JK Tyre’s sustainable manufacturing practices have been recognised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The company’s plant in Kankroli, Rajasthan won National Water Award for its exemplary efforts in water conservation taking a 3M approach to water conservation – Measure, Monitor and Management. The company said its Kankroli plant has the lowest water consumption in the world, in the tyre industry.

The company’s Chennai plant was recognized as Excellent ‘Energy Efficient Unit’ for the sixth consecutive time since 2015. Additionally, the plant also qualified for the recognition of ‘National Energy Leader’ during the 21^st National Award for Excellence in Energy Management 2020 Forum by CII.

Commenting on the occasion, Anil Makkar, Manufacturing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd said, “JK Tyre has set industry benchmarks for its efforts towards carbon footprint reduction and judicious use of resources. Our effort to create an environmentally conscious organization will help pave the way for industries to go green in the future.  Both Kankroli and Chennai are special projects and receiving such prestigious recognition for our efforts will further motivate us to continue in this path towards sustainable development. Our aim is to adopt and promote sustainable practices across our plants globally.”

The company has successfully provided a plethora of water-saving solutions in its Kankroli plant. The Air Handling Unit has had a replacement from nozzle type to cellulose pad, to decrease water loss through evaporation. Additionally, rainwater harvesting points have been set up across 4 points in the plant, which has led to a decrease in lake water consumption from 620 KLD to 348 KLD and an increase in rainwater consumption to 13.6% of total freshwater use.

The Chennai plant has effectively reduced the energy consumption by 11.6% that resulted in excellent cost savings in the span of three years. The plant has also achieved a 13% reduction in total CO2-e Emission intensity at 0.88 ton/ton of production. Additionally, the plant is using 57% of total power from the renewable source of wind and solar.

A recent survey done by German tier 1 supplier Continental of fleet operators across Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America has revealed that almost 72 percent of respondents recognise the need for substantial changes to meet current industry challenges.

The poll results based on the responses of 850 fleet managers, which pointed out that rising costs (76 percent), economic uncertainties due to crises (46 percent) and the demand to reduce CO2 emissions (40 percent) were the key challenges faced by the operators.

It finds that while there were some common issues globally such as a rising costs and economic pressures, certain challenges such as a transition to electric mobility adoption differed depending on the geographies. Fleet manager shortage also was amongst the issues highlighted by the respondents.

Interestingly, fleet managers in the United States (63 percent) were found to be more open to adopt new technologies, in contrast to their European counterparts (20 percent).

Clarisa Doval, Head of Digital Solutions at Continental Tires, said, "Survey results highlight that cost pressure is the greatest challenge for fleet operators. Low margins, rising costs, and stricter emissions standards are reducing investment capacity, while wage developments and labour shortages add further strain. Our digital tyre management solutions provide our customers with a valuable asset in this transition. With ContiConnect, fleets can operate more cost-effectively and sustainably, supporting their competitiveness."

"Intense competition in logistics, which is being further intensified by climate change and ongoing global crises, makes adaptability and resilience a decisive factor for success. At Continental, we create innovative solutions to enhance fleet efficiency, reduce costs, and promote sustainability. Tyres are a key factor in total operating expenses, and our digital tools for tire condition monitoring deliver substantial long-term savings," she added.

MarketsandMarkets has said in its latest report that the tyre recycling market is expected to grow from USD 7.44 billion in 2024 to USD 8.92 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 3.7 percent.

The report titled ‘Tire Recycling Market by Product (Rubber, TDF, TDA, Carbon Black), Process (Mechanical Shredding, Ambient Grinding, Pyrolysis), Type (Service, Material), End-use Industry (Automotive, Construction, Manufacturing) and Region – Global Forecast to 2029’ attributes the growth in this market to increasing environmental awareness and the implementation of stringent government regulations in different countries in reducing waste and pollution in the environment. Key players in the tyre recycling market, according to the report, are Liberty Tire Recycling (US), GENAN HOLDING A/S (Denmark), ResourceCo (Australia), GRP LTD (India), Lehigh Technologies, Inc. (US), Entech Inc (US), Emanuel Tire LLC (US), BDS Tire Recycling (US), Contec (Poland) and CRM (US).

According to the report, the Asia Pacific region is expected to be the fastest growing market for tyre recycling during the forecast period because of rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and economic growth in the region. Apart from this, government regulations in the Asia Pacific region are also playing a big role in shaping the tyre recycling market.

The report explains that govt incentives and regulatory benefits created by policies around sustainability and carbon reduction are significantly boosting opportunities in this sector. The report cites the Extended Producer Responsibility or EPR programme, which makes it mandatory for the producers of tyres to collect and recycle the tyres at their end-of-life. Additionally, the availability of government incentives and grants for the tyre recycling plants plays a favourable role for the sector.

The report further highlights that construction is the fast-growing end-use industry segment in the market for recycling tyres, explaining that the demand is partly driven by the growing use of recycled tyre products in infrastructure and building projects. These tyre-derived products are used in road construction and as building foundations, insulation and roofing materials. The demand for shock-absorbent, low-maintenance and durable materials in public space and recreational facilities, as well as sports fields, also plays and important role, says the report.

A new survey by OnePoll for Apollo Tyres has revealed that all-season tyres are preferred by a majority of drivers across Europe.

The findings, which took into account 1,000 respondents in each market, point to a constant increase in the popularity of tyres designed to perform throughout the year, including in dry, wet and snow conditions. Spain took the lead among the European countries with 82 percent respondents voting in favour of all-season tyres, followed by France (78 percent), the Netherlands (74 percent), Poland (72 percent) and the UK (65 percent).

For the customers of Apollo Tyres, its Vredestein brand’s Quatrac portfolio offers a lineup of tyres designed for a range of vehicles in a wide choice of sizes. The lineup includes the Quatrac, the Quatrac Pro and Pro+ for muscle cars and SUVs and the Quatrac Pro EV all-season tyre specifically designed for electric vehicles (EVs). All Quatrac tyres come with the ‘Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake’ mark and are fit for year-round use.

Yves Pouliquen, Vice President – Commercial, Europe, Apollo Tyres, said, “All-season tyres are becoming increasingly popular among motorists who want the reassurance of being able to safely tackle fast-changing weather conditions, year-round. With over three decades of expertise in all-season products, drivers can trust the Vredestein brand.”

Vaculug Limited, a leading commercial tyre retreading specialist based in Grantham, UK, has reshuffled its senior management team with the appointment of three new roles. The reshuffle is done with an aim to enhance the organisational structure and drive sustainable growth while prioritising employee development.

As part of the reorganisation, Philip West, Vaculug's Commercial Director, will now be responsible for managing all sales and RTM activities in addition to operations, marketing and customer service. West has been in the business for more than 42 years, and his leadership and depth of expertise make him a great fit for this position.

In his new role as Sales Director, Craig Rudkin will oversee the team responsible for sales and national accounts. Rudkin began working for Vaculug in a position located in a factory and has been with the firm for more than 33 years. Jason Humphries is now the Director of IT and Logistics. Humphries has over 20 years of experience in operations, logistics and IT and has played a key role in putting strategic plans into action since joining Vaculug in 2001.