Life cycle refers to the different stages a product undergoes from manufacture to use to removal from service, in other words from raw material to waste. The life cycle of a tyre begins from a caouthuc tree in the southern hemisphere, e.g., Indonesia or Thailand. The life cycle spans the manufacture of raw materials and products, storage, and many rounds of transportation. The tyre’s actual life cycle ends, for example, when the tyre (in Finnish: rengas) is crushed and used in land construction.

The life cycle can be roughly divided into four parts: 1. Procurement and manufacture of production inputs such as raw materials and energy.

2. Tyre manufacture

3. Use of tyre

4. Utilization of used tyres


Nokian Tyres’ environmental protection policy stems from life cycle thinking. This means that the company acknowledges its responsibility for the environmental impacts of its products and activities over their entire life cycle. The company’s purchase policy states that the suppliers’ commitment to environmental affairs is investigated as part of the procurement process. All contract partners, such as contractors and subcontractors, must be committed to Nokian Tyres’ principles.


Most of the tyre’s environmental impacts are generated during tyre use. The most important in-use impact is the vehicle’s fuel consumption. Fuel consumption can be reduced by lowering the tyre’s weight and rolling resistance, consequently reducing exhaust fume emissions and the formation of greenhouse gases. However, the most significant factor affecting the level of exhaust fume emissions is the driver’s driving style. Economic driving can generate10–20 percent savings in fuel consumption.
 


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