Tire Monster Tour Launches in Goodyear’s Home State of Ohio
On the heels of Goodyear Tire’s announcement of a natural rubber procurement policy that experts are concerned is not strong enough to hold suppliers accountable, Mighty Earth unveils the Tire Monster — a ten-foot tall, 500-pound sculpture made of discarded tires. The Tire Monster will be kicking off its world tour in Ohio, the home of Goodyear Tire, to raise awareness and promote action to stop deforestation and human rights abuses related to producing natural rubber. The Tire Monster tour also launches on the eve of the World Rubber Summit, where global rubber industry leaders will convene in Sri Lanka.
Mighty Earth’s new investigation found links between Goodyear and rubber suppliers driving deforestation in Southeast Asia and West Africa. Its new policy does not mention how it will deal with ongoing non-compliant suppliers found to be driving environmental destruction and human rights abuses.
“While we welcome Goodyear’s announcement, its policy leaves a lot of key questions unanswered. In contrast to the commitments of the other leading tire companies, Goodyear’s policy fails to detail how it will address suppliers that have been proven to be driving destructive practices,” said Margaret Kran-Annexstein, Campaign Director for Mighty Earth. “People are demanding that Goodyear address its problematic suppliers immediately.”
The tire industry accounts for at least 70 percent of global natural rubber consumption with the top five brands – Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear, Continental, and Pirelli – accounting for about half of the industry’s consumption. Although Goodyear’s policy is not as strong as that of the other companies’, it joins Michelin, Pirelli and Bridgestone in announcing a “No Deforestation, No Exploitation” policy for its supply chain. As the tide turns towards deforestation-free rubber, Continental is the final of the top five companies that has yet to announce a sustainability policy.
The Tire Monster is planning to make the following tour stops this week:
- Tuesday, May 1st in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Wednesday, May 2nd in Cleveland, Ohio
- Thursday, May 3rd in Akron, Ohio
He can be followed on social media as he tours across Ohio, here:
- Facebook: Facebook.com/thetiremonster
- Twitter: @thetiremonster
- Instagram: @thetiremonster
