In a joint appeal, Michelin and Bridgestone Tires say they believe there is the potential for an annual total market of up to 1 million tons of recovered carbon black by 2030. The appeal was made at the Smithers Recovered Carbon Black Conference in Berlin, which Enviro Smithers attended and where the company’s chairman, Alf Blomqvist, was one of the speakers.
Both companies attest to setting a goal of producing products consisting of 100% sustainable materials by 2050. Both companies say that the capacity to produce recovered carbon black that meets manufacturer specifications is small compared to the total carbon black market. The companies also stated that the specifications for current recovered carbon black make its use as a replacement for all types of virgin carbon black impossible. At the same time, however, they believe continued development of recycling technology could lead to a drastic increase in demand for recovered carbon black as well as to an annual total market for recovered carbon black of up to 1 million tons in 2030.
The conference in Berlin devoted a great deal of attention to the issue of how the tire industry is to achieve increased sustainability; the speakers included Alf Blomqvist, Chairman of the Board of Enviro. Blomqvist’s speech touched on matters including Enviro’s role in the transition, and the company’s view of what would be required for the tire industry to achieve increased circularity.
