Eco-friendly Tires Developed by Kumho Use 80% Sustainable Materials

Kumho Tire announced on the 22nd that it has developed tires applying 80% sustainable materials.

Sustainable materials refer to recycled or reused materials or plant-based eco-friendly new materials. Currently, the company’s proportion of such materials is around 25%. It aims to replace existing petrochemical-based materials with 40% of total raw materials by 2030 and 100% by 2045 with sustainable materials.

This year, Kumho Tire succeeded in increasing this proportion to 80% by expanding the use of carbon black derived from crude oil extracted from waste tires, recycled PET from plastic bottles, and recycled steel cords from waste steel. Additionally, in accordance with the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) guidelines, the company is mass-producing products applying natural materials in the manufacturing process, including natural rubber production.

They use synthetic rubber synthesized from recycled plastic, eco-friendly silica based on rice husks, bio-based eco-friendly chemicals and oils using sunflower oil instead of petroleum, and crushed waste tire powder in the tire manufacturing process. Furthermore, they strive to reduce environmental impact throughout the entire business process, including tires that consume less fuel or have less wear.

Jomansik, Head of Research and Development at Kumho Tire, said, "We will do our best to secure competitiveness in core carbon-neutral technologies by developing alternative materials and fulfill our role as a sustainable mobility partner."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.