Hankook Earns Gold Design Award for Industrial Waste Upcycling

Highlighting its broader ESG strategy and ongoing research into material circularity, global tire manufacturer Hankook Tire & Technology has received a Gold Award at the A’ Design Award & Competition 2026. The international accolade recognizes the company’s “Bladder Upcycling Series,” created under its signature re:move corporate sustainability platform.

The award-winning project targets the repurposing of curing bladders—the heavy-duty, inflatable internal molds utilized during the high-heat tire vulcanization process. By collaborating with Seoul National University’s Design Innovation for Sustainable Circularity Lab (DISCO Lab), Hankook developed methods to process and reinterpret these discarded post-industrial rubber components into valuable secondary resources rather than diverting them to landfills.

The resulting collection showcases several technical and design applications for recycled tire manufacturing waste, including:

• 3D-printed structural furniture utilizing the unique layered density of vulcanized rubber;

• Architectural upcycled bricks designed for dynamic kinetic wall installations;

• Handcrafted lifestyle products and accessories engineered for durability.

The recognition marks the latest milestone for Hankook’s re:move initiative, following previous accolades such as a Red Dot Design Award for its upcycled longboard project.