Bridgestone Potenza Sport is the world's first 55 per cent recycled and renewable tyre
The new Potenza Sport gets a sustainable compound construction without performance compromises, according to Bridgestone
When tailpipes on new cars are a distant memory, or perhaps before, it will be tyres and brakes that face scrutiny for their sustainability. Bridgestone is ahead of the game with its latest tyre, the Potenza Sport, which is the first mass-produced tyre to be certified as using 55 per cent recycled and renewable materials in its production.
The 55 per cent figure was confirmed to International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) standards, which is a globally applicable standard that aims to increase the transparency and traceability of alternative feed materials in supply chains from cradle to customer.
The figure is comprised of two components, with 35 per cent of the material renewable natural rubber and bio-attributed polymers and 20 per cent recycled materials. Those materials range from recycled tyres – ground rubber and recovered carbon black – to silica extracted from rice husks, circular oil carbon black, zinc oxide and lignin.
The tyre is globally OE approved and will be used on the new Audi e-tron GT. As such, it went through Audi’s testing program to prove its performance and durability. Bridgestone says there are no performance or safety compromises for the sustainable element, highlighting in particular the A grade EU rating it received for wet grip.
The tyre will also be sustainably produced at Bridgestone’s plant near Rome, which uses renewable sources of electricity and has itself achieved ISCC PLUS certification.
‘The Bridgestone Potenza Sport is a great example of Bridgestone’s innovation capabilities and commitment to sustainability,’ says Steven De Bock, Bridgestone EMEA VP of Original Equipment.
’This achievement marks another significant milestone as we accelerate our progress toward using 100 per cent sustainable materials in our products by 2050 and beyond. Driving sustainable innovation, we are proud to mass-produce a tyre incorporating such a high percentage of ISCC PLUS certified recycled and renewable materials.’
