Yokohama is introducing the dB Super E-spec tire, with an improved liner and a compound that uses orange oil and natural rubber to cut petroleum significantly in the manufacturing process.

On the inside, an advanced inner liner is thinner, lighter, and provides better air retention.

On the outside, the new Super Nano-Power Rubber compound blends natural rubber with oil squeezed from waste material from the Japanese orange juice industry to create a tire with a split personality. In straight, steady driving, the compound generates less heat, for a lower rolling resistance, while in active driving—cornering and braking—the material softens for better adhesion to the road surface.

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Magnum D’Or Resources Inc., a rubber recycling company, now owns one of the world’s largest tire landfills in Hudson, Colorado. But they’re not going to just leave it there. Old tires are bad because they breed mosquitoes, and a tire fire will burn for months.

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You’re waiting at a red light, your engine idling lightly. You check the crosswalk signal: 20 seconds, you have some time. You turn your classical music up a notch to the perfect volume and you close your eyes, relaxing on your way home from work. But your moment of relaxation is interrupted by the thump thump of bass coming from the car next to you. You look over at the car, the tinted windows keep you from seeing the driver. But the car’s engine revs. The light changes green and, as you lightly press the gas, the car next to you squeals past you, burning rubber.

Now, there is a lot of that situation that you would probably change. But I wonder if rubber made it high on your list. Well, it’s high on the list of researchers at Oregon State University. Their idea is not to do away with rubber altogether, but they are looking at the possibility of using trees in the tire-making process, which means that you and I could drive around on tires made partially out of trees some day.

Wood science researchers at Oregon State University have made some surprising findings about the potential of microcrystalline cellulose – a product made easily from almost any type of plant fibers – to partially replace silica as a reinforcing filler in the manufacture of rubber tires.

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Oregon State University Researcher Kaichang Li is already well-known in the research world for developing a non-toxic, soy-based adhesive to make greener plywood for cabinets, so it’s almost no surprise that his next research discovery is along the same lines.

Turning his attention to the materials commonly used as reinforcing fillers in tires — carbon black and silica — Li has figured out a way to use plant products to substitute for these toxic and energy intensive conventional materials.

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The Great American Cleanup begins today with a national launch event in Waveland, Miss., which will help  restore a hurricane-ravaged town along the Gulf Coast. It will continue through May 31 with additional national events being held in New York City on Earth Day and Nashville on May 14.

Millions of volunteers will work to rid streets, waterways and public spaces of litter and illegal dumpsites.  Communities will green up parks, schoolyards and other public spaces and hold recycling drives and educational events.

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Ecologic Designs’ story starts like this:  “There is always talk about a killer set of waves and dolphins playing in the surf, an epic afternoon rolling across warm red rocks on your bike, or a hike in fresh powder on a full moon snowshoe trek. There is also talk about a beach polluted by sludge or surfing next to trash, trails that all of a sudden become strip malls, or the snow trip sans snow because of global warming.” It’s this kind of understanding that guides Ecologic Design, through their two brands Green Guru Gear and Green Goddess, to craft products and fashions in Boulder, Colorado, that have a positive environmental and social impact, while raising ecological awareness.

Take Green Guru’s Blow Out series bi-fold wallet, for example.  The company uses reclaimed bike inner tubes to create a stylish and waterproof exterior. Every item in their Blow Out series is made from 98% reclaimed and recycled content by weight.  Each wallet features a six card and two bill compartments.  The ultimate in a locally-based enterprise, drawing from a readily available waste stream, Green Guru’s butyl rubber comes from Reclamation Stations within about eighteen miles from there they’re manufactured. Green Guru Pouches, Chalk Bags and Messenger Bags are also made from the upcycled inner tubes.

Since spring of 2007, Ecologic Designs has been an ecopreneurial trailblazer, creating viable and sustainable enterprises by harvesting the waste stream, often referred to as “upcycling”: the practice of recycling or repurposing items destined for the landfill and transforming them into something of further use and value. Upcycling was coined by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, authors of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.  The butyl rubber, also called vulcanized rubber, is not cost-effective and very difficult to recycle; therefore these inner tubes usually end up in local landfills where they won’t degrade for many years.  Unfortunately, tires and inner tubes account for over 50% of the rubber produced each year.

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Is there anything that soy cannot do? Perhaps not. Scientists at Agricultural Research Service (ARS), a scientific research agency of the USDA, are experimenting with the use of defatted soy flour, to take the place of traditional petroleum based fillers that increase tensile strength and wear in tires.

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Do you need a cheap, green and useful tool to promote your eco-friendly business idea? Well look no further than the World Famous RETREAD© Jar Openers from Americanna.

These items could easily be our top seller for 2008 in terms of interest from clients. At EQP $0.41 per unit, the jar openers - also a great garlic peeler or coaster - come in over 150 shapes and provide likely the largest print area on a promotional item for your money.

As the name implies the World Famous RETREAD© Jar Openers are made from recycled tires. They come in many green theme shapes like suns, trees, water drops, homes, hearts, school houses, feet (as in lower your green footprint), you get the idea.

We love this item because it really, really works and people hang onto to them. They are cheap and light enough to use in mailings, great for handing out at events, and perfect as an easy to understand example of recycle and reuse thinking, i.e. this was a tire now it opens jars, ok. Got it.

More information on the World Famous RETREAD© Jar Openers is available here or just visit the Americanna website.

The top tier car racing sport has jumped the gun by adding green stripes to plain ol’ Bridgestone tires for their upcoming race.

Formula One racing announced that cars in the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix will have green striping on their tires to represent “going green.” Currently, there is nothing green about the hyper-horsepower vehicles nor the tires themselves, but the cars do have a remodel coming in the near-future.

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Passchal collects inner tubes from VA, Ohio and GA tractors, which then undergo a rigorous but environmentally friendly, multi-day cleaning process before being crafted into bags. To date, Passchal has recycled approximately 20 tons of inner tubes creating their line of bags.

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Car Batteries

When you purchase a new car battery at the auto parts store, you'll pay a deposit. You'll get this money back when you return your old battery for proper handling. Due to such a "successful collaboration among members of the battery industry, retailers and consumers," lead-acid batteries have the highest recycling rate of all consumer products.

Motor Oil

If you change your own motor oil, collect and store the old oil in a sturdy plastic container and take it to a recycling center. Visit Earth911 to find earth-friendly DIY oil change tips. Check with your municipality to find a location that will accept it, or check with your local oil change businesses and auto parts stores.

Used motor oil still has value - make sure it gets recycled. It can be reprocessed and used in furnaces or to generate electricity. By recycling 2 gallons of oil, you'll help create enough energy to run the average household for 24 hours. For more information, visit RecycleOil.org.

Tires

Never throw tires into the trash or dump. Bring them to a tire retailer or wholesaler who will be able to recycle or retread them. There, the experts will decide to resell tires that are still safe for use or recondition tires (retread) that can be used for more time. If the tires are completely spent, they will shred or melt them for reuse into items such as playgrounds or roads.

Visit Earth911 to find locations near you to recycle these items and many more. If you have kids, check out Recycle City.

Rebecca says: My husband recently changed our car battery on his own, saving us about 50 bucks and causing me to be uber-impressed. We brought the old battery back to the store and received our $10 deposit back.

You've probably heard it before: check your tire pressure! Do you do it? How often? Properly inflated tires improve your gas mileage (conversely, if they are not inflated well, it reduces your mpg). You'll also reduce the wear and tear on your tires, helping them last longer. Oh, and did we mention it's safer, as well?

First things first, you'll need a tire gauge. If you don't have one, they cost less than $2 at the auto parts store. Pick one up and store it in your glove compartment (strange name, seeing as we never store our gloves there).

Now you need to know what the recommended tire pressure for your car is. You should be able to find the number on the inside of your driver's side door, in your car's manual, or online. In the USA, you're looking for the PSI. Depending on your car, the numbers could be anywhere from 26 to 40 for a cargo van. Some cars require a different level of inflation in the front as compared to the rear.

Next you'll need to measure the tire pressure with your handy gauge. Make sure to check when the tires are cool - meaning before you drive it. Measure each tire. If they are overinflated, you can release air by pushing on the tire valve stem with the edge of the gauge. If they are under inflated, you'll need to add air at a gas station. More complete instructions here and here. Repeat each month. Don't forget!

According to the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), 85% of tires are driven with too little air. Alaska Wilderness League said that causes us to waste 4 million gallons of gas every day. These stats come from an MSNBC article last year about a young girl named Savannah Walters that started a movement and a website, called Pump 'Em Up, six years ago. She was 9. Walters was quoted as saying, "I have a tool that costs about 99 cents that will save us a million gallons of gas a day, starting today. It's a tire gauge!"

Rebecca says: I didn't plan on creating a whole tip just for tire pressure. It's usually a one-liner. The stats, however, are astounding. This is one of the many things that we can do that is so easy - yet so many people just don't do it. Err…once a month? Guilty! If it was education that was lacking, hopefully this will cover it. If it was motivation, well, hopefully we took care of that, too! Let's see how much you've learned! Take the RMA's Tire Pressure Quiz!