The North American market is ready for environmentally friendly retreads, say executives from some of the country's largest retread companies.
"Our fuel efficient compounds are increasing as a percentage of our overall business," says Bill Sweatman, CEO of Marangoni Tread North America Inc.
"We're doing things to take processing oil out of the material. It's a continual process of improving rolling resistance and managing the casing throughout its life."
Joe Copeland, vice president of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Commercial Tire Systems, believes the trucking industry "is ready for low rolling resistance (retread) products."
He says Goodyear offers fuel efficient retreads for its G316 Fuel Max and G305 Fuel Max medium truck tires in both Unicircle and precure.
The issue of eco-friendly retreads "is certainly a hot topic," says a representative from Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions, adding that retreading in and of itself is inherently "green. It has always been environmentally friendly.
"With all the focus on making fuel efficient products or reducing rolling resistance, the biggest thing a fleet can do to be environmentally friendly is still to retread. If someone is interested in going green, either retreading or retreading more can be the first step, regardless of the other things that are incremental to that."
