3 Minutes read 14 Dec 2022As part of its commitment to reaching net zero, Chepstow Plant International (CPI) last year joined forces with an industry-leading supplier of tyre management. Here, Ross Hayward, Head of Assets and Commercial at CPI, discusses how the company has already benefitted from Kal Tire’s emission-saving re-tread project, and explains what this could mean for the future.
In the aggregates and minerals industry, it can be easy to overlook the type, brand or tread of the tyre you’re running on-site. But let me tell you this: an effective set of tyres can not only keep an asset moving forwards throughout their life cycle and provide a healthy RoI, but they can also help drive fuel efficiencies and carbon savings when they’re remoulded or re-tread for longer-lasting use.
While remoulding tyres is something we’ve known about for a while and implemented to a degree at CPI, it’s really come to the fore in the past twelve months since we joined forces with Kal Tire, the industry-leading supplier of tyre management services.
Through this partnership, we’ve enhanced our knowledge surrounding Kal’s emission-saving re-tread product, which not only gives our tyres a second life, but also provides accredited Carbon Reduction certificates, powered by Kal’s Maple Program. This program* provides companies with actual data on the fuel and carbon emissions we’ve saved by re-treading tyres in comparison to buying them new.
Both aspects of this partnership have already helped us to make gains in improving efficiencies and extending tyre life, with approximately 150 tyres re-tread and 420T of CO2 emissions saved in the 2022 so far.
To put those savings into context, that’s roughly the equivalent of our entire road vehicle fleet – which comprises of 100 vehicles – running as carbon neutral (or if you’d rather, the emissions they produce being offset).
The benefits of using remoulded tyres are far-reaching. First and foremost, extending the life of a tyre through remoulding is much cheaper than purchasing a brand-new premium tyre, and in our experience, they run just as effectively too. CPI has made an estimated financial saving of 30% on tyres in the year to date, which is significant enough for any business within the sector to sit up and take notice.
And of course, the whole purpose of the program is to help us be more sustainable and lessen the impact we’ve having on the environment. By doubling or sometimes tripling the lifespan of a tyre, we can significantly reduce the amount of oil and energy used, or emissions produced, during the production of new tyres. As a further benefit, utilising opportunities like Kal’s remould program allows us to reduce our waste, further enhancing this practice’s environmental impact.
As with many sustainability initiatives, further education will be essential in making the practice of remoulding tyres even more commonplace across the industry. After all, it’s by no means a one-size-fits-all approach to tyre management. You get back what you spend on tyres, and if companies are choosing to purchase more budget-friendly tyres, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll be able to have them remoulded or even endure long-enough to get a sensible utilisation. Those purchasing premium tyres, however, can benefit from a longer initial lifespan, better cost-per-hour spend and an increased chance of being eligible for remoulding.
For us, one thing is becoming increasingly clear. Remoulding tyres offers a tangible solution to effective tyre management, and it can help deliver significant cost, fuel and carbon efficiencies across the board too.
At a time when big wins are few and far between for those aiming to achieve net zero, it makes sense to at least consider remoulding. Don’t you think?
More information about The Maple Program can be found here: https://www.kaltiremining.com/en/sustainable-solution/maple-program/
By Ross Hayward
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