Hankook Tire & Technology has kicked off a national research project with South Korea's Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment to turn waste tires into new tire raw materials. The goal is to reduce sustainable material content by over 85% and cut carbon emissions by more than 50% in next generation tires. Eleven organizations including Kumho Petrochemical, KAIST, and Pusan National University are involved in developing both raw material recovery and tire manufacturing technology. The project focuses on commercializing a domestic circular economy model for waste tires. Hankook aims to produce low-carbon, high-performance tires and demonstrate that recycled materials can meet industrial standards. This is a concrete step in linking waste management to real emissions reductions in manufacturing.
