The manufacturing and disposal of car tyres is responsible for as much as 10 percent of overall microplastic waste in the world's oceans. It comes as no surprise then, that Michelin, being the "environmentalist" among the tyre corporations has aimed to establish a zero carbon footprint by 2050 at all plants worldwide. The move is in line with the Paris Agreement signed at the COP21 in 2015 to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, the company said in a release.
The airless tyres being developed by Michelin along with GM will be the added icing on the cake in terms of reducing the overall carbon footprint of the manufacturer. Michelin has also hinted on plans to make all their tyres reusable by 2050. Future tyres, expected to be airless, should use up to 80% renewable sources in its construction.
Michelin has two fundamental pillars that guide its strategy to reduce carbon emissions - consume less, and implement an energy transition.
Following this strategy, Michelin achieved a major milestone by reducing its CO2 emissions by 22 % from 2010-2018. The company also suggested that 85 % of its plants in Europe are now powered by electricity that is generated from renewable sources.
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Speaking about the company's goals, Nicolas Beaumont, VP Sustainable Development and Mobility Michelin Group said
"We are taking action so that our plants consume less and better by increasing our use of green energy. The goal is for all our plants around the world to run on 100 per cent green power by 2030. We stick to our roadmap. Michelin will continue to pursue these efforts by improving the energy efficiency of its industrial tools, using more renewable energy, and eliminating coal. Currently, 5 out of 70 of the Group’s sites around the world are still coal-fired."
The company is pushing hard to produce durable, safe, and energy-efficient products that will enhance its efforts to achieve its carbon emission goals. By extending the life of its products, Michelin is leading the way in reducing tyre waste and pioneering the practise of guaranteeing maximum performance from tyres until the tread wear indicators appear.
"If drivers used their tyres until the legal tread depth of 1.6 mm, this would keep us from wasting 400 million tyres each year and prevent 35 million tons of CO2 emissions. This could have a major impact on the climate," Beaumont added.
In fact, the company is so serious about reducing environmental impact that it has also ventured into supporting and developing hydrogen fuel cell systems through its joint venture with Faurecia to provide cleaner alternative fuels for tomorrow.
About Michelin : Michelin is a well-known premium tyre brand which manufactures car, scooter and bike tyres. Michelin is also famous for its Red and Green travel guides and is known for its company mascot Bibendum, which is known as the Michelin Man. Headquartered in France, the company caters to the need of Passenger Cars, Truck, Bus, Two Wheeler and OTR (Off the Road) vehicles. The policy that the company works on is completely customer-centric, and their approach is totally reasonable with top-notch service. Michelin India Technology Center(MITC), an important part of Michelin's global research & development network assists Michelin India's operation and provides research and process engineering services.
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