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“Green” car tires are far from environmentally friendly

A recent NIVA study shows that so-called “green” car tires, which are marketed as environmentally friendly, can actually be just as harmful to the environment as regular tires – and in some cases even worse.

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Gunnar Omsted

Microplastics from car tires are the largest source of plastic pollution in Norway, and researchers have long called for solutions. Several tire manufacturers have responded by introducing “green” tires, with claims of a lower carbon footprint and fewer wear particles.

The problem is, however, that they're not that green at all.

“The results showed that these “green” tires contained the same as other tires, and in some cases also more of certain harmful substances compared to ordinary tires,” explains Elisabeth Rødland, researcher at NIVA.

Researchers have found that the microplastic particles from car tires spread in water, soil and air. The particles also release environmentally hazardous substances, which end up in streams and rivers when it rains, with potentially negative consequences for the environment and wildlife.

“Our research shows that it is not at all the case that “green” tires are less harmful in terms of emissions to the environment,” says Rødland.

Large pieces of rubber tires
A recent study from NIVA shows that so-called ‘green’ car tires in some cases contain more of certain harmful substances compared to regular tires (Illustration: Sindre Haugan/NIVA)

Need for new labelling schemes

According to the NIVA researcher, the problem lies in how we measure environmental friendliness.

“It is absolutely necessary to provide a comprehensive assessment of the environmental consequences in order to be able to say that something is environmentally friendly and sustainable,” says Rødland.

“The environmental impact of car tires must therefore include both the production of the tires, and the raw materials used to make them, the use of the tires, with emissions of wear particles and pollutants, and finally what is done with the tires when they are no longer used on the vehicles,” she says.

According to the NIVA researcher, the solution lies in a new and improved labelling scheme for car tires: a system that assesses the tire’s environmental impact throughout its life cycle. This will give both consumers and authorities the tools they need to make demands on tire manufacturers and make real environmentally friendly choices.

References

  1. Elisabeth S. Rødland, Gilberto Binda, Davide Spanu, Stefano Carnati, Laura Röhler Bjerke, Luca Nizzetto, Are eco-friendly “green” tires also chemically green? Comparing metals, rubbers and selected organic compounds in green and conventional tires, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 476, 2024, 135042, ISSN 0304-3894. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389424016212
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