The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has committed to source sustainably produced U.S. soybean oil for its tires, phasing out petroleum-derived oils from its products by 2040.

“We are pleased to partner with Goodyear for their award-winning innovation with U.S. soy in tires and are ready to meet their current and future needs for the sustainable procurement of soybeans,” said United Soybean Board farmer-leader Ed Lammers, who serves as the Oil Target Area coordinator.

Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs about 62,000 people and manufactures its products in 46 facilities in 21 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services.

Goodyear's research led to the discovery that soybean oil could not only improve tire flexibility across temperatures but also provide enhanced grip on road surfaces, making it an ideal choice for Goodyear’s all-weather tire line. Goodyear commercialized this innovation in its Assurance WeatherReady consumer tire line in 2017, the Eagle Enforcer All Weather tire in 2018 and the Eagle Exhilarate in 2019, and announced the Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive in 2020.

Goodyear increased its use of soybean oil in 2020 by 73% over 2018, making progress toward its long-term goal of full petroleum replacement. The new procurement policy features a variety of components, including provisions across the supply chain for responsible land use, growing, harvesting and processing.

“Goodyear’s use of soybean oil is growing, and we want our actions to make a difference in the lives of soybean farmers and others in the supply chain,” said Maureen Thune, vice president and chief procurement officer of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. “Our new policy will help guide us as we work with processors, farmers and others to strengthen the sustainability of the global supply chain.”

Goodyear’s new soybean oil procurement policy is effective immediately and applies to all soybean-based materials sourced by its operations worldwide.

 Source: United Soybean Board, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.