Tire maker advances sustainability efforts with bio-based alternatives to fossil feedstock

Akron, Ohio – Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has advanced its sustainable material use with the wider employment of soybean oil and rice husk ash (RHA) silica in its tire production last year.

In its 2021 sustainability report, published 23 June, the tire maker said it had replaced fossil-based processing oils with soybean oils in 27% of its entire tire production over the past three years.

“Our long-term goal of full petroleum oil replacement in our products by 2040 remains in place,” Goodyear added.

As it continues to increase use of soybean oil, Goodyear said it had identified a need to formalise its standards for the responsible procurement of soybean oil.

As a result, the tire maker published its “soybean oil procurement policy” in 2021, helping processors and farmers “to establish practices and make sound environmental and social decisions related to the growing, harvesting and processing of soybeans.”

As part of its wider sustainability strategy, Goodyear set a goal in 2020 to create a tire made 100% from sustainable materials by 2030.

“Our scientists and engineers made great progress toward that goal by developing a 70% sustainable-material tire,” the tire maker added.

The demonstration tire contained 13 featured ingredients, including three different carbon blacks produced from methane, carbon dioxide, and plant-based oil; soybean oil; rice husk ash silica; and polyester recycled from plastic bottles and other plastic waste.

Another key environmental technology pursued by Goodyear has been the use of RHA silica as an alternative to conventional sand-based silica, which is highly energy-intesive product. 

In 2018, Goodyear set itself a target to double its use of RHA silica by 2021.

While the tire make made good progress in 2019 and increased usage by 74%, Covid hampered the process, and the use of RHA silica in 2020 only grew 47% compared to 2018.

In 2021, Goodyear said impacts related to its RHA silica suppliers’ footprint limited the sourcing of the volume required.

“For 2022, Goodyear has successfully secured RHA silica volumes that place us beyond our 2021 commitment,” it added.

RHA silica is made from residual rice husk ash – a byproduct of rice processing - and is used as a filler to ehnaces tire performance.