Apollo Tyres, one of India’s largest tyre manufacturers is said to have improved its productivity by 9 percent. The tyre major worked with Amazon Web Services (AWS) partner Deloitte, to implement an Internet of Things (IoT) solution on Amazon Web Services, connecting its production equipment to a data lake. 

Through a centralised dashboard the company saw nine percent improvement in its productivity on primary equipment and nine percent reduction in energy usage as it got access to real-time data collection, integration, and advanced analytics.

At present, Apollo Tyres has seven manufacturing plants in Asia and Europe. AWS states that the company’s widespread operations was facing limited insights into the performance of its expensive equipment’s. It wanted an IoT solution to digitalise and standardise its manufacturing processes, where machine data held the key to process efficiency.

While many may not be aware, manufacturing tyres is a very complex process and involves numerous steps and a variety of heavy equipment. The machines at Apollo Tyres were equipped with supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, which collect data on production capacity and other metrics. But this data was siloed, offering a window into the performance of individual machines only, with no basis for comparison between machines or plants.

AWS stated that limited visibility were particularly concerning in the case of Apollo’s tyre rubber mixers. These machines are crucial to the manufacturing process. They are also extremely capital intensive — representing an investment of about $24 million (INR 2 billion) each, including related infrastructure — labour intensive, and energy intensive. Any improvement to their performance promised significant returns.

Shibu George, Global Head Advanced Manufacturing, Apollo Tyres said, “With the help of Deloitte, we could shine a light and show our teams how the data could help them improve. It was a great experience. When we started streaming data to AWS, we could compare the performance within the plant, and across plants. That was a unique opportunity.”

With seamless access to mixer data, Apollo Tyres was able to identify performance discrepancies and take corrective actions. The company proceeded with deeper analytics and improved productivity by nine percent — equivalent to the capacity of more than one mixer. 

This also helped reduce its energy usage by three percent, which may look small, but it is important to understand that a single mixer has a massive energy load of about 10 megawatts, which is enough to illuminate a town of about 200,000 people. Reducing CO2 emissions in this energy load by a mere three percent is equivalent to cutting emissions from 4,000 vehicles traveling for an entire year.

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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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