A recent trend with tyres is in branding them as being sustainable, or environmentally friendly. With more drivers concerned about ‘green’ qualities to the products they purchase, more suppliers are viewing this preference as a market demand to cash in on. Is there really such a thing as a ‘greener’, or ‘sustainable’ car tyre? At Double D Tyreright we are conscious of the importance of sustainability. And we want to help you understand this trend better, so you can tell the sales hype from actual product quality.
How Can Tyres Be More Sustainable?
Being sustainable may not necessarily mean a product is made from recycled materials. Improving the efficiency of a manufacturing process to reduce an overall carbon footprint could also lead to a justified sustainability rating on any manufactured product.
The surest way for a manufacturer to reduce their carbon footprint when making tyres, is to produce one that benefits your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. It shouldn’t be surprising that this area of research is what tyre manufacturers have focused on in recent years – to connect the dots, a tyre that grips the road well, is a tyre that helps you save on gas.
Can Tyre Rubber be Recycled?
There are ways to reuse old tyres. Some of these methods include re-treating, or re-grooving. But otherwise, old tyres are efficiently used in earth fill for construction projects. These deposits can later be converted into oil or fuels, as some Australian start-ups are currently exploring.
‘Greener' tyres do exist: they are made with more environmentally friendly materials in ways that are also less polluting. Some of the tyre manufacturers fielding these products are Goodyear, Bridgestone and Michelin. Apart from these products, the best way to look at your tyres and sustainability, is that the less often they need replacing, the lower the cost to the environment.
The search for a greener tyre continues, but the overall positive focus on the environment should in the meantime lead the automotive industry as a whole, into a more economically conscious direction with every set of tyres replaced.
If you’ve got a question about tyres and sustainability, check in with us at Double D Tyreright to find out more about how we can help you support a more environmentally-conscious driving experience.
Contact us via our website or call us on 1300 338 973.