Bekaert Delivers Certified Recycled Steel Tire Reinforcement to Bridgestone
Bekaert has delivered its first batch of tire reinforcement made with third-party certified recycled steel to Bridgestone Corporation. This achievement highlights Bekaert’s leadership in sustainable materials and its growing commitment to a circular tire industry.
Advancing Sustainable Tire Solutions
The new tire reinforcement uses steel with verified recycled content. As a result, Bekaert cut its CO₂ footprint by about 50%. This marks an important step toward blending performance with sustainability in tire materials.
According to Heiko Isselee, Innovation Platform Manager for Recycled Steel at Bekaert, the certification ensures full transparency. “Many companies talk about circularity,” he said, “but without clear definitions, those claims can cause confusion. Certification gives customers real confidence in our recycled content.”
Certified Performance and Proven Traceability
Both Bekaert and its wire rod supplier received third-party certification to confirm recycled steel content under recognized industry standards. Therefore, customers like Bridgestone can include the recycled content from Bekaert’s materials in their own sustainability reports.
Bekaert’s tire reinforcements now contain at least 50% recycled tire cord and 70% recycled bead wire. The company tracks each batch through every phase of production, storage, and transport. In doing so, Bekaert guarantees that the steel delivered to customers meets the declared recycled content levels.
Setting the Standard for a Circular Future
This successful pilot project represents just the beginning. Bekaert plans to make certified, high-recycled-content reinforcement available worldwide. By doing so, the company aims to set a new standard for sustainable tire production and help the global industry move closer to true circularity.