AkzoNobel and Black Bear team up to make powder coatings from old tires

Tires that have reached the end of the road are being harvested for carbon black and used to produce powder coatings in a new cooperation between AkzoNobel and Dutch company Black Bear.

The Cradle-to-Cradle certified carbon black supplied by Black Bear – which is obtained from end-of-life tires – is being used as pigment in the 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 vastly lower CO2 footprint, but also helps to solve the global waste tire problem.

“This partnership is a great example of how the supply chain can contribute to CO2 savings,” said André Veneman, AkzoNobel’s Director of Sustainability. “We encourage more suppliers to work with us and collectively contribute to develop more sustainable product solutions.”

Powder coatings are an inherently sustainable product as they contain no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and produce virtually no waste. The majority of products supplied through AkzoNobel’s market-leading Interpon brand also qualify as eco-premium.

Read the full press release here.