Launch of the Maple Programme recognises and rates eco-conscious retread customers
Published by John Williams,
Editorial Assistant
Global Mining Review,
Kal Tire has announced the certification of its new carbon calculator that is able to determine fuel and carbon emissions saved by retreading earthmover tyres compared to buying new. With that, the company is launching its Maple Programme, which quantifies a customer’s environmental impact as they grow their fleet with retreads.
“We have long claimed that our retread products are beneficial to the environment, but now we are able to quantify those benefits and recognise customers for opting to retread earthmover tyres,” says Darren Flint, vice president, tyre lifetime services and vice president, European and West African operations, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group. “Retreading reduces a tyre’s operating cost per hour, and it has become increasingly important to customers to reduce their impact on the environment. We look forward to providing customers with actual data on the environmental savings they achieve.”
The Maple Programme uses data from Kal Tire’s new carbon calculator to award customers with one to five stars according to the percentage of their fleet running retreads rather than new tyres. The programme is first launching in Chile and the UK, with plans to roll out in other regions Kal Tire operates.
In 2021, new environmental laws in Chile will dictate responsible tyre recycling, of which retreading is an official option. Pedro Pacheco, vice president, Latin America operations, Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group, says Chilean customers have already embraced the Maple Programme and see the value in receiving the certificate. “This programme gives us a framework to promote the environmental value of our retread product and process and provides solutions for customers within this new law. As we can offer incentive to increasing the amount of tyres retreaded, we’re giving tyres another life at a much lower cost and environmental impact, with the added benefit of reducing the number of casings going into the waste stream.”
One of the largest quarrying groups in the UK has been benefitting from Kal Tire retreads for several years, retreading hundreds of tyres each year. They are among the first UK companies to receive the Maple Programme certificate highlighting how much oil and carbon emissions they’ve saved by retreading versus buying new tyres.
2 years of research and development went into the carbon calculator, which included analysing more than 125,000 Kal Tire retreading production records spanning the past 20 years.
After a 6 month approval phase, the carbon calculator was validated by SCS Global Services, an international leader in third-party environmental certification. The verification applies to all Kal Tire retreading facilities located in Canada, the UK, West Africa and Chile, as well as their newest retread facility opening in Mexico, October 2019.
“The results were very positive, and now we can confidently share these oil and emissions savings with customers,” says Flint. “Our core goal throughout all operations is to prolong the life of the tyres that keep our customers’ fleets running. The Maple Programme for retreads is just the first step in ensuring that the environmental benefit of keeping tyres rolling and out of scrap piles is both recognised and appreciated.”
Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/environment-sustainability/07052020/launch-of-the-maple-programme-recognises-and-rates-eco-conscious-retread-customers/
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