Continental is making huge strides in using sustainable and recyclable raw materials.

Car tyres are round, black and made of rubber. Look closer, however, and you’ll see that the design of tyres and the interaction of the various materials that go into making them are extremely complex. But for some time now, material experts and tyre engineers at Continental have been bringing about a silent revolution. By 2050 at the latest, all tyres are to be made of sustainable materials. There is still a long way to go until then. But step by step, it is already becoming apparent which raw materials will find their way into tyre construction in the future. These include waste products from agriculture (such as the ash from rice husks), rubber from dandelions, recycled rubber or PET bottles.

Claus Petschick, Head of Sustainability at Continental Tires, is clear about Continental’s mission, saying, “Continental is on the road toward becoming the most progressive manufacturer in the tyre industry in terms of sustainability. We aim to use 100 percent sustainable materials in our tyre products by 2050 at the latest. Our innovative power enables us to break new and even more sustainable ground. This encompasses everything from the origin and sourcing of our materials through to the reuse and recycling of our tyres.”

Already today, around 15-20 percent renewable or recycled materials are used in a standard passenger car tyre from Continental. To further increase the proportion of sustainable materials and conserve valuable resources, Continental continuously analyses and reviews all raw materials used in tyre production.

Perfect material matching for maximum safety 
Depending on the application, season and environment, tyres have to fulfill specific requirements. This can be seen in, for example, the tread design. But in other areas – the composition of the rubber compound, for example – these changes are not so readily visible. Passenger car tyres from Continental consist of as many as a hundred different raw materials.

Their precise composition has a major impact on the tyres and their handling characteristics. The ability to deploy the various materials with their unique properties and interdependencies in specific ways is a complex balancing act for Continental’s engineers and material experts. Only when all the materials are ideally matched to each other can safe, energy-efficient and durable high-performance tyres be created.

Natural rubber still essential due to exceptional properties
Natural rubber is essential for ensuring outstanding tyre performance. This natural product accounts for between 10 and 40 percent of the entire weight of modern high-performance tyres. Its special properties include the high level of strength and durability, which are caused by the strain-induced crystallisation of the rubber. The tyre industry is the biggest consumer of global rubber production, accounting for more than 70 percent. However, Continental considers natural rubber a sustainable material only if it is sourced responsibly. Therefore, the company employs an integrated approach aimed at making the complex and fragmented supply chains for natural rubber more sustainable, including using cutting-edge digital technology, local involvement and close collaboration with capable partners with the goal of improving transparency and traceability along the entire value chain. Meanwhile, with its Taraxagum project, Continental is pursuing an innovative approach to ensure that it can become less dependent on natural rubber grown primarily in southeast Asia. The tyre manufacturer is working alongside partners on industrialising the extraction of natural rubber from specially cultivated dandelion plants.

Sustainable plant-based fillers 
In addition to rubber, fillers such as silica are essential to tyre assembly. Silica, for example, helps to optimise characteristics such as grip, rolling resistance and tyre life. In the future, rice husks will be used as the source material for sustainably-produced silica. Rice husks are a waste product of rice production and cannot be used as food or animal feed. Silica derived from the ash of rice husks is more energy-efficient when used in manufacturing than that obtained from conventional materials such as quartz sand.

Plant-based oils, such as rapeseed oil and resins based on residual materials from the paper and wood industries, already offer an alternative to crude-oil-based fillers in Continental's tyres. Only oils that meet technical quality standards and are not suitable for consumption are used. Oils and resins allow for flexibility in terms of tyre compounds and so improve the material’s grip.

Expanding the circular economy
Continental is aiming for fully circular operations in its tyre production by 2050 at the latest. In addition to the use of renewable materials, the company is working systematically on using recycled raw materials in tyre production. This is intended to ensure that carbon black – another crucial filler in rubber compounds – can be obtained on a large scale in the future. Continental recently signed a development agreement with Pyrum Innovations with a view to further optimising the recycling of materials from old tyres. To do this, Pyrum breaks the old tyres down into their constituent parts in an industrial furnace using a special pyrolysis process. This way, valuable raw materials contained in end-of-life tyres can be extracted and recycled. Both companies are working towards obtaining high-quality raw materials from the pyrolysis oil obtained for Continental's tyre production in the medium-term, in addition to the direct use of high-quality carbon black. In the long-term, the tyre manufacturer and Pyrum are aiming to establish a closed loop circular economy concept for the recycling of old tyres.

Recycled rubber from end-of-life tyres
In addition to pyrolysis, Continental is also making use of mechanical processing of end-of-life tyres. Rubber, steel and textile cord in particular are separated from one another in a highly sophisticated process. The rubber is then prepared for re-use as part of new rubber compounds.

Continental has a long history of working consistently to introduce end-of-life tyres into the circular economy to conserve resources and the environment. A material known as Conti-Reclaim has been obtained as part of the truck tyre retreading process at the company’s plant in Stöcken in Hanover since 2013. It has been used in tyre production at Continental for years. To expand the range of applications for the recycled rubber and optimise the properties for the various fields of application, Continental uses not only Conti-Reclaim but also recycled rubber from other suppliers.

Recycled plastic bottles in tyre casing 
“Recycled raw materials are going to play a big role in making tyres more sustainable. We use recycled materials whenever possible. Comparable quality and material properties to conventional raw materials are crucial for us,” says Petschick.

For example, Continental is working with partners to obtain high-quality polyester yarn for its tyres from recycled PET bottles. PET bottles often end up in incinerators or landfills otherwise. With its ContiRe.Tex technology, the tyre manufacturer has developed a more energy-efficient and eco-friendly alternative that allows it to reuse between nine and fifteen plastic bottles for each tyre, depending on the tyre size. The recycled PET has already replaced conventional polyester in the structures of some tyre casing. The PET bottles used are sourced exclusively from regions where there is no closed recycling loop.

Systematically moving toward greater sustainability
Continental is working to advance innovative technologies and sustainable products and services throughout its entire value chain, from sourcing sustainable materials to recycling end-of-life tyres. The company is aiming to achieve 100 percent carbon neutrality by 2050 at the latest.

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Kraton Corporation, a leading global producer of speciality polymers and high-value biobased products derived from pine chemicals, has revealed a new strategic initiative for its Berre, France facility. The plan involves streamlining its polymer operations to concentrate exclusively on manufacturing USBC products, which will result in the cessation of HSBC production at that site.

This move is designed to bolster Kraton's long-term competitiveness by optimising its manufacturing footprint in reaction to a global overcapacity for HSBC. The company has formally started an information and consultation process with the local Works Councils, with a final decision expected following this mandatory period. The company has reaffirmed its commitment to supplying HSBC from its broader global network and to leveraging its worldwide presence to continue adapting to market demands.

Prakash Kolluri, President, Kraton Polymers, said, “Our aim with this plan is to strengthen Kraton’s long-term competitive position by optimising our manufacturing footprint in response to changing market dynamics associated with global overcapacity of HSBC production capability. With this step, we are preparing Kraton for a sustainable future by securing Kraton’s position as the leading global HSBC producer. Kraton is fully committed to supporting our customers through this transition with supply of HSBC products produced within our unmatched global manufacturing network. We recognise the impact of these actions, and are committed to a safe, respectful and supportive transition. The health, safety and well-being of the employees remain our top priorities.”

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Continental is accelerating its transition towards a circular economy by systematically increasing the use of renewable and recycled materials in its tyres. The company, which averaged a 26 percent sustainable material share in 2024, has set an ambitious target to raise this to at least 40 percent within five years. This strategy involves not only internal innovation but also actively encouraging its supply chain to develop and provide more sustainable raw materials.

A critical area of development is finding green alternatives for reinforcement materials like steel and textiles, which are essential for tyre safety, durability and performance. These materials can constitute over 18 percent of a passenger car tyre, and even more in commercial vehicle tyres. Continental is already integrating recycled steel and is pioneering the use of polyester yarn made from recycled PET bottles. Depending on the tyre size, the carcass of a single passenger car tyre can incorporate the equivalent of up to 15 bottles. This recycled polyester, developed with partner OTIZ, is verified to cut CO₂ emissions by approximately 28 percent compared to conventional materials and is already featured in production tyres like the UltraContact NXT.

The company's sustainable material portfolio extends beyond reinforcements. It includes synthetic rubber derived from used cooking oil, bio-based resins from waste streams and silica obtained from rice husk ash. Complementing these material advances is a commitment to greener manufacturing processes. Together with Kordsa, Continental has developed COKOON, an adhesion technology that bonds textiles to rubber without harmful chemicals. In a move to uplift the entire industry, this innovative solution has been made available to all tyre manufacturers as a free, open-source license, demonstrating Continental's broader commitment to fostering industry-wide sustainability.

Dr Matthias Haufe, Head of Material Development and Industrialization, Continental Tires, said, “We are not reinventing the wheel – but we are reinventing the tyre, with more sustainable materials and more environmentally compatible production processes. It’s not just about the rubber itself. We also focus on the materials that give the rubber its shape and make tyres stable and safe. Recycled steel and polyester yarn made from recycled PET bottles are important for more sustainable tyre production. Our goal is to use at least 40 percent renewable and recycled materials in our tyres within five years. Every alternative material brings us an important step closer to this goal. When it comes to sustainability, it’s not just the materials we switch to, but also those we deliberately do without.”

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Pyrum Innovations AG has officially announced that it will break ground on its next wholly-owned recycling facility in Perl-Besch on 14 November 2025. This new facility is a landmark project for the company, designed to be its largest to date and more than double its existing recycling capacity by processing in excess of 22,000 tonnes of used tyres each year.

The financial framework for this expansion is already taking shape. The project is supported by a diversified funding strategy that includes drawing on a EUR 25 million credit line from BASF and a committed debt financing term sheet from a major European bank. Finalising the package is contingent upon an agreement with Saarland authorities regarding land costs. Crucially, securing the Perl-Besch financing will unlock access to further substantial funding, including a second loan tranche from BASF, paving the way for additional projects in the company's rollout plan.

From a technical and logistical perspective, the Perl-Besch plant will be a state-of-the-art operation. It will be constructed on a 25,000-square-metre site in the strategically important border triangle of Germany, France and Luxembourg. The integrated facility will comprise a shredder plant, three next-generation Pyrum reactors, its own power plant and a grinding and pelletising plant. Insights gained from the existing plant in Dillingen are being directly applied to optimise construction and commissioning, aiming for a faster ramp-up to full production. The site was selected for its superior logistical advantages, offering direct connections to the Moselle River, railway lines and a nearby motorway to efficiently manage material flows from across Europe.

This new facility is central to Pyrum's financial roadmap, with the company projecting it will reach break-even upon its commissioning in 2027. Achieving this milestone is anticipated to create significant momentum and provide a solid foundation for the accelerated rollout of the company's broader project pipeline.

Pascal Klein, CEO, Pyrum Innovations AG, said, “Now that all the legal formalities have finally been clarified – development plan, planning permission and access to the site – we can hardly wait for things to visibly get underway. In the background, planning is already well advanced: The site has been prepared, numerous plant components with long delivery times – so-called long leads – have been ordered and the architect’s tenders for the ground work are underway. During construction, we will also benefit from the experience we have gained from the expansion of our main plant in Dillingen, so we are planning to start production in Perl-Besch in 2027.”

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Capital Carbon, a brand under India's Rathi Group, has successfully commissioned its new greenfield Recovered Carbon Black (rCB) facility in Gummidipoondi, Tamil Nadu. This development dramatically boosts the group's total rCB manufacturing capacity to 20,000 metric tonnes per year, a significant rise from its previous 5,000-tonne capacity.

The group distinguishes itself through complete vertical integration, handling the entire process from shredding end-of-life tyres to pyrolysis. This operation transforms waste into valuable materials, including rCB, fuel oil, steel wires and pyrolytic gas. The company utilises this gas for process heating, while the carbon char is either refined into rCB or supplied to cement plants as a sustainable energy source.

Ravi Rathi, Director, Rathi Group, said, "As Recovered Carbon Black gains wider acceptance, the industry continues to prioritise quality and consistency – and that's exactly what we've focused on addressing.”

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