Apollo Tyres to buy natural rubber only from suppliers committed to sustainability guidelines in Europe
The initiative came into full effect recently, and forms part of Apollo Tyres’ Global Sustainability Strategy, currently applies to the supply of natural rubber to the company’s two European production facilities in the Netherlands and Hungary.
The initiative came into full effect recently, and forms part of Apollo Tyres’ Global Sustainability Strategy, currently applies to the supply of natural rubber to the company’s two European production facilities in the Netherlands and Hungary.
Apollo Tyres is now only sourcing natural rubber supplies from companies that have committed to sustainability throughout the supply chain, aligning with the code of conduct set out by the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR).
The initiative came into full effect recently, and forms part of Apollo Tyres’ Global Sustainability Strategy, currently applies to the supply of natural rubber to the company’s two European production facilities in the Netherlands and Hungary.
The tyre maker is establishing new natural rubber supply agreements with businesses that have sustainable sourcing or traceable-to-plantation policies. As a result, all tyres produced at Apollo Tyres’ facilities in Europe, will now be made using natural rubber sourced from suppliers that have a commitment to the GPSNR policy framework – avoiding unsustainable practices that might negatively impact the climate, wildlife, human rights and local economies.
Benoit Rivallant, President & CEO, Apollo Tyres Europe said, “Global demand for tyres is on the rise, driven by increasing automobile sales and the growth of ride-hailing services, and we are determined to ensure that we – and the suppliers we rely upon – grow in a sustainable way. Natural Rubber is an environment friendly raw material, but only if it’s sourced sustainably. It’s our job to work with companies across the value chain to ensure total transparency and help the tyre industry manage its environmental and societal impacts.”
In addition to supporting its own sustainability strategy, Apollo Tyres is using the GPSNR commitment to align with the environmental goals of its global customers, which includes a number of leading vehicle manufacturers with which it has original equipment supply agreements.
ISO 20400 certification
As part of its global sustainability journey, Apollo Tyres has also recently secured ISO 20400 certification, which defines requirements for sustainable procurement, including accountability, transparency, respect for human rights and ethical behaviour, and highlights key considerations such as risk management and priority setting.
The ISO 20400 guidelines focus on purchasing managers for incorporating sustainability into an organisation’s procurement processes. It integrates environmental, economic and social aspects into the procurement decision making ensuring that the sourcing of raw material, such as natural rubber, aligns with the standard to create an industry-wide culture of sustainability.
Founded in 2018, the GPSNR is an international, multi-stakeholder, voluntary membership organisation with a mission to lead improvements in the socio-economic and environmental impact of the natural rubber value chain. The organisation has over 200 members representing more than 55 percent of the global natural rubber value chain, including tyre makers, automakers and raw material producers.
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