Sustainability & ESG

SHERIDAN, WYOMING -- June 7, 2026 -- Mr. Wheels®, a car care brand covering rims, windows, paint and interiors, will present its product portfolio at The Tire Cologne 2026 in Hall 7.1, Booth D20/E25. The display centres on the Power Trio — the Mr. Wheels® Wheel Cleaner, Wheel Sealant and Tire Shine — alongside five further products covering exterior paint protection, interior hygiene and glass care. The Wheel Cleaner, the most technically specified product in the range, is acid-free, TPMS-compatible and effective across all standard wheel finish types. All products in the range are formulated without hazardous substances.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING -- June 7, 2026 -- Vipal Rubber will present the V® Super Hybrid tyre retreading compound as the headline product at The Tire Cologne 2026, with field test data showing mileage performance up to 140 percent above the usual fleet average in severe mixed-terrain operations including wood extraction, animal food transportation and live cargo. Developed for operations combining paved and unpaved roads, the compound addresses durability, mileage performance and casing preservation simultaneously. Frederico Schmidt, General Manager of Vipal EMEA, will lead a public lecture on the technology on 9 June at 11:30am, covering technical retreading challenges and the circular economy case for tyre service life extension. The DV-UMe tread for electric vehicles will also feature at the Vipal booth.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING -- June 7, 2026 -- ABB AG will present an electrification portfolio covering traction motors, mobile inverters and battery systems at IVT Expo Europe 2026, running on 10 and 11 June 2026 at Köln Messe in Cologne. The company occupies Hall 1, Stand 1070, displaying the AMXE Series traction motor, the HES580 and HES880 mobile inverters and the Max Series LTO battery pack alongside power electronics building blocks for high-voltage DC architectures. With more than 105,000 employees and a history spanning more than 140 years, ABB positions electrification and automation as the two pillars of its industrial offering. All three product lines address heavy electrical vehicles, off-road machines, and rail and marine applications where reliability and harsh-environment performance are primary engineering requirements.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - May 19, 2026 - Koelnmesse has launched a hydrogen-powered forklift initiative designed to reduce emissions across logistics operations at its exhibition grounds in Cologne, marking what the company describes as the first deployment of locally emission-free hydrogen forklifts at a trade fair venue. The project combines green hydrogen supply, on-site refuelling infrastructure, and fuel-cell vehicle operations to support exhibition setup and dismantling activities. Logistics provider DSV operates the fleet in collaboration with JA-Gastechnology GmbH and hydrogen supplier Tyczka. The initiative reflects a broader operational focus on decarbonising logistics workflows while maintaining the continuous equipment availability required for large-scale trade fair operations.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - May 10, 2026 - Starlinger will present its advanced manufacturing equipment for Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs) and integrated plastics recycling systems at the interpack 2026 exhibition. The machinery provider is showcasing its automated bag conversion lines and physical load-testing infrastructure to demonstrate how woven polypropylene and PET materials maximize payload capacities while reducing overall packaging weight. By transitioning to welded, adhesive-free bag structures that support high recycled material content, these industrial platforms help bulk goods transporters lower production costs, eliminate moisture contamination, and comply with strict environmental packaging regulations.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - April 4, 2026 - Packaging equipment manufacturer Sidel has secured two sustainability recognitions at the SEAL Awards 2026, signaling that its ESG metrics, supply chain governance, and environmental disclosure practices now meet or exceed the benchmark thresholds the program uses to distinguish verified environmental performance from self-reported claims.

What the SEAL Awards measure

The SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement and Leadership) Awards apply a structured, multi-criteria methodology rather than a single score. Weighting is distributed across six categories: Metrics (35%), Strategy (30%), Supply Chain ESG/CSR (15%), Governance (10%), Disclosure and Accountability (5%), and Corporate Citizenship (5%). Winners must meet or exceed established baseline and comparative benchmarks across each dimension, meaning recognition cannot be achieved by strong performance in one area alone.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - April 3, 2026 - Food manufacturers across Europe face tightening regulatory requirements on packaging reuse and climate-adaptive sourcing, pushing procurement and operations teams to evaluate equipment portfolios ahead of the next budget cycle. Sidel's presence at CFIA Rennes 2026 - held March 10-12 in Rennes, France - placed food-grade packaging technology directly in front of buyers navigating these structural shifts.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - April 4, 2026 - Research teams and organizations working on animal feed and flour milling innovation now have a structured path to external financing through the Victam Foundation's 2026 Call for Funding, with final project selections and award decisions scheduled for completion by early June 2026 at Victam International in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Funding cycle overview

The Victam Foundation opened its 2026 Call for Funding submission window on September 12, 2025, accepting project proposals through January 31, 2026. The call targets researchers, organizations, and innovators developing projects that advance the animal feed and flour milling industries. There are no submission fees, and proposals must be submitted via the foundation's online requesting form. Applications must include a detailed project description and an expected budget; the foundation reserves the right to request additional documentation where necessary.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 26, 2025 - Yokohama Rubber is sharpening its focus on electric-vehicle OEM business in the automotive & mobility sector, confirming that its GEOLANDAR X-CV highway terrain tire is now factory-equipped on the newly updated Lexus RZ battery-electric SUV for the North American market. The 235/50R20 100V fitment positions Yokohama's SUV-focused GEOLANDAR line squarely in the premium BEV arena, supporting automakers' push for quieter, more efficient and more durable EV drivetrains.

Premium EV SUV fitment strengthens North American footprint

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 26, 2025 - Yokohama Rubber is deepening its sustainability strategy and raw materials risk management by supporting an international joint research project in Indonesia aimed at preventing rubber tree leaf fall diseases, a growing threat to global natural rubber production and the tire industry's long-term resilience.

Securing Natural Rubber at the Source in Indonesia

The company is cooperating in the multi-year project "Development of Complex Technologies for Prevention and Control of Rubber Tree Leaf Fall Diseases," which targets one of the most serious plant health challenges facing natural rubber plantations in Indonesia, the world's second-largest producer.
Leaf fall disease has become widespread in key growing regions, leading to significant yield losses and jeopardizing supply for industrial users, including tire manufacturers.