officially inaugurated before the end of 2011. Accompanying Mr. Napolitano and Pirelli’s senior management were a number of regional figures, including the president of the Piedmont region, Roberto Cota, the president of the Turin province, Antonio Saitta, the mayor of Settimo Torinese, Aldo Corgiat Loia, the head of Turin’s prefecture. Alberto Di Pace, and the rector of the Politecnico di Torino, Francesco Profumo.
Last summer Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions ‘went native’, ripping out 15 acres of lawn at the company’s facility in Muscatine, Iowa and replacing it with native landscapes. The company’s actions caught the attention of the Wildlife Habitat Council, who has recognised the work undertaken with its “Wildlife at Work” certification. Bridgestone Bandag’s Muscatine facilities now have a total of 25 acres of native landscapes.
For the fourth year in a row, Pirelli was confirmed world leader in the Autoparts and Tires sector in the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe and Dow Jones Sustainability World indexes. For the second year in a row, Pirelli was also the only Italian company to be ranked as a world leader in its sector.
Whether you believe it’s simply ‘green wash’ or not, industry sources are reporting that the increase in ‘extra-slow-steaming’ (ESS) is having a profound effect on the international freighting sector. The knock-on effect for tyre importers and exporters is that ESS adds a few days to transit times.
Officially, ESS is the shipping industry's response to cutting global carbon emissions and is supposed to cut vessel emissions by some 30 per cent. It’s now the norm on the majority of trade routes although the cynic would say that it’s simply a significant cost cutting exercise, keeps ships in employment and, in fact, was widely used just to redress the supply-demand imbalance that built up in 2009. It’s estimated that in May alone, speed cuts to between 17-19 knots from the usual 23-25 kept almost 100 ships in employment.
According to a report in French sports newspaper L’Equipe, Michelin did not officially bid for the supply of Formula One. The French manufacturer’s Competition manager Paul Shorrock told L’Equipe that while Michelin did hold talks to discuss the possibility of re-entering the sport, the company’s official position remained out while “current regulations” remained “in force in 2011”.
Yokohama’s eco-sensitive “living wall” display, shown at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show, has been given Exhibitor magazine’s Bronze Award in its prestigious annual Design Awards, announced in the May 2010 issue. Based in Fullerton, California, Yokohama incorporated in its winning display a new technology developed by NaturExhibitsT, featuring a 90-foot, grassy-like "living wall" that was decorative and left virtually zero waste, according to Jim MacMaster, Yokohama executive vice president and COO.
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Reifen 2010’s first day saw Reifen Innovation Awards presented to three “pioneering solutions” to tyre business quandaries. The “Oscar of the tyre sector” was presented by Messe Essen and Bundesverband Reifenhandel und Vulkaniseur-Handwerk (Federal Association of the Tyre Trade and the Vulcanisers' Skilled Trade) on 1 June to Rema Tip Top for its RCF tyre repair plaster, to Mayerosch Off Road for its off-road professional partner programmes, and to Continental for the “optimising potential” of its e-invoicing system.
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