The U.S. Tire Manufacturers’ Association (USTMA) seeks to advance a sustainable U.S. tire manufacturing industry through leadership, partnerships with other stakeholders and a commitment to science‐based public policy advocacy. This year, the Association launched a survey available online at sustainability.ustires.org.

In its recent press release , USTMA highlighted that sustainability drives the business practices and operating principles of the United States tire industry, from engineering innovations that maximize tire longevity and performance, to ensuring driver and employee safety, to preserving the environment throughout the life cycle of a tire. Those efforts and more were captured in the first sustainability report of the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association, published in 2019. The report laid out USTMA’s sustainability visions for the industry and reiterated its commitment to working toward these visions in partnership with relevant stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, legislators, regulators and NGOs. In that spirit, USTMA conducted a materiality survey of its members and stakeholders in Spring of 2020 to help maximize alignment with their sustainability priorities in future USTMA programs and communications.

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Graphics by USTMA.

Materiality assessments are traditionally undertaken by individual companies to identify environmental, social and governance issues that could affect their business; results are used to inform company strategy, targets, and reporting. USTMA is a pioneer in applying this concept at the trade association level. USTMA developed and conducted its materiality survey in collaboration with Future 500, a non-profit consultancy. Together, they formulated a list of 24 relevant sustainability topics using guidance from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability, United Nations Global Compact, and other external experts. The web-based survey was distributed more than 600 stakeholders across diverse stakeholder categories, drawn from USTMA and member rolodexes and Future 500 recommendations.

The survey results demonstrate that, overall, there is strong alignment between the priorities of USTMA members and external stakeholders. See the reverse for additional information.

Citing its survey introduction, USTMA highlights:

“The insights you provide will help us identify emerging trends, refine our organization’s sustainability strategy, and assist our industry in prioritizing and communicating about the issues that matter most to you and fellow stakeholders.”

The survey included the following respondents by sector:

  • 18.6% – Government or Regulatory Agency (primarily state waste regulators handling scrap tire issues)
  • 9.8% – Non-Profit /Advocacy Organization
  • 7.8% – Academic or Research Institute
  • 11.8% – Consultancy or Independent Issue Expert
  • 12.7% – Scrap Tire Recycler
  • 6.9% – Customer (e.g. automaker)
  • 8.8% – Supplier/Vendor
  • 12.7% – Other Company or Trade Association
  • 10.8% – USTMA Member Company

To view the full assessment results, proceed to USTMA’s press release.