Italian tyre maker and distributor Pirelli has launched “Being Fast Takes Time,” a website dedicated to promoting public awareness of natural rubber (NR). The digital report- told through 30 black and white images, videos and other elements, including a logbook – documents the meticulous process of latex extraction through to the final tyre production through the eyes of Alessandro Scotti, who traveled between Java, Indonesia and Chonburi, Thailand, two of the major producers of latex extracted from rubber trees. It also records the farmers’ lives and their complex cultivation techniques, a different world punctuated by the sounds of nature, with a harmonious and balanced ecosystem that must be protected.
The company seeks to build awareness of NR and latex, contribute to the preservation of forests and biodiversity, and support the development of the community and local economy; and illustrate the phases separating the work and rhythms of the farmers from those of the fast and complex technological world, and industrial production. The website highlights the importance of carrying out NR cultivation and extraction in a sustainable way.
The project follows Pirelli’s Sustainable Natural Rubber Policy from 2017, born of the ongoing multi-stakeholder dialogue conducted by the company to govern the sustainable and responsible supply of NR along the whole value chain, inclusive of farmers, traders, processors, sellers and producers.
Filippo Bettini, Chief Sustainability and Risk Governance Officer has said: “Only with a responsible approach can we contribute to ensure the future of such a precious raw material and of the local population that draws their sustenance from rubber.”
Although Pirelli does not have its own rubber plantations,its Sustainable Natural Rubber Policy was launched with an implementation manual. The policy aims to protect the rights of workers and indigenous populations by rejecting deforestation to preserve environmental capital, biodiversity, and to permit the responsible and long-term development of the local communities and economies. The policy promotes the health, safety and the well-being of all the people involved in the entire NR supply chain, and shuns any form of discrimination.
In addition, Pirelli has a strict requirement for suppliers to avoid using fires to clear spaces to prepare new plantations, to avoid cultivating plantation in peat bogs and to adhere strictly to the internationally recognized High Conservation Value (HCV) and High Carbon Stock (HCS) guidelines for the conservation of the ecosystem.