Reselo AB caught Nokian's eye when they won the tire maker's sustainability challenge called FAST RACE, BIG CHANGE. Their innovative rubber impressed Nokian so much that they've now signed a deal to work on it further.
Heini Siekkinen, who manages research and sustainability at Nokian Tyres, is optimistic about the new material:
"According to the initial laboratory tests we have conducted on Reselo Rubber, it has great potential to replace traditional fossil-based materials in tires. Furthermore, the material is not only renewable, but we believe it may also be used to improve the tire's performance features. We are excited to develop it further in cooperation with Reselo and hope to have Reselo Rubber in Nokian Tyres tires in the future."
The partnership fits well with Nokian's goal to use 50% renewable or recycled materials in their tires by 2030. They've already made progress, showing off a concept tire using UPM BioMotion™ in June and getting an important sustainability certification for their Nokia, Finland factory in August.
Henrik Otendal, CEO and co-founder of Reselo, shares the excitement:
"We are proud and excited to join forces with Nokian Tyres to improve the sustainability of the largest rubber industry segment even further. The partnership with Nokian Tyres marks an important milestone in our ambition to revolutionize the rubber industry with a high performing bio-based rubber."
Reselo Rubber comes from the leftovers of the pulp, paper, and plywood industries. It's completely renewable and might even make tires perform better. The next step is to figure out how to use it on a larger scale for commercial tire production.
Teemu Soini, VP of Innovations & Development at Nokian Tyres, sees this partnership as a key part of their sustainability journey:
"We believe that Reselo Rubber has potential to be one of the steps on our journey towards our goal and are glad to have Reselo as a partner supporting our quest."
Source: Nokian Tyres