Pirelli North America has formed a new partnership with The Ray – a non-profit that has helped to develop a net-zero highway testbed on an 18-mile stretch of Interstate 85 in West Georgia, USA. Through the partnership, the companies aim to accelerate research into the environmental and social impacts of tires and roads, the circular economy and more.

Pirelli states that several studies highlight the benefits of rubber-modified asphalt and the re-use of tire material, so it is investigating future collaborations with The Ray to research the impact of rubber-modified asphalt and the use of tire-derived aggregate for stormwater galleries. Additionally, Pirelli will join a partnership focused on tires and the circular economy to advance education, innovation, solutions development and the sharing of best practices.

The Italian manufacturer believes that “tire design will have a key role in shaping the future of mobility” and states that through this partnership it will work toward overcoming sustainability challenges. To date, Pirelli has set company targets to increase the amount of renewable and recycled content it uses for the production of tires while also reducing environmental impacts.

“Pirelli leads from Georgia, with an advanced manufacturing facility that was the first FSC-certified tire plant in the world. Likewise, The Ray leads and scales net-zero transportation infrastructure from The Ray Highway in Georgia,” commented Allie Kelly, executive director, The Ray.

“The alignment between the organizations, focused on safety, circularity and innovation, will power the partnership to produce groundbreaking projects and research in the coming years, and the impact will benefit communities across the country.”

The Ray is a non-profit that has placed a focus on sustainable highway transportation and aims to set new standards for roadways of the future.