Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) has announced an investment of approximately US $190 million to renovate and expand its tyre manufacturing plant located in Belén de Heredia, Costa Rica. This investment is in addition to more than US $60 million planned for 2022-2026. In total, the company will be investing over US $250 million over the five-year period, Bridgestone claims. Thanks to the new capital investment, the company will be able to extend its facilities and increase its production capacity up to 36 percent by 2026 and adding more than 160 new permanent jobs.

Sharing his views, Alfonso Zendejas, President of Bridgestone Latin America North, Bridgestone Americas, said, “This new capital investment represents an important step for Bridgestone's tyre production capacity, and it also reinforces our commitment to contributing to Costa Rica’s economic and social development. This investment strengthens Bridgestone’s commitment to Costa Rica as a strategic location for local and global business activities and further contributes to our ability to maximise value for all of our stakeholders.”

According to Bridgestone, this investment complements the strategic plan for sustainable growth that the company has been implementing in recent years to expand the businesses that operates in the country. From 2020 to date, Bridgestone Costa Rica has invested more than US $38.5 million. Bridgestone states that US $36 million of this has been destined for modernisation and efficiency projects for the tyre manufacturing plant, US $2 million for the expansion of the plant in Turrialba and US $0.5 million to strengthen the operations of the Bridgestone Business Services.

"At Bridgestone, we believe in the great potential of the Latin American market, as well as the high levels of quality and reliability of the local workforce. Thanks to the trust of the corporation and the daily commitment of our teammates, Latin America will remain one of the most outstanding regions for the company worldwide," said Celso Villalva, Vice President of Latin American Manufacturing, Bridgestone Americas.

As per Bridgestone, the expansion of its plant in Costa Rica supports the Bridgestone E8 commitment. The E8 commitment places sustainability at the centre of its strategy and consists of eight Bridgestone-like values starting with the letter E (Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease and Empowerment). Bridgestone claims that it has committed to working together with employees, society, partners and customers to realise a sustainable society. This expansion project exalts the values of extension, economy and ecology, since it includes the adoption of new machines and manufacturing technologies, as well as the replacement of two fuel oil boilers with electrical ones, resulting in more efficient production with zero carbon emissions.

Pablo Jiménez, Manufacturing Director of Bridgestone Costa Rica, Bridgestone Americas, explained, “With the expansion of the plant, we will be able to continue to meet the current and future needs of our customers, focusing on the production of premium tyres for domestic and export markets and sustainable solutions with products that will be ready for the digital age.”

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Vaculug, Europe’s largest independent retreader producing high-quality OTR and truck retread tyres for fleets across the UK and Europe, has expanded its UK presence by acquiring Tyrefair in Kinross, Scotland.

This strategic acquisition extends the company's award-winning service further north, ensuring Scottish customers receive the same high-quality OTR and truck retread tyres Vaculug has supplied for 75 years. Since the purchase, the Kinross location has already grown by 25 percent, with an ambitious target to double its business within a year and then double it again.

This move is a key part of Vaculug's 2026 growth strategy, focused on strategic acquisitions that enable better, faster and more sustainable customer service. The acquisition reinforces Vaculug’s long-standing environmental mission, marking a new chapter of sustainable growth with a strengthened Scottish operation.

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Nokian Tyres is expanding its US presence through a new nationwide partnership with American Tire Distributors (ATD). This agreement provides Nokian access to ATD’s vast network of over 110 distribution centres, serving roughly 80,000 customers.

The collaboration will efficiently supply tyre shops with Nokian’s complete product lineup, enabling dealers to broaden their inventory. Both companies bring 90 years of experience and a shared dedication to innovation, safety and sustainability. This partnership will offer drivers more choices, supported by Nokian’s award-winning Tennessee factory and ATD’s technology-driven logistics.

This enhanced distribution capability ensures that consumers will have greater access to a full spectrum of high-performance tyres, meeting diverse driving needs and conditions. The alliance strengthens both brands' market positions by combining premium products with an unparalleled delivery system, ultimately improving service for dealers and drivers alike across the country.

Chris Ostrander, SVP, North America, Nokian Tyres, said, “The partnership with ATD enables us to reach more tyre shops and more drivers than ever before. ATD’s robust distribution network, customer service and responsiveness strengthen our agility to serve both new and existing customers.”

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The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) has announced a new webinar series designed to advance the circular economy for end-of-life tyres (ELTs) in collaboration with the Tire Recycling Foundation. Titled ‘The Road to 100% Tire Circularity: ELTs Going Full Circle’, the initiative aims to foster the development of scalable and profitable markets for recycled tyres. The series will launch in September 2025 and continue through February 2026.

Hosted by John Sheerin, USTMA’s Senior Director of ELT Programs, each session will convene industry experts, recyclers and state policymakers. Their discussions will focus on the latest research and real-world applications that transform waste tyres into valuable resources, thereby diverting them from landfills and generating environmental, industrial and economic benefits.

The programme will explore three of the most promising markets for end-of-life tyres. It begins on 23 September 2025 with a session on tyre-derived aggregate (TDA), examining its use in civil engineering projects like structural fill and stormwater management. A subsequent webinar on 30 October 2025 will cover the growing market for moulded and extruded products made from recycled rubber.

A significant portion of the series will be dedicated to rubber-modified asphalt (RMA), a material known for creating longer-lasting and more sustainable roadways. An introductory session on 20 November 2025 will review the overall performance and benefits of RMA. This will be followed by two regional deep dives: one on 14 January 2026, focusing on practical applications in Midwestern states like Michigan and Ohio, and another on 28 January 2026, exploring its adoption in Southern states including Kentucky and Georgia. The series will culminate on 24 February 2026 with a capstone session providing a comprehensive overview of grant and funding opportunities available to support the growth of these ELT markets.

This initiative addresses a critical need. While tyres are one of the most recycled products in US, and stockpiles have been reduced by 94 percent over the past three decades, the generation of end-of-life tyres continues to outpace their consumption in recycling markets. The webinar series is presented as a strategic pathway to bridge this gap by promoting innovative and sustainable end-use applications.

Those interested in shaping the future of tyre management are encouraged to register for any or all of the webinars through the USTMA website. Attendees will receive a resource kit after each session to help facilitate further discussion and action.

Anne Forristall Luke, President & CEO, USTMA, said, “We view these webinars as a crucial opportunity to connect key leaders across the country and show them that sustainability and economic growth go hand-in-hand. By showcasing proven applications and providing the tools to act, we can collectively turn ELTs from a waste challenge into an economic engine.”

Sheerin said, “As we look to expand ELT markets and unlock the full environmental and economic potential of end-of-life tyres, collaboration is essential. And no one can do it alone. State DOTs, regulators, recyclers and manufacturers must work together to help grow ELT markets through targeted investment, supportive policy and continued research.”

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Continental is accelerating its commitment to sustainability by integrating a growing proportion of renewable and recycled materials into its tyre manufacturing. The company’s current average of 26 percent is projected to rise by several percentage points within the year, with a strategic goal of reaching at least 40 percent by 2030. A central pillar of this initiative involves rethinking the sourcing of two essential components: rubber and resins.

Rubber is a fundamental material, constituting up to 40 percent of a modern high-performance tyre’s weight. Continental utilises a complex blend of up to 100 different raw materials, engineered into numerous customised rubber compounds for each tyre. The portfolio includes both natural rubber, prized for its durability and resistance in critical areas like truck treads, and synthetic rubber, which enhances braking performance and rolling resistance in passenger vehicles. The company is now progressively replacing conventional fossil-based synthetic rubber with more sustainable alternatives. This includes synthetic rubber derived from used cooking oil and pyrolysis oil from end-of-life tyres, sourced from certified partners like Synthos and TotalEnergies Cray Valley.

Complementing rubber, specialised resins are vital for optimising a tyre’s performance characteristics. These resins help fine-tune the balance between elasticity and resilience, which directly improves wet grip, abrasion resistance and energy efficiency. Continental is incorporating circular resins, also certified under the ISCC PLUS standard, which originate from renewable feedstocks like vegetable oil or used cooking oil.

Furthermore, the company is adopting sustainable alternatives for key additives. For instance, it is the first tyre manufacturer to use a certified biocircular version of the antioxidant TMQ. Produced from waste materials such as recycled cooking oil, this additive achieves a carbon footprint over 30 percent lower than its conventional counterpart.

To systematically track and scale the use of these sustainable materials, Continental employs a mass balance approach. This method allows fossil-based, renewable and recycled feedstocks to be mixed in production while accurately attributing the sustainable content to the final product. This system provides verifiable documentation and enables Continental to continuously increase its use of certified materials across its entire tyre range.

Jorge Almeida, Head of Sustainability at Continental Tires, said, “We’re closing the loop: Continental is ramping up its commitment to a circular economy and mapping out its path for the future. Innovative solutions enable us to use more sustainable raw materials, such as synthetic rubber made from used cooking oil or resins based on certified renewable feedstocks originally derived from vegetable oil.”

Matthias Haufe, Head of Material Development and Industrialisation at Continental Tires, said, “The mass balance approach enables us to efficiently manage the complexity of the raw materials portfolio and track how these raw materials are used at multiple production sites in a wide range of markets. In this way, we can steadily increase the share of renewable and recycled materials in our tyre production – and transparently document the progress we make.”

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