Michelin urges industry-wide definition for sustainability

Clermont-Ferrand, France – Michelin has highlighted the need for an industry-wide consensus on a "common and stringent definition" of what makes a material sustainable.

"Currently, there is no single definition for sustainable materials," Michelin said in a release about an automotive industry award for its 45% sustainable-materials car tire.

"This lack of definition impairs the readability of the different processes currently implemented in the tire industry," the tire major explained in the 17 July press announcement.

Michelin went on to explain that it considers "sustainable materials to be those that are recycled or renewable over the scale of a human lifetime."

At the AutomotiveInnovations Award 2023, Michelin was commended for its commitment to producing tires containing 100% sustainable materials by 2050.

The 45% sustainable material tire, road-approved for passenger cars, earned a joint award from PricewaterhouseCoopers and German-based Center of Automotive Management.

Unveiled in 2022, the tire incorporates technologies which will feature in standard tires in 2025, according to Michelin.