The tyre industry has undergone significant changes over the past century, particularly in material composition and performance optimisation. While the external appearance of tyres may remain similar, advancements in rolling resistance and the integration of sustainable materials have reshaped the sector. Michelin, alongside its competitors, has been embracing innovation through collaborations to meet its ambitious 2050 sustainability goals, focusing on using 100 percent renewable and recycled materials. However, the challenge lies in scaling up recycling technologies and ensuring effective sorting. As the industry shifts, RFID technology and extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations are emerging as critical tools for achieving material circularity and enhancing recycling efficiency.

Tyres have changed in the last 100 years. While the basic shape and colour might look the same, the internal composition has evolved significantly. Over the past century, and especially in the last 30 years, there have been major advances. One of the most significant has been the improvement in rolling resistance. Achieving lower rolling resistance without compromising grip has been a major technical challenge, and it has had a direct impact on fuel efficiency. In parallel, there’s been increasing focus on using more sustainable materials in tyre manufacturing. So, while it might not be obvious from the outside, there’s been substantial innovation under the surface.

However, it is a well-known fact that the tyre industry is secretive. Companies keep their research and development as tight as possible, but endeavours for including recyclable materials seem to break that ceiling, prompting towards collaborations.

Speaking exclusively to Tyre Trends, Sander Vermeulen, Vice President for End-of-life Rubber Products Recycling Business at Michelin, said, “There is a growing need and momentum for tyre companies to work more closely together, particularly around sustainability and materials innovation. Many companies have set ambitious goals for 2050, which include using 100 percent sustainable materials, achieving full recyclability or becoming carbon neutral. While each company may define these goals differently, the overarching direction is very similar.”

“A good example of this shift is our recent collaboration with Bridgestone through the ‘Call for Action’ initiative. We discovered that both companies shared similar long-term ambitions. One major challenge we identified was the scalability of innovations, especially from recycling companies. Many of these innovations work well at small scale, but scaling them up to meet the needs of the global tyre industry is a different story. What’s promising is that instead of working in silos, we began engaging in open dialogue. Both Michelin and Bridgestone were receiving proposals for new materials but often found them unsuitable for tyre applications. Rather than simply rejecting these proposals, we asked that how we can help these suppliers improve the products,” he added.

He noted that together the tyre makers started defining shared specifications that outline the minimum criteria a new material must meet to be viable for tyre manufacturing. “It’s not a guarantee of adoption, but it provides a clear, transparent benchmark. And if a material doesn’t fall within that box, we can save time for ourselves and the suppliers,” added Vermeulen.

He also quipped that he had never imagined working so openly with a competitor like Bridgestone whilst strictly respecting antitrust rules. But the experience has been incredibly constructive.

Michelin’s 2050 target is bold as it seeks to make 100 percent of its tyres from renewable, recycled or sustainable materials. Recycling sits at the core of that ambition. Internally, the company is aligning efforts across departments to meet this goal with a near-term milestone of 40 percent sustainable content by 2030.

That percentage includes both recycled and bio-based materials. However, Michelin isn’t developing recycling technologies in-house. Instead, it’s working with a network of external partners to identify and scale promising innovations.

Among its collaborators are Enviro and Infiniteria as well as broader initiatives like Biobutterfly and the WhiteCycle consortium, which focuses on recovering textile fibres for tyres. The company remains open to any solution that can help close the loop on tyre materials.

As of the most recent annual report, Michelin reported that 31 percent of the materials used in its tyres are either renewable or recycled. This figure reflects the combined share of both categories, not recycled content alone.

Opining on whether recycled materials are easier to use in commercial or passenger tyres, Vermeulen said, “It really depends on the specific application. Some applications allow for a higher percentage of renewable or recycled content than others. But we don’t break down our targets or current performance by tyre category. The current figure we’ve communicated in our annual report is a global average across all types of tyres.”

EVOLVING VALUE CHAIN

As tyre companies remain steadfast towards the respective goals of using recycled and renewable materials, a glaring question that remains is the fate of current suppliers. Explaining how the value chain will be impacted once tyre companies reach the goals, Vermeulen stated, “They will also need to adapt. The entire value chain must evolve. That means synthetic rubber producers and oil suppliers need to develop renewable or recycled versions of the materials they currently provide. Everyone, from upstream raw material providers to downstream manufacturers, will need to contribute if we’re going to meet these ambitious goals.”

Commenting on whether such shift will restructure the entire tyre industry, he said, “It’s hard to make specific predictions, but one thing is clear that the entire value chain is already beginning to change. All raw material suppliers now understand the direction tyre manufacturers are heading. We’re already seeing many traditional suppliers exploring new approaches to reduce the reliance on fossil-based materials. Some are developing recycled alternatives, while others are exploring biobased feedstocks.”

“In this effort, a concept we explored in a large-scale European project was called BlackCycle. It brought together various actors from the entire tyre industry value chain including raw material suppliers and other stakeholders to map out how we can extract maximum value from end-of-life tyres. It looked at viable recycling pathways including how pyrolysis oil can be integrated into chemical supply chains. We all need to work together to co-create solutions based on renewable and recycled materials,” he added.

Michelin doesn’t plan to produce recycled materials itself. Instead, its focus is on defining performance and quality specifications, then partnering with companies ranging from start-ups to established suppliers that can deliver materials meeting those standards.

Commenting on the same lines, he added, “The entire tyre industry has a strong interest in gaining access to recycled materials that can be reused in new products. And to achieve that, partnerships are essential. There’s no way we can meet these ambitions if every company stays within its traditional boundaries and works in isolation. We believe in collaborating across the value chain. Often, smaller companies have breakthrough technologies or innovative ideas but lack the resources or infrastructure to scale. In those cases, if we can help them access funding or industrialise the processes, it’s a win-win for the industry as a whole.”

While performance gaps between recycled and virgin materials are a known concern, Michelin sees scalability as the more critical barrier. Many recycling innovations show promise at the lab or prototype level, but few are ready for industrial-scale production.

To bridge that gap, Michelin and others in the sector are working closely with innovators to help mature these technologies to meet industry demands.

REGULATION & TECHNOLOGY

The extended producer responsibility (EPR) has been a staunch advocate for recycling end-of-life tyres across countries. The regulation is not only limited to European markets but has expanding into countries like India too.

Commenting on whether EPR regulations will help drive more effective recycling, Vermeulen said, “Extended producer responsibility plays a key role in tyre recycling by making manufacturers responsible for collecting and recycling tyre after use. In countries with EPR laws, such as most of Europe, producers and importers must ensure proper tyre collection and recycling. This legally mandates tyre producers to manage the end-of-life stage of the products. However, EPR is not the only model that can ensure effective recycling. In regions without EPR, like the United States, tyre recycling is still managed through a free-market system driven by industry and service providers. Even in Germany, which lacks an EPR law, tyres are still collected and managed properly through industry-driven solutions.”

“While EPR can certainly help in places with limited infrastructure, the key to effective tyre recycling lies in how well the system is organised. Whether through EPR or free-market models, both can be effective as long as the collection and recycling infrastructure is well established,” he added.

Vermeulen also views RFID technology as a crucial enabler for achieving material circularity in the tyre industry. By embedding RFID tags, tyres can be tracked and identified with precise information about its composition, helping to streamline the recycling process. This technology allows for better sorting of tyres based on specific material make-up, which is critical for maximising the quality of recycled materials.

Just as with household recycling, the challenge is to ensure that materials are sorted effectively. With too many sorting categories, costs rise without guaranteeing better quality. RFID makes it easier to identify the correct ‘bin’ for each tyre, whether it’s a winter, truck or passenger car tyre.

Additionally, RFID can help differentiate between new, retreaded and partially worn tyres, which often have varying materials and recycling needs. This enables more efficient sorting, improving the overall quality of the recycling output while keeping costs manageable. Michelin sees RFID as an essential tool in making the recycling process more effective and economically viable.

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The Government of Kerala has approved the twelfth phase of the Rubber Production Incentive Scheme, extending support to natural rubber growers through a guaranteed price mechanism.

The scheme is designed to ensure a price of INR 250 per kilogram for RSS 4 grade sheet rubber. Growers who are not yet enrolled may register for the programme until 23 October 2026, according to an official statement issued on 6 August in Kottayam.

Applicants seeking new registration must submit an Aadhaar card, bank passbook copy, current year land tax receipt and a photograph to their respective Rubber Producers’ Societies. Existing participants are required to renew their registration by providing land tax receipts for the 2026–27 period.

The release added that sale invoices or purchase bills submitted under the scheme must originate from licensed dealers who comply with statutory return requirements. Further details are available through the nearest Rubber Board office.

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The Rubber Board of India has launched a series of educational videos as part of the iSPEED (INROAD Skilling and Production Efficiency Enhancement Drive) programme, an INR 1.50-billion initiative aimed at enhancing skill development, quality improvement and infrastructure building within the natural rubber sector. This launch comes as the plantation activities under the larger Project INROAD (Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development) in Northeast India approach completion, shifting focus towards productivity and quality enhancement through modern training and facilities.

The newly released video series targets nearly 300,000 rubber growers in the region, covering five essential processing areas: Rubber Tapping, Rain Guarding, Grading, Rubber Sheet Making and Scientific Smokehouses. To ensure broad accessibility, the modules have been produced in Assamese, Bengali, Hindi and Malayalam, enabling effective communication with diverse stakeholders across the natural rubber ecosystem.

The official release of the videos was conducted by Executive Director M Vasanthagesan, alongside Rubber Production Commissioner Dr Siju T Nair, other senior Board officials and representatives from the Indian tyre industry. Developed over the past year with technical assistance from the Rubber Board and the Rubber Research Institute of India, the educational content combines animation with real-life field demonstrations to simplify complex scientific practices for easy adoption.

Project INROAD represents a unique collaboration between the Indian tyre industry and the Rubber Board, with support from Apollo Tyres, CEAT, JK Tyre and MRF. Over the last five years, this partnership has facilitated new rubber plantations across approximately 180,000 hectares in 113 districts of Northeast India, establishing it as the country’s largest plantation development programme of its kind.

Mohan Kurian, Chairman, INROAD Project, said, "Skill development and adoption of scientific practices are essential for improving both productivity and quality in the natural rubber sector. These multilingual videos will serve as an effective training resource for growers and complement the Rubber Board's ongoing extension efforts across the country.”

Sanjiv Saxena, Convener, ATMA Supply Chain & Resources (SCR) Group, said, "The objective of the participating member companies under INROAD is to ensure that rubber growers benefit the most from a stronger natural rubber value chain. By improving productivity and quality, we aim to help farmers realise better returns while strengthening the sustainability of the entire ecosystem."

Muraligopal, who played a key role in coordinating the development of the videos, said, "These videos are the result of close collaboration with the Rubber Board, RRII and field teams across the Northeast. Their guidance and support helped us develop practical, farmer-friendly training modules based on scientific best practices."

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Zeon Corporation has finalised the construction of a new bench-scale facility at its Tokuyama Plant in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, dedicated to advancing the efficient production of butadiene from sustainable ethanol sources. The project, which broke ground in July 2025, represents a strategic move to establish a naphtha-independent raw material supply chain, thereby bolstering both corporate sustainability and the broader transition towards a carbon-neutral society. The facility is slated to commence full-scale operations in January 2027, with the ultimate goal of achieving commercial viability by 2034.

A commemorative ceremony took place at the plant site on 31 July 2026, drawing a total of 46 attendees. The gathering included official representatives from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and local governmental bodies from Yamaguchi Prefecture and Shunan City. Also present were delegates from the Yokohama Rubber Company, the construction contractor and various affiliated firms, alongside Zeon’s leadership, including Akira Honma, the Corporate Officer and Tokuyama Plant Manager.

This initiative forms one half of a dual-themed research and development programme undertaken in partnership with Yokohama Rubber, under the auspices of NEDO’s Green Innovation Fund. The collaborative effort is focused on the social implementation of technologies for synthesising both butadiene and isoprene from renewable biological materials by the 2030s. As part of this process, Zeon is set to produce a prototype polybutadiene rubber using the output from the new bench-scale facility, while Yokohama Rubber will subsequently manufacture test tyres from this material and conduct performance evaluations on test tracks.

Both companies have outlined a clear roadmap, intending to finalise the core technology for societal deployment by 2030 through the operation of a larger pilot plant, with full-scale commercialisation targeted for 2034. The bench-scale facility is a critical precursor in this phased approach, providing essential data for the scale-up process.

The broader project encompasses two selected NEDO themes, both subsidised through the Green Innovation Fund. The first involves the highly efficient synthesis of butadiene from ethanol, with technical cooperation from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. The second focuses on biotechnological pathways to directly produce butadiene and isoprene from plant-based materials, involving partnerships with the Institute of Science Tokyo and RIKEN. Both tracks aim to supplement synthetic rubber feedstocks and support closed-loop recycling, aligning with Japan’s 2050 net-zero emissions goal by fostering long-term industrial innovation.

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The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) has released its Monthly Natural Rubber Statistical Report for June 2026, a month defined by price resilience amid conflicting market forces. The provisional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz triggered a sharp 20.29 percent drop in Brent crude oil prices to USD 85.40 per barrel. However, this bearish signal was counterbalanced by persistent supply constraints from El Niño-related weather disruptions across major producing regions.

Physical rubber prices posted broad-based gains across most grades. SMR-20 rose 1.39 percent to USD 2.32 per kilogramme, while STR-20 gained 2.61 percent to USD 2.55 per kilogramme. RSS-3 and RSS-4 advanced 4.98 percent and 5.88 percent to USD 3.09 and USD 2.84 per kilogramme, respectively, though latex eased 1.44 percent to USD 1.94 per kilogramme. On the trade front, China's imports surged 7.14 percent month-on-month, while India and Viet Nam declined. Export growth was recorded for Cambodia, Viet Nam and Indonesia, though Thai shipments contracted.

Global production for 2026 is projected at 15.310 million tonnes, up 2.3 percent from 2025, driven by gains in Thailand, China, India and Malaysia. However, June output fell 3.7 percent year-on-year to 1.207 million tonnes due to seasonal wintering and El Niño-related weather disruptions. Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia have introduced new incentive and governance measures to strengthen their sectors. Global consumption is forecast to grow 0.7 percent to 15.411 million tonnes in 2026, with June consumption rising 3.3 percent to 1.300 million tonnes, led by China and India amid steady tyre and EV-related demand.

Currency markets saw the Malaysian ringgit trade between RM3.96 and RM4.08 against the US dollar, while the Thai baht ranged from 32.56 to 33.24. In futures trading, the SHFE September 2026 contract averaged 17,580.68 CNY per tonne, down 0.45 percent month-on-month, while the SGX September contract averaged USD 2.24 per kilogramme, up 1.75 percent, with both reflecting tightening supply and firm downstream demand.

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