The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) announced that a research team led by Senior Researcher Yoshihiro Ueda, in collaboration with Bridgestone, has developed a chemical recycling technology for tire rubber. By combining chemical decomposition at near room temperature with a subsequent thermal decomposition process, the team successfully recovered isoprene and carbon black. The technology paves the...
sustainability
Sumitomo Riko Launches SG Building as Symbol of Vision 2029
Sumitomo Riko has commenced full-scale operations at the Sumitomo Riko Green Transformation Building (SG Building), constructed as a core hub for its infrastructure and living environment business. Built at the Komaki Plant in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture, the SG Building consolidates chemical products operations that had previously been dispersed across the site and serves as a model factory that achieves a...
Bridgestone Breaks Ground on Precision Pyrolysis Pilot Plant for End-of-Life Tires at Seki Plant
Bridgestone held a groundbreaking ceremony on October 21 at its Seki Plant in Gifu Prefecture for the construction of a Precision Pyrolysis Pilot Demonstration Plant for End-of-Life Tires. The initiative marks the transition from research to the demonstration phase of a project aimed at realizing circular tire recycling—returning used tires to raw materials that can once again be used to...
Sumitomo Rubber Supplies Sustainable Tires at All-Japan Kart Championship
The fifth and sixth rounds of the EV category in the All-Japan Kart Championship, featuring one-make tire supply by Sumitomo Rubber, were held on September 14 at Citycircuit Tokyo Bay in Koto-ku, Tokyo. In 2023, Sumitomo Rubber formulated its unique circular economy initiative, Towanowa, within its tire business. The company is promoting the use of sustainable raw materials in its...
Sumitomo Riko Launches Operations at New Chemical Products Plant
Sumitomo Riko held an inauguration ceremony for its new chemical products plant at the Komaki Plant in Komaki City, Aichi Prefecture. The new facility, named the SG Building (Sumitomo Riko Green Transformation Building), began phased operations in August and is scheduled to be fully operational by December. The plant was constructed as part of a broader renewal project at the...
Sumitomo Rubber Introduces Circular Carbon Black in Racing Tires
Sumitomo Rubber has announced the adoption of circular carbon black in some of its racing tires, marking a significant step in the company’s circular economy initiative known as Towanowa. This marks the company’s first application of resource-circulated carbon black in tire production. The new racing tires were used in the GT300 class of the 2025 Autobacs Super GT Round 4...
