Motorists driving on interstates and highways across Indiana will pass many, 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, according to a news release from the Indiana Soybean Alliance.

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 of the United Soybean Board since 2017, the national soybean checkoff program, including investment from the Indiana alliance, Goodyear has been replacing petroleum-based oil with soybean-based oil in certain brands of tires.

To promote this partnership, the alliance 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, including the nominating farmers, are:

· Hamilton Fire Department in Jackson County – nominated by Kevin Burbrink of Seymour

· Cultivate Food Rescue in St. Joseph County – nominated by Joe Stoller of Bremen

· Noble Transit Service in Noble County – nominated by Tom Griffiths of Kendallville

· Putnam County Sheriff Department – nominated by Mark Legan of Coatesville

“I knew the Hamilton Township Volunteer Fire Department brush truck was in need of a set of tires,” Burbrink said. “I asked the fire department chief (Cody Hercamp) to complete an application for the tires. They were selected to receive the Goodyear tires. I was happy to help the volunteer fire department because they all do so much for our community.”

Goodyear is committed to responsibly sourcing more sustainable materials that deliver best-in-class quality and performance, according to the news release.

The tire manufacturer said 8% 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 65% 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 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 Kevin Cox, who is chairman of the alliance’s board and a farmer from Brazil.

“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,” he said. “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 USB 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% since 2018.

Goodyear has exceeded its goal of a 25% 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.