Bridgestone, BB&G and Versalis have agreed to cooperate

Bridgestone, Grupo BB&G, and Versalis have announced the signing of an agreement aimed at creating a closed ecosystem and converting used tires into raw materials for the production of new tire products.

According to Bridgestone, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) reports that approximately one billion tires reach the end of their life cycle every year. The partners will work on finding a solution to increase the eco-friendliness of the industry and achieve the sustainable development goals of all three companies.

In the first phase, used tires will be processed into pyrolysis oil, which will be used to produce high-quality polymers comparable to those made from traditional raw materials. The new partnership will help the companies improve pyrolysis technology and expand the use of old tires as raw materials for the industry.

Over the past 10 years, BB&G has built and started operating two pyrolysis plants in pilot mode, and commercial production of pyrolysis oil has recently been launched. The new production facility is located in Fátima (Portugal) and has been successfully operating since July 15, 2024. In the coming months, the first batch of oil will be shipped to Versalis' plants for the production of eco-friendly elastomers, which Bridgestone will start using in the production of its tires in early 2025.

"The strategic partnership with industry leaders is an important step towards achieving our long-term goal of expanding tire recycling worldwide," said Jermaine Carreira, CEO of BB&G. "This is also a confirmation of the importance of our patented technology and our perseverance, which has allowed us to reach this point."

Versalis is part of the chemical company Eni and is involved in the development of new eco-friendly technologies for the polymer industry. The new cooperation will allow BB&G's pyrolysis oil to be integrated into Versalis' supply chain, enabling the company to expand its range of products with the eco-certified ISSCC Plus label. In turn, Bridgestone will have the opportunity to make its tires more eco-friendly by expanding the use of rubbers produced from secondary raw materials.

"In line with our strategy, we are developing carbon-reducing solutions that fit perfectly into the production and distribution chain we are creating with our partners from Bridgestone and Grupo BB&G," said Adriano Alfani, CEO of Versalis. "This agreement will give a new boost to the development of the tire industry and confirms our commitment to growing sustainable mobility."

Laurent Dartoux, President of Bridgestone in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), added that by 2050, the company aims to completely switch to using eco-friendly raw materials, and the partnership with BB&G and Versalis will contribute to achieving this goal.