As far as Quality Management System (QMS) certification is concerned, my first exposure was to ISO 9000: 1994, about seven years after the first ISO 9000 standard emerged from the former BS 5750. The 20 + auditable QMS requirements has resulted in a bewildering and voluminous mass of documentations. It was virtually a system of documents, contrary to a documented system. According to the standard, the company was expected to establish, implement and maintain a documented procedure for all the auditable requirements of the standard. It was a period when the standard was spreading like bush fire, creating a gold mine for Consultants who thrived on the ignorance of the client companies. Preparation and maintenance of the documentation alone, engaged considerable managerial time, and hence the tendency to consider ISO 9000 based QMs as an area separate from the Quality Assurance and other operational functions which has still continued to the present day. This created some dichotomy between the ISO Department and the other functional sections resulting in conflicts. On doing the QMS audits, as an independent auditor for many companies, I have the experience of being confronted with a cart-load of files and documents. This was of course before, the soft copy methodology firmly got established. Many of the External Auditors, spent considerable time, in checking Document and Records, in scrutinizing document reference and revision numbers of even the less significant documents and formats, rather than concentration on the more important requirements. In this respect, I have a great respect for one of the very senior officers of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution, whose approach was to study the operational relationships and their effectiveness.

The transition in to ISO 9001:2000 saw some very significant and far-reaching changes, which the industries, took about one to two years to fully realize. It was a challenge for the auditors and the Certification bodies as well. A careful scrutiny of the eight principles of quality management, will show that they are nothing else but common business sense. The eight principles are:

• Customer focus
• Leadership
• Involvement of people
• Process approach
• Systems approach to management
• Continual improvement
• Factual approach to decision making
• Mutually beneficial supplier relations.

 A casual glance at the principles, will reveal that it is about common sense of good managerial practices., irrespective of whether one goes for certification or not. However, it was an uphill task to grapple these concepts and integrate them holistically in to the quality management systems. Process approach in very simple terms means how to relate the inputs to outputs through the value adding conversions and how to control the activities, realize the desired results. It is directly related to the traditional definition of productivity, namely the ratio of out puts to inputs. What was difficult to comprehend was the fact that, the other seven quality management principles also provide inputs for the process approach. As an example, the auditors found it a grey area when it comes to evaluating leadership, in the context of the process approach. Regarding the establishment of the Quality Policy, which in turn is a requirement under leadership, I have seen many quality polices with attractive wordings which more often serve as show pieces. Very few companies have used the quality policy to provide direction for the setting up of quality objectives. One of the meaningful but concise quality policies I have seen is “We do everything, correctly, right first time at all times’’.

While the 2008 version of the ISO 9001 standard consisted of some notional changes only, the 2015 version signified a complete change of the concept of quality stressing the importance of quality in business strategy, by considering the impacts of external and internal factors and the expectations of internal and external parties on quality and including risk management as an important aspect of quality. Although the prime focus on ISO is product or service quality, companies cannot ignore the impact on quality, which covers product quality (Q), Price (P), and Delivery (D). The recent impacts of Covid-19 pandemic on the above aspect of quality, was amply seen throughout the world. The above requirements under the Organization Context, is a move in the right direction, in integrating quality in to all aspects of the business. However, most companies and even auditors, consider this in isolation as another requirement of the ISO 9001, which need minimum compliance. Similar comments can have made on the Identification of the risks and opportunities of the operational processes.

Product and service quality is used by most companies as means of maximizing the profit. The Nobel Prize Winner in Economics, Milton Friedman in 1970, stated that the sole responsibility of a business is to “use its resources to increase its profits. As a result of the rapid growth in consumerism, both locally and globally, business firms operate in a challenging and continually changing business environment. The rapid change is supported by rapidly expanding technology, and particularly of information technology. Dynamic organizations are making serious efforts to keep abreast of developments, in the changing business environment, while many traditional and conservative organizations are failing. Change has become inevitable.”

While we cannot find any fault with this approach, one cannot overlook the Social and Environmental bottom lines, which together with the Economic bottom-line, constitute the Triple Bottom of Sustainable development. The role of quality management on the social and environmental bottom lines, is a concept that has great potential in the modern-day concept. The reduction of scarp and rejects, especially in the tyre industry, will improve the environmental performance, while reducing the health and fire risks, often caused by irresponsible dumping.

 Internal and external communications under the requirement 7.0, Support of the ISO 9001 and 14001:2015 standards are another area where adequate attention has been given. Despite the great advances in ICT, we can trace miscommunications as the root cause of most of the Non- conformance report raised during the QMS audits.

John Ruskin, the English author, (1819 -1900 ) once said, “ Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligence effort.” I have seen this famous quote adorning the walls in some offices of CEOs and Senior Managers. However, the perennially repeating non-conformances related to quality in a large number of companies, make me to wonder whether the management and the mangers, “walk the talk.” Companies have in their procession, a handy tool, in the disguise of ISO 9001:2015, to enable them to establish the standard procedures, (SOPs), operate them and control, but many consider it as something to worry about only during the external audits of the certification bodies.

In this respect, it is worthy of mentioning that, in my country Sri Lanka, there is a famous Buddhist Cultural Pageant, in August every year, that attracts locals as well large numbers of tourists from across the globe. For the past 400+ years, this event follows the SOPs, without any, awareness of the ISO 9000, emphasizing that there is no magic or mystery about ISO, but the prevalence of good common sense. (TT)

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Georgian company Tegeta Motors, through its environmental arm Tegeta Green Planet, recently spearheaded a major cleanup effort by removing roughly 2,000 illegally discarded tyres from a former landfill near the settlement of Giorgitsminda, Georgia. The operation addressed years of unchecked dumping that had endangered local soil, water and community health.

Despite the challenging terrain, the contaminated site was fully cleared within days using the company’s own resources and in strict adherence to safety protocols. All collected tyres are now set to undergo recycling in line with technical regulations, transforming a longstanding environmental hazard into a manageable waste stream.

This initiative reflects the broader mission of Tegeta Green Planet, which operates under the principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR). Beyond simply remediating a single location, the organisation aims to raise public awareness about the severe consequences of uncontrolled automotive waste disposal, ensuring that collection, transport and recycling are carried out lawfully.

The company has a history of such actions, having previously organised similar cleanups in Tbilisi and Bakuriani. With roughly 45 collection points across Georgia, Tegeta Green Planet encourages responsible disposal through its recycling initiative. Authorised in 2022 to manage the national EPR scheme for waste tyres, the organisation has since attracted nearly 350 manufacturers to its collective compliance system.

Shalva Akhvlediani, Director, Tegeta Green Planet, said, "We are delighted that, as part of a joint initiative between Tegeta Motors and Tegeta Green Planet, we have implemented another large-scale project and cleared the contaminated area of car tyres. Such activities significantly reduce the negative impact on the environment, especially considering that the collected waste is recycled in full compliance with technical regulations. We have carried out similar projects many times before. Last year alone, Tegeta Green Planet collected and recycled more than 6,000 tonnes of automotive waste – tyres, batteries and used oil. We are proud that these figures are growing every year, and in this way, we are contributing to the development of a circular economy and environmental protection in our country. We ask our citizens to report any areas contaminated with automotive waste to us. This can be done via the Tegeta Green Planet website or the Tegeta app, and we will respond accordingly.”

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The Alliance for the Future of Tires (AZuR) has expanded its network with the addition of Granuband, a Dutch leader in high-quality tyre recycling, as its newest partner. As a prominent manufacturer of rubber granules, Granuband strengthens AZuR’s mission to advance a sustainable circular economy for tires across Europe through its expertise in material recovery.

Established in 1991, Granuband specialises in the mechanical recycling of end-of-life tyres using state-of-the-art facilities to produce premium rubber granules and powders. These materials are exported globally for use in sports surfaces, infrastructure projects, industrial goods and various technical applications, showcasing the versatility of recycled rubber.

Beyond manufacturing, Granuband plays a critical role in the collection and logistics of used tyres, traditionally focusing on passenger car tyres in the Benelux region. In recent years, the company has expanded its operations to include truck, agricultural and other specialised tyre categories, driven by a longstanding commitment to innovation in technology, logistics and new applications.

Since 2024, Granuband has operated under Circtec, an international firm specialising in advanced tyre pyrolysis. This integration merges Granuband’s mechanical recycling strengths with Circtec’s chemical recovery technology, creating a comprehensive system that recovers nearly all tyre components. Together, they aim to boost recycling rates, optimise raw material use, cut CO₂ emissions and develop new recyclable materials. Granuband’s addition to AZuR notably reinforces the mechanical recycling pillar, a vital component of the circular economy.

Network coordinator Christina Guth said, “With Granuband, we are expanding our network to include an important player in the mechanical recycling of used tyres. High-quality rubber granules are key to closing the material cycle and reducing dependence on primary raw materials.”

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. hosted its 12th Panel Discussion on Biodiversity as an online event on 6 March 2026, bringing together a wide range of participants from 121 locations across Japan. This annual gathering serves as a platform for reflecting on the significance of biodiversity conservation. This year’s programme featured a keynote speech by Dr Kaoruko Kurata, a professor at Yokohama National University’s College of Education and Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, titled ‘Creating a Well-Being Society from the Perspective of Biocultural Diversity’. Following her address, the event highlighted the Yokohama Rubber Group’s own conservation efforts, with a lively discussion themed ‘Nature Positive Initiatives through Collaboration between Communities and Companies’ moderated by Dr Tetsuya Kitazawa, Director of Ecology Path Inc. and a lecturer at Edogawa University. The exchange included the company’s employees alongside representatives from local governments, businesses, non-profit organisations, and civic groups.

A central case study presented was the ongoing work at Kameyama Satoyama Park, a Nature Symbiosis Site. Under a support agreement with Kameyama City in Mie Prefecture, Kameyama Bead Company, a tyre bead manufacturing and sales subsidiary of Yokohama Rubber, conducts activities such as removing invasive species and maintaining the park grounds. A city official joined to discuss these efforts, which helped all participants deepen their understanding of practical conservation measures.

Since the adoption of the global nature positive goal at COP15 in December 2022, momentum has grown worldwide, including in Japan. The Yokohama Rubber fully supports this direction and has been an active participant in the TNFD Forum and the 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity since January 2023. The company advances conservation across its value chain through initiatives like the YOKOHAMA Forever Forest tree-planting events, water quality and biodiversity monitoring and community awareness programmes at its global sites, alongside promoting agroforestry on natural rubber farms. Operating under its sustainability management slogan, Caring for the Future, the company remains committed to creating shared value by addressing social issues through its core business activities.

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Comerio Ercole is all set to make a significant impact on the global stage in April 2026 with its participation in three major industry events – India Rubber Expo (IRE) 2026, Techtextil 2026 and Chinaplas 2026. The exhibitions will be an opportunity for the company to present cutting-edge developments focused on efficiency, sustainability and product quality while strengthening relationships with customers and partners from around the world. Drawing on its extensive heritage in calendering technology, the company will highlight how its advanced, high-performance systems are engineered to meet the rigorous demands of modern production environments.

The first in this series of engagements is the India Rubber Expo, scheduled for 7 to 10 April, where Comerio Ercole will be situated at Booth L-012A. Recognised as Asia’s largest and most significant rubber industry event, this exhibition provides a key opportunity for the company to present its specialised capabilities to the regional and global rubber manufacturing community.

At Techtextil 2026, the premier international fair for technical textiles and nonwovens, scheduled for 21 to 24 April, Comerio Ercole will be located in Hall 12.0 at Stand C41, where it will showcase its latest innovations for the nonwovens sector. Simultaneously, Comerio Ercole will be present at Chinaplas 2026 (21 to 24 April), the world’s leading trade fair for plastics and rubber, occupying Booth 2.1C85. This parallel participation underscores the company’s versatility and its ability to deliver tailored solutions across the technical textiles, plastics and rubber domains.

This busy month comes on the back of a successful presence at the recently held Tire Technology Expo 2026 (3–5 March) in Hannover, Germany. Comerio Ercole won the ‘Tire Manufacturing Innovation of the Year’ award and also managed to clinch a spot as finalist in three additional award categories, highlighting its pervasive leadership and innovative edge in calendering technology.

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