Driving Sustainable Tire Innovation Forward
Accelerate the path to net-zero carbon with eco-friendly tires powered by the 3DEXPERIENCE® platform.
The Urgent Need for Sustainable Tires in the Mobility Industry
The pressure to reduce global carbon emissions by 45%1 by 2030 has pushed many mobility industry players toward urgent climate action. Tire manufacturers are no exception. As tires are essential to transportation, effective circular economy initiatives must be implemented quickly and for good reasons.
Over 1.6 billion2 new tires are produced yearly, with around 1 billion waste tires generated. The industry recycles only 100 million tires each year. Since tires do not decompose, they pose a real environmental threat by releasing harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases.
Enter the revolutionary sustainable tires. These smart tires – produced from sustainable materials and through green technologies – will tip tire manufacturers back onto the sustainability track while driving home the Paris Agreement to have 100% sustainable materials in tires by 2050.
In our ebook, learn more about accelerating the path to sustainable tires in three easy steps powered by the 3DEXPERIENCE® platform.
Blazing a Green Trail in Tire Manufacturing
Reinvent next-generation sustainable tires with a digital-driven roadmap.
What Are Sustainable Tires?
Sustainable tires use fewer natural resources and are produced through energy-efficient processes. They are designed to lower rolling resistance, which means less engine power is required to rotate the tires, thus, emitting less carbon into the environment while increasing fuel efficiency.
Did you know?
About 200 raw materials go into a new tire. Sustainable tires cut down the use of raw materials with sustainable alternatives.
The 'magic triangle' – lower rolling resistance, better wet grip and wear resistance – are optimized in sustainable tires for energy efficiency.
Sustainable tires potentially reduce global fuel consumption from passenger vehicles by 5%3 to lessen the environmental impact.
The rising trend in Connected, Autonomous, Shared, Electric (CASE) vehicles pushes up per-vehicle utilization. This means tires in each vehicle will run an extended mileage and need to last longer than they can today. Sustainable tires' improved performance and durability can meet this challenge by extending tire use and minimizing replacements.
Key Features of Sustainable Tires
- High Recycled Content: Innovations in tire design are paving the way for new products to contain up to 80% recycled materials, drastically reducing waste and conserving resources.
- Energy-Efficient Manufacturing: By using less energy-intensive processes, manufacturers can significantly cut down CO2 emissions during production.
- Bio-Based Materials: Alternatives such as natural oils, silica from rice husks, and other bio-based materials reduce reliance on synthetic and petroleum-based inputs.
- Longer Lifespan: Improved durability reduces the frequency of tire replacements, leading to lower overall resource consumption.
- Fuel Efficiency: Eco-friendly tire designs, such as low rolling resistance tires, enhance fuel economy, further decreasing the vehicle’s carbon footprint.
Digitalize Complex Processes
Digital solutions can reduce global emissions by up to 20%4. An integrated digital approach in tire engineering with Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform enhances speed, reduces waste and explores renewable energy sources.
Data, such as tread designs, shared across teams accelerates product development and creates new business models. It offers a single source of truth for speedy collaboration while preventing information silos. As such, teams are better aligned to go to the market faster with tires that meet industry needs and standards.
Testing tires within broad parameters under variable conditions, such as high and low temperatures, is usually costly and time-consuming. An integrated tire design and engineering solution offers multiple virtual iterations and optimization to meet performance targets while reducing cost by eliminating the need for physical prototypes.
Measuring the environmental impact from end to end — including weaving eco-design principles and low-carbon practices in lifecycles — sets tire manufacturers on the right circular economy journey. Embedding LCA with the virtual twin is a powerful way to predict, address and mitigate any environmental risks early on.
Collaboration on a single platform ensures energy efficiency and material optimization from end to end. Currently, manufacturing and production consume 54% of the world's energy and produce 20% of global CO2 emissions5 — turning sustainable manufacturing into an imperative in sustainable tire production.
Circular Economy Initiatives From End to End
Collaborating on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform ensures circular goals are met throughout the tire's lifecycle.
For example, easy design space exploration, automation and integration of tools help reduce carbon footprint by accelerating validation time from days and weeks to mere hours while keeping designs accurate to minimize waste. In some cases, automated design creation from templates speeds up the tire design process by 15 to 30%.
In tire manufacturing, collaborating on the platform help manufacturers gain speed, transparency and efficiency to reduce carbon and waste across operations and the value network.
At 40%6, manufacturing is the top group identified in a study in need of improved collaboration.
A digital thread helps manufacturers ensure that whatever goes into a tire can be renewed or reused. Apart from closing the circularity loop from the start, other circular economy initiatives in tire disposal and recycling include:
Retreading
Worn-out tire treads are replaced with new ones to extend the life by up to 80%. This reduces the need for new tires, lowers cost and minimizes greenhouse gas emissions for a cleaner environment.
Pyrolysis
Heating tires in an oxygen-free environment to break down rubber in the oil and other components can lessen the environmental impact during disposal while generating economic value from the waste.
Extending recyclability value
Tire components can be grounded to crumbs and repurposed for other use, such as crumb rubber for construction projects. Chemical ingredients, such as vegetable oils, can be turned into biofuels, and quality carbon black can be derived for reuse in new tires.
As climate regulations tighten, sustainable tires will be on top of every tire manufacturer's net-zero carbon agenda. Getting a tight grip on circularity from end to end with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform can help tire manufacturers achieve their sustainability goals.
Explore our Solutions
1Source: “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts” by United Nations
2Source: “Global Tire Recycling Market Analysis 2025” by Goldstein Market Intelligence
3Source: “Green Tires” by GFEI
4Source: “Digital solutions can reduce global emissions by up to 20%” by World Economic Forum
5Source: “How manufacturing can thrive in a digital world and lead a sustainable revolution” by World Economic Forum
6Source: “What’s the Cost of Poor Collaboration? (survey results)” by Tech-Clarity
FAQ About Better Future Tires & Raw Materials
| Elements | Traditional Tires | Sustainable Tires |
| Materials | Synthetic rubber, petroleum-based products. | Renewable and recycled materials (e.g., natural rubber, plant-based oils). |
| Environmental Impact | High carbon emissions, contribute to landfills. | Lower carbon footprint, energy-efficient production, recyclable. |
| Performance | Moderate durability, requires frequent replacements. | Longer-lasting, improves fuel efficiency, less wear and tear. |
| Cost | Cheaper upfront but higher long-term cost (fuel, replacements). | Higher initial cost but saves money over time (fuel and durability). |
| Recycling | Difficult to recycle. | Designed for recycling and reducing waste. |
Low rolling resistance tires decrease fuel consumption while maintaining superior road grip. These specialized tires incorporate silica compounds that reduce heat generation during driving, leading to enhanced performance and extended tire life.
These innovative tires contain more than just guayule rubber. Bridgestone reports that 38% of the tire's composition is derived from biological sources, including para and guayule rubber, plant-based oils, resins, biologically sourced silica from rice husk ash, and carbon black, reducing their environmental impact.
Top tire manufacturers such as Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone, and Continental are driving sustainability initiatives for a greener future. They are advancing eco-friendly tire production, aiming for tires composed of up to 100% sustainable materials, including:
- natural rubber,
- recycled components,
- and enhanced rolling resistance.
This transformative shift in the industry sets higher benchmarks for quality, safety, and environmental stewardship.
The tire industry is transforming toward sustainability, with manufacturers incorporating up to 90% recycled and renewable materials like bio-based rubber, recycled plastics, and plant-derived oils. By 2050, many aim to achieve 100% sustainable tire production, reducing environmental impact while maintaining performance standards.
- Lower Carbon Footprint: Eco tires use innovative materials like recycled rubber, bio-based oils, and agricultural waste-derived silica. These components reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and natural rubber, cutting greenhouse gas emissions during manufacturing.
- Energy Efficiency and Cost Savings: With features like low rolling resistance, eco tires enhance fuel efficiency. Drivers can save approximately $250 over 20,000 miles due to reduced fuel consumption, directly lowering a vehicle's carbon footprint and operating costs.
- Contribution to a Circular Economy: Eco tires often incorporate up to 80% recycled content from previously used tires. This reduces landfill waste and conserves raw materials, aligning with the principles of a circular economy.
- Durability and Waste Reduction: Many eco tires are designed for enhanced durability, resulting in fewer replacements. This reduces manufacturing demand and waste, promoting sustainable resource use and minimizing environmental impact.
- Support for Industry Innovation: Purchasing eco tires drives demand for sustainable innovation, encouraging tire manufacturers to invest in green technologies and make eco-friendly practices the new industry standard.
- Alignment with Social and Environmental Responsibility: Choosing eco tires allows consumers to actively reduce their ecological footprint. This decision supports broader global efforts to combat climate change and conserve valuable resources.
- Long-Term Value: Although eco tires may have a slightly higher upfront cost, the long-term savings in fuel efficiency and reduced environmental impact outweigh the initial investment.
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