Nokian makes progress on sustainability projects

NOKIA, Finland — Nokian Tyres P.L.C. has made significant progress in improving the energy efficiency of its tires as well as in advancing sustainability projects around alternative tire rubber and recycling, the company said in its 2017 review of sustainability initiatives.

The company reduced the rolling resistance of its tires by 7 percent, compared with the 2013 baseline, as part of a product-sustainability drive, the Finnish tire-maker said.

The sustainability goal was delivered three years ahead of target, Nokian said, adding that the achievement represents a reduction of CO2 emissions from traffic of 500 million kilograms.

Another sustainability initiative by the Finnish tire maker involved establishing a test plantation for growing guayule in Spain, in cooperation with a local university there.

"As part of the development of future tires, we established a test plantation for cultivating guayule in Santa Cruz de la Zarza in 2017," Nokian said in its annual report.

In the future, the company aims to use raw materials that are even more eco-friendly throughout its tire manufacturing footprint.

The company also is building a testing and technology center for winter and summer tires at Santa Cruz de la Zarza.

The testing and technology center, spanning 740 acres and located south of Madrid, is expected to start operation in 2019.

The Finnish tire maker went on to highlight its progress in the area of recycling during 2017.

The company's factory in Nokia recycled 100 percent of production waste, while its Russian tire plant in Vsevolozhsk, near St. Petersburg, achieved a recycling rate of nearly 90 percent.