Environment | Value natural resources
Action1: Reduce raw material consumption

Given the increase in demand accompanying population growth and people’s desires for more convenient lifestyles, there are concerns that, if nothing changes, the demand for raw materials will exceed the Earth’s capacity. Avoiding this will require constructing systems to decouple the environmental footprint caused by growing demand. To succeed in decoupling, Bridgestone is taking steps to improve our resource productivity.

In the case of tires, for example, Bridgestone foresees both an ongoing requirement for lower fuel consumption and continuous environmental performance improvements without sacrificing comfort and safety functionalities. At the same time, it promotes new business models and technology development for reducing the volume of raw materials used to make each product.

A thinner tire is a lighter tire, which improves fuel economy and also saves resources by using fewer raw materials. However, making a tire thinner requires ensuring sufficient durability first and developing new tough materials that exceed existing technology. Bridgestone Corporation participated in the Japanese Cabinet Office’s ImPACT^*1 initiative by conducting research aimed at creating an ultrathin, durable, flexible and tough polymer. The Company announced its research results in 2018.

Through this research, the Company developed a groundbreaking rubber material by improving the material property by 15 percent, thereby contributing to better fuel economy while realizing a fivefold increase in tear strength. Currently, it is making and evaluating prototypes of tires using the new rubber material. Bridgestone will continue to pursue material use reduction and a better fuel economy for a sustainable society.

For more information, see “Double-Network Rubber Boasting Flexibility and Toughness for Realizing Both Fuel Efficiency and Durability.”

1. The Impulsing Paradigm Change through Disruptive Technologies Program (ImPACT) aims to generate innovative technologies that if realized would revolutionize industry and society. It was established to promote high-risk, high-impact, ambitious research and development.

In 2025, Komatsu and Bridgestone Corporation launched a collaborative initiative and started field verification to provide new solution services for mining operators. The new program works through the real-time exchange and analysis of vehicle data from Komatsu’s large machinery management system, Komtrax Plus,^*1 and tire data from Bridgestone’s advanced tire monitoring system for mining vehicles, Bridgestone iTrack^*2. By utilizing this data to provide insights on the proper use of tires, the program enables customers to improve the fuel efficiency of mining trucks and use Bridgestone’s premium tires better, longer, and more safely and efficiently. Based on the results of the field verification, the two companies plan to co-develop additional unique services that would not be possible without this collaboration.

The collaboration aims to solve challenges in demanding mining operations by combining the expertise of Komatsu and Bridgestone. Tire failures and vehicle stoppages caused by external factors can impede efficient mining operations, as the need to replace tires before they are worn out causes operational downtime. By integrating vehicle and tire data, Komatsu and Bridgestone strive to quickly identify the causes of failures and implement appropriate emergency measures and preventive actions to minimize downtime. The partnership will analyze several key factors that significantly impact fuel efficiency, including: 1) the unique features of mining sites, such as slopes and road surfaces; 2) vehicle usage conditions, such as driving routes, speeds, and loads; and 3) tire specifications (patterns and materials). Komatsu and Bridgestone will analyze this data to help reduce fuel costs.

1. A management system standardly equipped on Komatsu’s large machinery for mining, enabling real-time acquisition of vehicle health and operational status.
2. A tire air pressure monitoring system specifically designed for tires used on mining vehicles, provided by Bridgestone. This system integrates tire temperature and pressure data with vehicle location information and speed, allowing for comprehensive data acquisition and monitoring.