Michelin Plans to Completely Recycle Tires

June 6, 2018—At Movin'On 2018, Michelin announced an ambitious plan to ensure that by 2048, all of its tires will be manufactured using 80 percent sustainable materials and 100 percent of all tires will be recycled.

Today, the world-wide recovery rate for tires is 70 percent and the recycling rate is 50 percent. Michelin tires are currently made using 28 percent sustainable materials (26 percent bio-sourced materials like natural rubber, sunflower oil, limonene etc., and 2 percent recycled materials such as steel or recycled powdered tires). For a sustainable future, Michelin is investing in high technology recycling technologies to be able to increase this content to 80 percent sustainable materials.

When all of these ambitions are achieved—80 percent sustainable materials and 100 percent of tires recycled—the savings will be equivalent to:

• 33 million barrels of oil saved per year (16.5 supertankers), or 54,000 GWh.
• One month's total energy consumption of France.
• 65 billion kilometers driven by an average sedan (8 L/100 km) per year.
• All cars in Europe driving 225 kms (291 million kms), or 54 kms for all cars worldwide (1.2 billion cars estimated).