Electric cars and hybrid plugins are getting us started on our journey to zero emission mobility. But alone, they’re not enough to make the kind of changes that are needed to have a real, long-term impact. Fuel isn’t the only concern when it comes to transport. We might not think too much about tyres, but they’re a significant part of the problem.

Tyre wear is made from microplastics that don’t degrade; they’re either ingested into the body through the air, or they end up in our rivers, seas, and oceans. Tyre wear is actually the second largest microplastic pollution in the environment today. In fact, it’s estimated to make up 50% of all air particulate emissions to come from road transport.

Siobhan Anderson is one of three co-founders of Tyre Collective; an organisation committed to reducing the amount of tyre particles in our environment. Using an electric field to attract tyre wear particles as they break off, and direct them into a storage container, Tyre Collective is collecting these particles to keep them out of the atmosphere, and is creating unique new opportunities for them to be recycled.

The Sustainable Innovation Fund has been instrumental in helping Tyre Collective move forwards from prototype development to full on-vehicle testing and creation of a commercially viable product. The device is currently capable of capturing 60% of all airborne tyre wear particles, and it is hoped that the technology will eventually be rolled out to all vehicles on the road, helping reduce microplastics in our environment.

To find out more about the people supporting innovative ideas that help us tackle climate change, visit https://sustainableinnovationfund.ukr...


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