Continental is accelerating its efforts to make tyre production more sustainable, with the German tyre manufacturer expecting the share of renewable and recycled materials in its tyres to rise by up to three percentage points in 2025.

The average share stood at 26 percent in 2024, and Continental said it anticipates a further increase this year due to the expanded use of materials such as synthetic rubber derived from renewable sources, recycled PET polyester, recycled steel, and silica made from rice husk ash — a by-product of rice production.

“We are systematically increasing the share of renewable and recycled materials in our raw material portfolio. In five years, we aim to surpass the 40 percent mark,” said Jorge Almeida, Head of Sustainability at Continental Tires. “To achieve sustainable mobility, we are constantly searching for even more environmentally friendly materials. After extensive testing, we integrate them into production as quickly as possible.”

The company has set a goal of using over 40 percent renewable or recycled materials in its tyres by 2030, without compromising on performance or safety.

A key pillar of this transformation is the adoption of mass balance-certified materials. This approach, certified under ISCC Plus, enables Continental to mix certified and non-certified materials during production while maintaining strict accounting procedures to ensure traceability.

The company has already secured ISCC sustainability certification for its tyre plants in Lousado (Portugal), Hefei (China), Púchov (Slovakia) and Korbach (Germany). Continental is also scaling up its use of recycled steel, silica from rice husk ash, and PET yarns made from recycled plastic bottles via its proprietary ContiRe.Tex process.

Other sustainable innovations include COKOON, an adhesive coating system co-developed with Kordsa that replaces formaldehyde and resorcinol in bonding textile components with rubber. Continental also continues to explore alternative additives derived from renewable sources to improve the tyre vulcanisation process.

“We have developed a comprehensive portfolio of diverse, more sustainable materials and are continuously integrating them into all our products after extensive testing,” Almeida said. “In doing so, we ensure that there is no compromise in safety or performance. With this portfolio, we are getting closer and closer to our ambitious, long-term sustainability goals.”

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Indorama Advanced Oxides, a subsidiary of Indorama Corporation, has successfully restarted production at Huelva facility in Spain, achieving its first tonne of Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂) output. The plant, which has an annual capacity of 80,000 tonnes, represents the company’s strategic entry into the global titanium dioxide market. This milestone follows Indorama’s recent completion of the site acquisition from Venator P&A Spain.

The restart marks a crucial step in returning the facility to full operation after the acquisition, ensuring continued supply of the essential white pigment to customers across Europe and global markets. The Huelva team demonstrated strong collaboration and safe execution in resuming activities. This white pigment remains critical for the European paints, coatings and plastics industries.

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Synthos, recognised as Europe’s foremost synthetic rubber producer and a global leader in solution styrene butadiene rubber, has secured the EcoVadis Gold Medal once again. The company, also a top European manufacturer of expanded polystyrene, continues to rank among the world’s most sustainable businesses.

The 2026 assessment placed Synthos in the 97th percentile, with its highest marks received in labour rights, human rights, ethics and environmental stewardship. This achievement underscores steady advancement across multiple sustainability fronts and highlights a sustained dedication to responsible expansion and continuous innovation.

EcoVadis operates as a premier global evaluator of corporate sustainability, judging firms on environmental impact, social responsibility, ethical conduct and supply chain management using international standards. The Gold Medal’s annual renewal demands that Synthos consistently remain within the top three percent of all rated companies worldwide.

This recognition affirms that Synthos’ sustainability measures are both persistent and methodical. The company supports its long-range climate and circular economy goals through participation in the UN Global Compact and reporting aligned with ESRS and GRI standards. Synthos will keep leveraging EcoVadis feedback to refine future priorities and advance its ongoing sustainability journey.

Agata Gładysz-Stańczyk, CEO, Synthos, said, “Receiving the EcoVadis Gold Medal again confirms the importance of sustainability within our strategy and the commitment of Synthos teams across all locations. While we are proud of this achievement, we also see sustainability as a continuous journey. It is embedded in how we innovate, how we operate, and how we create value for our customers, employees, partners and communities. This recognition encourages us to continue strengthening our ambitions and driving further progress.”

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The Rubber Board Statistics Consultative Panel reviewed the performance of India’s natural rubber sector during its 29th meeting at the Rubber Board Headquarters in Kottayam. The panel, which includes representatives from small and large growers, producers’ societies, dealers, processors and tyre manufacturers, examined key indicators such as production, consumption, imports and exports. India remains the sixth-largest natural rubber producer globally.

Indian natural rubber production grew by 3.4 percent in the 2025-26 period, rising to 905,000 tonnes from 875,000 tonnes the previous year. Favourable weather across major rubber-growing regions increased tapping days and productivity. Board initiatives like rain guarding, self-tapping, scientific practices, skill programmes and disease control supported output, while Kerala’s Rubber Production Incentive Scheme also encouraged continued tapping.

Domestic natural rubber prices strengthened, renewing grower interest in tapping. Prices that rose sharply in 2024–25 showed relative stability in 2025–26, narrowing the gap with international rates. The trend continued into early 2026, with RSS-4 peaking at INR 262 per kg on 14 May. Meanwhile, total natural rubber demand rose 1.2 percent, though the auto tyre sector, accounting for nearly 64 percent of consumption, declined by 4.0 percent. The general rubber goods sector posted robust growth instead.

The panel noted a 16.7 percent decline in natural rubber imports, falling to 459,000 tonnes from 551,000 tonnes. However, imports of compounded rubber under HS Code 4005 increased significantly, reaching 349,000 tonnes from 245,000 tonnes in the previous year. Consumption of natural rubber rose 1.2 percent to 1,427,000 tonnes from 1,410,000 tonnes in 2024-25.

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Pyrum Innovations AG has secured unlimited delivery approval from Continental for its ThermoTireBlack (TTB), a recovered carbon black produced at the company’s new milling and pelletising facility in Dillingen/Saar. Following the approval, Continental officially commissioned all units tied to the plant expansion at Pyrum’s main site.

The milling and pelletising plant shifted to regular production in April 2026, operating at a capacity of 750 kilogrammes per hour. A short-term capability analysis conducted by Pyrum confirmed that ThermoTireBlack delivers consistent process conditions and stable, reproducible quality. After a subsequent audit, Continental granted full supply approval, specifically praising the new machine’s excellent short-term performance metric (Ppk).

This latest approval for TTB follows previous clearances granted in 2024 for the shredding plant and the TAD2 and TAD3 thermolysis reactors, giving Pyrum complete supply approval for its Dillingen/Saar facility. Through added improvement measures, the company expects to reach the target maximum TTB production volume after a planned modification in the third quarter of 2026, significantly expanding capacity and strengthening Pyrum’s role as an industrial raw material producer and pyrolysis technology leader.

Pascal Klein, CEO, Pyrum Innovations AG, said, “Continental’s unlimited delivery approval for our new milling and pelletising plant is a major milestone for Pyrum. It confirms not only the consistently high quality of our ThermoTireBlack but also the industrial maturity of our entire production chain. We are proud to meet the automotive industry’s high standards and to further expand our close and trusting partnership with Continental. With the approval of the new plant, we are laying the foundation for further growth and a significant increase in revenue in the current year.”

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