Bridgestone, LanzaTech partner for tire recycling

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bridgestone Americas Inc. is partnering with LanzaTech NZ Inc., a carbon-capture and -transformation (CCT) company, to address end-of-life tire waste.

The two companies will co-develop a dedicated end-of-life tire recycling process leveraging LanzaTech's proprietary CCT technology, creating a pathway toward tire-material circularity and the decarbonization of new tire production, Bridgestone said.

Bridgestone and Skokie, Ill.-based LanzaTech said they will work to convert scrapped tires into new materials, including exploring processes to create sustainable synthetic rubber that does not rely on petrochemicals.

Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.

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"We are excited to join forces with LanzaTech to co-create a more sustainable pathway for end-of-life tires," Bridgestone Americas President and CEO Paolo Ferrari said.

"The steps we take today are determining the health of our planet for future generations. We are determined to meet the moment with sustainable innovation that transforms the way tires are made and promotes end-to-end material circularity," he said.

LanzaTech transforms waste carbon into materials such as sustainable fuels, fabrics, packaging and other products. The company said its goal is to challenge and change the way the world uses carbon, enabling a new circular carbon economy where carbon is reused rather than wasted.

"LanzaTech and Bridgestone are working together to find solutions to some of our world's greatest challenges," LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren said.

"We have already proven that we can convert unrecyclable, unsorted municipal solid waste to ethanol and then make products we use in our daily lives. With our partnership with Bridgestone, we are developing a circular pathway to use tires to make tires. This partnership exemplifies what we call a 'post-pollution' future."

Bridgestone and LanzaTech seek to develop a business model that will create a post-consumer waste management strategy for end-of-life tires, while also driving increased adoption of sustainably sourced chemicals for commercial applications.

Applying LanzaTech's carbon-capture and gas-fermentation process to end-of-life tires yields sustainably produced chemicals such as ethanol, which can be converted to materials such as polyethylene (PET) for packaging, polyester yarn and surfactants used in consumer home goods like laundry detergent, the company said.

In addition, Bridgestone and LanzaTech will explore opportunities jointly to co-develop proprietary microbe technology to produce more efficient pathways to produce butadiene, a key ingredient in new tire production.

Bridgestone said it is aiming to achieve carbon neutrality and make tires from 100% renewable materials by 2050. The company said it is actively researching a range of solutions to support the recycling of materials from end-of-life tires and promote the replacement of non-renewable materials such as oil, silica and virgin carbon black in new tires.

"Our partnership with LanzaTech is a clear commitment by Bridgestone to advancing sustainable tire technologies and solutions that preserve the environment for future generations and contribute to the realization of a carbon neutral mobility society," said Nizar Trigui, chief technology officer and group president of solutions businesses at Bridgestone Americas.

Bridgestone said its partnership with LanzaTech aligns with the its E8 Commitment that serves as the axis to drive management while earning the trust of future generations.

The Bridgestone E8 Commitment consists of eight Bridgestone-like values starting with the letter "E" (Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease and Empowerment) that Bridgestone will commit to creating together with employees, society, partners and customers to realize a sustainable society.

This partnership aligns with "Ecology: Committed to advancing sustainable tire technologies and solutions that preserve the environment for future generations" and "Energy: Committed to the realization of a carbon neutral mobility society," Bridgestone said.

The LanzaTech partnership follows Bridgestone's recent announcement that it had secured a U.S. Department of Energy research grant to advance its work with the desert shrub guayule, a potential source of a natural rubber latex alternative that could be used in tire production.