Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) announced today that it is on pace to achieve one of its highest year-over-year results in its Bandag business, with a nine percent increase over 2021. With the growth experienced by strategic fleet partners and the unprecedented demand in the market, the company forecasts year-end sales of Bandag retreads will reach more than seven million units in North America and anticipates continued growth in 2023, with a $60 million investment in its Abilene, Texas retread plant to increase production capacity.

Bridgestone claims that retreading is an increasingly important solution that fleets are incorporating into their tyre programme that not only extends the life of their premium tyre casings, but helps reduce the environmental impact of end-of-life tyres, maximises fleet uptime and mitigates overall operating costs. Retreading also remains a critical component for fleets to unlock their ESG and sustainability goals contributing to a circular economy.

Bridgestone states that in 2022, Bandag retreads, which account for nearly half of the North American retread market, are forecast to deliver environmental benefits of approximately as follows –

• 105 million gallons of oil saved
• 290 million pounds of landfill waste avoided
• 207 million pounds of tyre waste avoided
• 5.6 billion KwH of energy saved which is the equivalent of powering 500,000 US homes for a full year

“Retreading makes more sense today than it ever has for fleets,” said Jason Roanhouse, Executive Director of Bandag Operations, Bridgestone Americas. “Not only does retreading deliver the same reliable performance of new tyres, it helps fleets deliver on their sustainability goals while also driving bottom-line business efficiencies."

Earlier this year, Bridgestone announced a new $60 million investment in its Bandag tread manufacturing plant in Abilene, Texas, which will add 50,000 square-feet and additional production days to meet the accelerating demand for the company's retread products. According to Bridgestone, the expansion will increase the plant's retread output by 16 percent and further Bridgestone's sustainability commitments.

Additionally, the all-new Bridgestone Last Mile Tire System (LMTS), introduced in the second half of 2022, will begin utilising retread for small and medium-sized fleets in Q1 2023 with the goal of extending the benefits of retreading to a broader population of fleet customers. As per the tyre manufacturer, LMTS will allow smaller fleets operating out of the same terminal to realise greater economies of scale in their tyre operations, including access to Bandag retread solutions and Bridgestone fleet care products. The programme was launched at the 2022 Route Consultant Expo, where more than 500 fleet contractors expressed interest as potential early adopters of the programme.

Bridgestone claims that the continued expansion of Bridgestone Bandag retreading aligns with the Bridgestone E8 Commitment, which consists of eight Bridgestone-like values starting with the letter ‘E’. These are energy, ecology, efficiency, extension, economy, emotion, ease and empowerment that the tyre manufacturer commits to implement together with employees, society, partners and customers to create a sustainable society.

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Tegeta Green Planet and Shine Energy, both affiliated with Tegeta Holding, have launched a joint educational initiative to raise environmental awareness and a sense of responsibility among young people. The project addresses modern challenges such as environmental protection and sustainable development.

Company representatives are visiting schools across Tbilisi to hold informational meetings, presentations and workshops. The programme begins with presentations, followed by interactive games and activities designed to help students retain the information. At the end of each session, participants receive symbolic gifts and prizes as motivation.

Tegeta Green Planet focuses on teaching students the principles of specific waste management, including how to properly handle used tyres, batteries and oils. The sessions explain why proper waste management is essential for environmental protection and how it connects to the circular economy. Meanwhile, Shine Energy educates young people on the importance of energy, its everyday use and why developing renewable and sustainable energy resources is crucial.

The initiative is not limited to schools. In the near future, both organisations will expand their efforts to universities, aiming to broaden awareness about environmental protection, waste management and energy efficiency. The ultimate goal is to foster environmentally responsible attitudes among the younger generation, helping build a more sustainable and conscious society.

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Zeon has been recognised as a Supplier Engagement Leader in the 2025 Supplier Engagement Assessment (SEA) conducted by CDP, a United Kingdom-based international environmental nonprofit organisation. This achievement represents the first time the company has received the highest possible rating in this assessment.

The evaluation measures how corporations address climate change within their supply chains, focusing on responses to the CDP Climate Change Questionnaire across five critical areas. These include governance, emissions targets, Scope 3 emissions management, risk management and overall supplier engagement strategies.

Zeon earned the top rating for its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through supplier collaboration, a group-wide initiative, alongside continuous dialogue maintained via procurement activities. Guided by its philosophy of contributing to planetary preservation and human prosperity, Zeon remains committed to sustainable management. The company reaffirmed that it will continue working with suppliers and other stakeholders to tackle climate change and meet societal expectations.

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German chemical group WACKER has announced a price increase of up to 15 percent for its resins, dispersions and dispersible polymer powders produced at its European and US facilities. The adjustment takes effect on 1 June 2026, or as existing customer contracts permit. The move is designed to allow the company’s Polymers division to maintain high product quality, deliver technological innovations and provide superior customer service and technical support. It will also support investments aimed at securing future growth in key markets.

Rising costs for raw materials and logistics have forced the pricing measure, with the Polymers division being particularly affected. The recent conflict in the Middle East has caused significant disruptions across global commodity markets. As a direct result, prices for energy, raw materials and transportation have climbed sharply.

Despite the increase, WACKER remains focused on sustaining its commitment to customer support and long-term capability. The company underscored that the adjustment is necessary to continue meeting market demands while ensuring operational stability and future-oriented development across its focus markets.

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Pirelli North America has launched its first closed-loop circular recycling initiative, marking a significant step in the company’s broader strategy to increase recycled and bio‑based content in its tyre production. The project has received the Tire Recycling Foundation’s Value Chain Collaboration Award.

The programme recovers scrap tyres generated during Pirelli’s own North American manufacturing process. These materials are sent to Bolder Industries, which applies ISCC PLUS‑certified pyrolysis technology to produce BolderBlack recovered carbon black. Pirelli then reintroduces this material into new tyre production at its North American facilities, partially replacing virgin carbon black. The effort is part of a wider Pirelli plan to expand such industrial ecosystems across the group’s production network, aiming to valorise waste by reintegrating recovered materials into tyre manufacturing.

Beyond the award, the initiative reflects Pirelli’s broader circularity approach, which includes ongoing work to boost recycled and bio‑based material usage. The company targets over 80 percent bio‑based and recycled content in its best‑performing products and forty percent in total production by 2030.

Claudio Zanardo, CEO, Pirelli North America, said, "The Rome plant is one of the most technologically advanced manufacturing facilities in Pirelli. This initiative reflects an approach focused on increasing the use of recovered materials within existing production processes. It is part of a broader effort to gradually integrate raw materials derived from recycled resources into our products while maintaining consistency in performance and quality."

Tony Wibbeler, CEO, Bolder Industries, said, "Our collaboration demonstrates that a traceable, mass-balance approach to tyre-to-tyre circularity is not only achievable, but it's ready to scale inside a premium manufacturing environment, meeting real performance and certification requirements at every step. This is the kind of progress the industry has been working toward for many years."

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