The trade-offs of going green – the impact of extending bio-components in tires
Global ecological trends are requiring that tires and rubber become more sustainable. This reflects not only the transition from mineral-based to bio-based components but also extends to the share of renewable-based components used in tires and rubber. Some monitoring of this trend shows that is it not revolutionary but a gradual evolutionary transition. The reasons for this are the lack of an industry standard for some important renewable components, as well as tire makers' need to keep tire properties at the same or better level. Should tire makers move quicker in this transition or carefully continue, step by step?