Michelin presents track-proven tyre with 46pc sustainable content

At the 2021 Movin’On global sustainable mobility summit, Michelin is set to unveil a racing tyre which it says contains 46 per cent sustainable materials.

The French firm says it will showcase the tyre fitted to the GreenGT Mission H24 hydrogen-powered prototype developed for endurance racing.

Michelin claims it has found a way to make a tyre with high sustainable content that still delivers superior on-track performance.

This very high percentage was achieved by increasing the tyre’s natural rubber content and using recycled carbon black recovered from end-of-life tyres.

Other bio-sourced or recycled sustainable materials used in the tyre include such everyday items as orange and lemon rind, sunflower oil, pine resin and recycled steel from aluminum cans.

This year, Michelin announced its commitment to using 100 per cent sustainable materials in all its tyres by 2050. This commitment will reach an initial milestone in 2030, with a group-wide target of having 40 per cent sustainable materials in its tyres.

Alongside its commitment to integrating sustainable materials into its tyres, Michelin also uses eco-design processes to attenuate its tyres’ environmental impact at every stage in their lifecycle, from raw materials sourcing and production to road use and recycling.

“We share a core value with Movin’On and its partners, namely the deep belief that mobility, and movement in the broadest sense of the term, are inherent to life and a source of progress,” says Michelin managing chairman, Florent Menegaux.