Low Carbon Footprint Tires

This report compares the carbon footprint of a new and a retread 17.5” tyre for use by light commercial vehicles. Retread tyres are tyres where a new tread is applied to a used tyre casing. This process effectively increases the number of cycles of use for a tyre casing.

This study shows that the manufacture of a 17.5” new tyre produces 86.9 kg CO2 emissions compared to 60.5 kg CO2 for an equivalent retread tyre, a saving of 26.4 kg. These figures are based on each retread tyre being resurfaced an average of 1.3 times (supplied directly by a remanufacturer). This equates to a reduction of emissions by 30%. Table 1 shows that the retreading process generates over 70% less emissions than the production of a new tyre. The impacts of the production of a new tyre casing must, however, be included in the overall footprint (without the tyre casing retreading cannot occur). Indeed, the impacts of production of a new tyre casings account for almost 70% of total retread impacts (including end of life). As expected, the majority of the carbon saving from retreading is the result of reusing a tyre casing. With each reuse cycle, the impacts of the casing (manufacture and end of life) are amortized over the multiple-use cycles which therefore reduces the net carbon emissions.

The breakdown of the carbon footprint in Table 1 allows a comparison of impacts arising from different production stages. It shows that the embodied carbon of materials is the largest component for both tyres accounting for more than 50% of the total impact. It is responsible for 49 kg of CO2 in new tyres compared to 31 kg CO2 in retreads.

The second-largest impact is attributed to the energy needed in the manufacturing and retreading process. The energy used to manufacture a new tyre produces 31 kg CO2, while retread energy is 22 kg CO2. The footprint of transport is roughly the same for both tyre types. In total transport, emissions add almost 10 kg CO2 for a new tyre and over 8 kg CO2 for a retread. The higher emissions for transport of new tyres come from the long-distance import of raw materials from overseas.

In total the impact of production waste from both tyres is low. The production process generates very little waste and the waste rubber material is useful in other applications with little additional processing. End-of-life emissions are determined through analysis of the final fate of casings. In some instances, waste tyres may reduce carbon emissions through substitution. This is illustrated by the largest net savings being derived from displacing coal with tyres as a fuel in cement kilns.

Download “The Carbon Footprint of Retreaded Versus New Light Commercial Vehicle Tyres”- Report Here!