Pirelli has introduced the world’s first tyre which has both its rubber and viscose certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

The new Pirelli P Zero tyre will first be used on the latest BMW X5 plug-in hybrid model.

Natural rubber is a basic material for many everyday products, such as rubber boots or mattresses and about six million smallholders worldwide are responsible for 80% of its production. They operate small farms of one or two hectares in size and under a wide variety of conditions in the so-called ‘rubber belt’ in tropical regions.

Addressing the social, environmental and economic needs of these millions of smallholder farms is a major challenge. The implementation of FSC certification for natural rubber plantations, forests and chain of custody contributes to resolving this by supporting responsible and sustainable natural rubber production.

FSC has already made considerable progress in certifying the natural rubber value chain for various consumer sectors. A variety of products are available on the market today that contain certified natural rubber, including gloves, footwear, mattresses, pillows and yoga mats.

FSC certification gives an assurance that natural rubber and viscose in these products is sourced from forests or plantations with safe working conditions, and without deforestation or other environmental damage. 

The tyre sector consumes roughly 70% of natural rubber production with the potential to play a crucial role in sustainable sourcing but this is the very first FSC certification in the sector.

www.pirelli.com