Toronto, Ontario — As part of Michelin’s pledge to produce a 100-percent sustainable tire by 2050, the company plans to incorporate rice into its tire production.
For Michelin, a material is only sustainable if it is recycled or renewable over a human lifetime.
The company currently uses recycled plastics, styrene, natural and synthetic rubbers and other tires as part of its efforts to create environmentally sustainable products.
Now, Michelin has turned its attention towards using rice husks, which the company plans on turning into rice husk ash—a product which reportedly contains natural silica, a tire ingredient normally derived from sands.
Motor Trends—who had the opportunity to experience the rice-based tire—noted that tire engineers regularly “tweak the silica content of tires to increase rolling resistance and in turn, efficiency.”
By using rice husk ash, the company ultimately hopes to reduce production costs while also adhering to sustainability standards.
