The materials the Bridgestone Group currently uses in its products can be classified into three categories: renewable materials; non-renewable materials; and recycled materials. In addition to reducing raw material consumption, the Group is promoting the reuse of resources and the use of recycled materials.
As a specific example of this activity, the Group is working on expanding sales of retread tires globally. A retread tire reuses a used tire by replacing the worn tread with a new tread on the existing casing. While using less than one-third of the raw materials needed for a new tire, it greatly reduces the number of spent or discarded tires by reusing used tires.
The Group also incorporates micronized rubber powder made from recycled end-of-life tires and rubber products as a raw material in producing new, high-performance tires, tires for agriculture and off-road applications, and pre-cured tread for tire retread.
The Group also develops new technologies like the Air Free Concept, a non-pneumatic tire made from recyclable materials.