Bridgestone unveils recycled-content tire

 Bridgestone Americas Inc., a Nashville, Tennessee-based tire maker, displayed a demonstration model of one of its M870 truck tires featuring recycled content at WasteExpo in early May in Las Vegas.

Bridgestone says the tire supports the use of 70 percent recycled and renewable materials, making it the first commercially available tire in industry history to reach the milestone. The firm adds that the demonstration tire consists of 33 percent recycled material.

The M870 is the first waste and recycling industry-specific tire to earn International Sustainability and Carbon Certification System (ISCC) Plus certification.

“This voluntary certification standard validates the sustainability characteristics of alternative materials throughout the entire supply chain, from origin to end consumer,” Bridgestone says.

The company also used Waste Expo to debut its new Drive-Over System for fleets, designed to expand its data collection capabilities.

The 70 percent recycled and renewable demonstration tire is based on the Bridgestone M870, a high-scrub, all-position radial waste and recycling tire specifically designed for urban waste collection fleets, according to Bridgestone.

The company used “circular” synthetic rubber like butadiene and halo butyl rubber, circular carbon black and natural rubber in the demonstration tire, and says a limited run of the demonstration tires will be used on waste fleets later this month.

“The debut of this 70 percent recycled and renewable demonstration tire is not a glimpse into the future, but the reality of today,” says Steve Hoeft, president of the Bridgestone Americas Commercial Truck Group.

“With this tire and the work done with our supply chain, we’ve created new opportunities with a proven product by meeting the rigorous standards set by the ISCC. This tire directly demonstrates how Bridgestone can help fleets achieve their sustainability goals now with expertly manufactured premium tires.”

Bridgestone says it is “committed to advancing and standardizing practices and supporting existing recycling efforts that help the trucking and waste segments build a more resilient, circular supply chain.”

The new Drive-Over System technology has been designed to provide fleets with a comprehensive look at each tire’s tread depth and alert fleet operators to irregular wear issues, according to Bridgestone.

“With frequent data collection, fleets can make better-informed decisions related to maintenance and avoid premature or overdue tire removal,” the company says, adding that the technology helps fleets keep tires in service longer and optimize performance to maximize their investment.