INDIANAPOLIS – Motorists driving on interstates and highways across Indiana will pass many soybean fields. Although the lush, green fields offer an attractive backdrop to the state’s landscape, many people do not know much about the versatility of soybeans.

From crayons and candles to biodegradable plastics and oils, products made from soybeans are an earth-friendly solution for the manufacturing of many products. With the help of tire maker Goodyear, one new soy-based product is gaining traction. Through a collaboration with the United Soybean Board (USB), the national soybean checkoff program, including investment from the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), Goodyear has been replacing petroleum-based oil with soybean-based oil in certain brands of tires since 2017.

To promote this partnership, ISA created a giveaway to donate soy-based Goodyear tires to charities or public institutions across Indiana this year. Each public institution needed to be nominated by a farmer. The four winners of free Goodyear tires are: Cultivate Food Rescue in St. Joseph County (nominated by Joe Stoller, Bremen, Ind.); Noble Transit Service in Noble County (nominated by Tom Griffiths, Kendallville, Ind.); Putnam County Sheriff Department (nominated by Mark Legan, Coatesville, Ind.); and Hamilton Fire Department in Jackson County (nominated by Kevin Burbrink, Seymour, Ind.)

“It means a lot. We’re humbled to receive this set of tires,” said Todd Zeltwanger, director of fund development at Cultivate Food Rescue. “It just helps us because we have a vehicle on the road that’s picking up and delivering food every single day, and these tires are going to last longer; they’re going to be more efficient. And so, we’re very grateful for the opportunity to have these and look forward to the partnership with this organization down the road.”

Goodyear is committed to responsibly sourcing more sustainable materials that deliver best-in-class quality and performance. The tire manufacturer said 8 percent of the typical tire weight is oil. The U.S. soybean crop is America’s second-largest cash crop, but there is surplus available with only around 60 percent used in food applications.

Using soybean oil reduces the use of petroleum oil in tires. Soybean oil increases manufacturing efficiencies and reduces energy consumption while consuming surplus bio-based renewable material. Goodyear reports that soybean oil improves tire flexibility at low temperatures, helping the rubber to remain pliable in cold weather and enhancing traction in rain and snow.

“This is another great example of how checkoff work benefits soybean farmers,” said ISA Board Chair Kevin Cox, a farmer from Brazil, Ind. “USB collaborated with Goodyear to develop these tires, and they’ve come up with a better tire that is better for the environment and better for our farmers, too. I am an Indiana soybean grower, and there are more than 20,000 others like me across our state. We’re very happy to see new markets developed with our product.”

For its efforts in developing these tires, Goodyear earned the Environmental Achievement of the Year honor during the 2018 Tire Technology International Awards. Since 2017, Goodyear, supported by soy checkoff investments, has released seven lines of tires with soybean oil compounds. The Akron, Ohio-based company has increased its use of soybeans by 73 percent since 2018.

“Goodyear is looking to replace materials to increase performance, durability and quality for average drivers,” said Griffiths, who is a USB director. “Goodyear is moving toward more sustainable materials. They are replacing petroleum oil with a locally sourced, environmentally friendly and sustainable product. The product is oil extracted from soybeans grown right here in our backyards.”

Goodyear has exceeded its goal of a 25 percent increase in soybean oil consumption by 2020, and it is making noteworthy progress on its target of fully replacing all of its petroleum-driven oils with soybean oil by 2040.