OECD Posts Report on Nanotechnology and Tire Industry

On July 24, 2014, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) posted a report entitled Nanotechnology and Tyres: Greening Industry and Transport, which provides a risk management framework to enable site-specific or company-specific risk assessments or risk management strategies for using nanomaterials as additives in tires. OECD states that the report emphasizes the importance of:

• The policies to support research in the environmental, health, and safety risks, as well as those to support the commercialization of nanotechnology research results, for fostering responsible innovation in the tire sector;
• Using available tools to gain better insight into the socio-economic and environmental impacts of nanotechnology applications; and
• Collaboration between governments and industry to address the specific challenges raised by the introduction of new nanomaterials in different industry sectors.

The report summarizes the conclusions of a two-year project, which was originally proposed and supported by the Business and Industry Advisor Committee to the OECD through the Tyre Industry Project of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.