Carbon neutral, or net zero, occurs when an individual, organisation or location manages to balance their carbon output into the environment with what they use up. In other words, they are not releasing any more carbon than they are absorbing, with some common ways of absorbing carbon dioxide including planting more trees and developing technologies that actively use this gas.
Becoming carbon neutral is considered a gold standard in the race to become more environmentally friendly, across countless sectors and industries. But where does tyre production come in?
In this blog, we consider the impact of the tyre industry on carbon emissions and what tyre companies in particular can do - and are doing - to achieve carbon neutrality.
Carbon Emissions From Tyres: Explained
People often think that the worst part of the tyre lifecycle is production, especially when considering carbon emissions and environmental impact. However, it’s everyday issues caused by drivers that are actually more damaging to the natural world - with studies showing that around 80% of the CO2 emissions from a car tyre occur when it’s being used on the road. This CO2 derives from the emissions required to keep the tyre moving, and from countering common issues like under-inflation.
Under-inflation is a particularly damaging issue when it comes to the environment, purely because it forces the vehicle to work harder and use more energy, while also causing excess tyre wear, contributing to an increase in microplastic production, and using more fuel.
And that’s before we tackle the issue of tyre waste and the lack of proper end-of-life consideration for tyres. Knowing what to do with used tyres is crucial in achieving carbon neutrality across the industry - including finding better uses for the raw materials once a tyre has come to the end of its safe life on the road.
How Can the Tyre Industry Achieve Carbon Neutrality?
- Sustainable and eco-friendly raw materials
- Reduce the generation of waste in production
- Improve education around the importance of the correct tyre pressure and inflation rate
- Ensure all tyres are designed with low rolling resistance features
Achieving carbon neutrality for the tyre industry isn’t just about tightening up legislation around production techniques and the use of more sustainable materials. It’s also about ensuring drivers know how important maintaining their tyres to the right pressure, and matching tyres with the right terrain and climate, is. The good news is that this is something all drivers can take on board and work towards themselves.
Some of the other ways that tyre brands and companies are improving their carbon outputs include creating tyres which aren't just carbon neutral in their build but also reduce the release of microplastics when driving. This is achieved through stronger and more durable tread patterns and outer constructions which do not release the same level of microplastics.
