United States. Tires that have come to an end are being collected to obtain carbon black and are used to produce powder coatings in a new cooperation between AkzoNobel and tire manufacturer, Black Bear.
Cradle-to-Cradle certified carbon black supplied by Black Bear, which is sourced from end-of-life tires, is being used as a pigment in eco-premium products developed by AkzoNobel's Powder Coatings business.
With this cooperation, AkzoNobel not only uses carbon black, traditionally obtained from fossil fuels, with a much smaller CO2 footprint, but also helps solve the global problem of waste tires.
"This partnership is a great example of how the supply chain can contribute to CO2 savings," said André Veneman, Chief Sustainability Officer at AkzoNobel. "We encourage more suppliers to work with us and collectively contribute to developing more sustainable product solutions."
Martijn Lopes Cardozo, CEO of Black Bear, said: "We are proud to have partnered with AkzoNobel, which is clearly recognised as the leader in sustainable paints and coatings."
Powder coatings are an inherently sustainable product as they contain no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and produce virtually no residue. Most of the products supplied through AkzoNobel's Interpon brand also qualify as eco-premium.
"We are pleased to have partnered with an innovative company like Black Bear," said Klaas Kruithof, AkzoNobel's chief technology officer for Paints and Coatings. "We select your product based on technical performance and environmental footprint, according to our own Planet Possible agenda of doing more with less."
In addition to announcing the deal, the two companies will also work together to find additional applications for Black Bear's certified carbon black.
