The Green Attitude for Earthmover Tires

The Michelin Green Attitude Applied to Earthmover Tires

CHOICE OF RAW MATERIALS AND PRODUCTION PROCESSES

The impacts of tire manufacturing on the environment are limited compared with their impact while in use, accounting for only 6 to 10% of their total footprint, extraction of raw materials and distribution included. Michelin iscommitted to reducing this still further by organizing strict raw materials management.

By making better use of our raw materials, we have managed to design the lightest Earthmover and Industrial Truck tires on the market. This means fewer materials used, lighter tires and therefore products consuming less energy to get them moving.

To reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC), Michelin has also made a drastic reduction in the use of solvents in production processes.

Michelin has elected to apply a European directive on the elimination of aromatic oils world-wide, thus becoming the first tire manufacturer entirely “without aromatic oil”, which represents a major technological challenge and an important ecological advance.

OUR PRODUCTION SITES

All our Earthmover tire factories are ISO 14001 certified. These standards confirm the presence and application of an environmental management policy.
Michelin also carries out internal audits on their suppliers to make sure that they comply with the environmental and social regulations in their countries. 80% of the raw materials we use come from ISO 14001 certified sites.

In addition, Michelin is developing the use of renewable energy : wind power, biomass and solar energy. These new methods of energy production reduce direct and indirect CO2 emissions by 30,000 tons a year.
At Le Puy-en-Velay, the Earthmover tire site in France, we have more than 17000 solar panels, covering the area of 3 football fields, catering for the electricity requirements of 1,200 homes. This is one of the largest solar energy areas on an industrial site in France.