Tire life stages

Production of raw materials, Design and manufacturing Use End-of-life processing

energy and services

Oil industry Disposal

Research center Energy

Steel industry recovery
Retreading

Production
unit

Material
recovery
Chemical
and textile
industries

Sports
and play areas

Rubber
growing Distribution

Molded Road
items surfaces

€8,971 million purchases of raw materials,
energy and services in 2004
Social and economic impacts
500,000 to 600,000 people produce the natural rubber
we use. Production of the other raw materials used
requires a much smaller workforce.
Environmental impacts
The environmental impacts of tire production are
mainly linked to the extraction of raw materials
and the manufacturing of semi-finished
products used in production. Natural
rubber production requires a cultivated
surface area of around one million hectares
in humid tropical areas and contributes to the fixation
of atmospheric carbon.
For further details on…
• our relationships with suppliers: pages 50-51
• rubber growing: pages 20-21
• the impacts of our logistics activities: page 75
€4,872 million in salaries and social
contributions,
€185 million in dividends in 2004
Social and economic impacts
Michelin employs 126,000 people. Its development
is supported by more than 191,000 shareholders.
Environmental impacts
The environmental impacts linked to
manufacturing are minor, compared
with impacts linked to the other phases
of the life cycle.
For further details on…
• Michelin employees: pages 42 to 49
• our relationships with communities: pages 52 to 54
• respect for shareholders: pages 56 to 65
• the environmental management of our industrial sites:
pages 70 to 74
€15,689 million in net sales in 2004
Social and economic impacts
We produce nearly 195 million tires per year,
enabling tens of millions of vehicles to run
and thousands of aircraft to take off and land.
Environmental impacts
The main environmental impact
of the tire life cycle is by far linked
to its rolling resistance, which accounts
for up to 20% of fuel consumption from cars
and 30 to 40% from trucks.
For further details on…
• respect for customers: pages 24 to 39
• our relationships with public authorities: page 55
• the environmental impact of tire use: pages 78-79
• the recovery of end-of-life tires: pages 80 to 83
Social and economic impacts
For several years now, we have contributed
to the development of end-of-life tire recovery
applications.
Environmental impacts
The impact of end-of-life tires on the environment
is 25 times less than impact during the tire's use
phase. However, by selling nearly 195 million tires
each year, we end up generating just as many
end-of-life tires to be processed.
These tires can be recycled: retreading, use as fuel
(tires have an energy value close to
that of coal), manufacturing of
rubber-based products, civil engineering
work, etc. Disposal in landfills is gradually
disappearing.
For further details on …

Weight in the overall environmental impact of our activity.