“The properties you get from that material, we haven’t been able to replicate in the laboratory,” said Juan Botero, Continental’s vice president of original equipment sales of passenger and light truck tires for the Americas. “Mother Nature does a fantastic job.” GM and tire makers said they don’t know the cost of using more sustainable farming practices, but they hope it will be equal to or ultimately less than today, in part by increasing rubber yields. Rubber trees only grow in a narrow band of the Earth near the equator and are highly susceptible to disease, so getting the entire industry to help protect the resource is important, they said. GM plans to meet with stakeholders starting in June to set criteria for rubber purchasing and develop an industry road map by year end. “Anytime a brand like GM gets involved, it brings momentum and acceleration to the overall initiative,” said Jim DeMouy, Bridgestone Americas’ vice president of environmental, health, safety and sustainability. At the same time, he added, “it’s just too big an issue for any one company to address.”
General Motors ( GM ) has committed to purchase tyres made of sustainable natural rubber in a move designed to safeguard the material 's long - term availability . The carmaker , which sources some 49 million tyres each year , is implementing a set of purchasing requirements to reduce deforestation and uphold human rights . GM will meet with stakeholders next month to cement its strategy for sourcing rubber . It also plans to draw up a sustainable rubber road map for the automotive industry by the end of this year .