Zeon Corporation has begun building a pilot facility at its Tokuyama Plant in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, to test a new method for efficiently producing butadiene from plant-derived ethanol. The demonstration plant, expected to start operations in 2026, will supply butadiene for manufacturing trial batches of polybutadiene rubber, bringing the company closer to commercialising this sustainable production process.

This project is a key part of a joint initiative between Zeon and The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. to develop eco-friendly methods for producing butadiene and isoprene from renewable sources, with full-scale adoption targeted for the 2030s. Under the collaboration, Zeon will produce butadiene rubber at the new facility, while Yokohama Rubber will use the material to create experimental tyres and conduct performance testing. The data collected will help refine the technology ahead of larger-scale trials. The companies aim to finalise the production process by 2030 using an expanded pilot plant, with plans for industrial-scale commercialisation by 2034.

A ceremonial groundbreaking event took place on 10 July 2025, with 33 attendees, including local government officials from Yamaguchi Prefecture and Shunan City, construction partners and Zeon executives such as Chairman Kimiaki Tanaka and Tokuyama Plant Manager Akira Honma. The gathering included traditional safety prayers for the construction phase, marking the official start of this sustainability-focused industrial project.

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Continental is increasing its use of renewable and recycled materials in tyre production, aiming to exceed 40 percent by 2030 while maintaining high safety and performance standards. In 2024, these materials accounted for 26 percent of tyre composition, with a projected 2-3 percent increase in 2025. Key to this shift are carbon black and silica – essential fillers that enhance durability, grip and braking performance.

Silica, a critical component for optimising grip and minimising rolling resistance, is traditionally derived from quartz sand. However, Continental now obtains silica from rice husks, an agricultural by-product of risotto rice production. This innovative approach not only repurposes waste but also requires less energy than conventional methods. Partnering with manufacturers like Solvay in Italy, Continental integrates rice husk-derived silica across its entire tyre portfolio. Silica has been a game-changer in tyre technology for decades, significantly improving safety and energy efficiency. Its use in tread compounds has contributed to a nearly 50 percent reduction in braking distances while also lowering rolling resistance, thereby reducing fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions.

Carbon black, another vital material making up to 20 percent of a passenger car tyre's weight, is being sourced through sustainable alternatives. Continental employs three innovative methods: bio-based carbon black from tall oil (a paper industry by-product), recycled carbon black from pyrolysis oil derived from end-of-life tyres and a direct recovery process that extracts carbon black from used tyres via pyrolysis. The company collaborates with suppliers like Orion Engineered Carbons and Tokai Carbon, utilising different carbon black variants tailored to specific tyre components, such as sidewalls and treads. Through the mass balance approach, Continental substitutes fossil-based raw materials with bio-based or recycled alternatives without altering existing production processes.

Additionally, Continental has partnered with Pyrum Innovations to advance tyre recycling through pyrolysis, a process that recovers carbon black from end-of-life tyres for reuse. While currently applied in forklift tyres, efforts are underway to adapt this recycled carbon black for broader tyre applications, ensuring compliance with performance and safety standards. These initiatives underscore Continental’s dedication to sustainable innovation, demonstrating how eco-friendly materials can enhance both tyre performance and environmental responsibility across the value chain.

Jorge Almeida, head of Sustainability at Continental Tire, said, “Innovation and sustainability go hand in hand at Continental. Using silica from the ashes of rice husks in our tyres shows that we are breaking completely new ground – without compromising on safety, quality or performance.”

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Tata Motors-owned British-luxury brand Jaguar Land Rover is said to become the first global automaker to commit to use tyres made from renewable materials as part of its sustainability commitment.

The automaker will soon become the first to soon adopt tyres made from more than 70 percent renewable and recycled materials, such as silica from rice husks and plant‑based resins at scale in its upcoming range of vehicles.  In fact, the upcoming select models from Range Rover are already planned to come with Pirelli’s new P Zero tyres, which contain silica used to enhance wet performance. The material is sourced from rise husks, a natural by-product of rice milling.

These tyres do away with fossil‑based polymers and resins, which are typically used to help optimise the balance between dry and wet performance. Instead, they use plant‑based alternatives such as agricultural by‑products or used cooking oils. By using recycled materials, they reduce reliance on primary source materials to help alleviate resource consumption. Furthermore, carbon black, a crucial filler in rubber compounds used to improve stability, strength and durability, is recovered from end‑of‑life tyres and recycled steel is used to enhance handling and stability.

The automaker believes that bio‑based and recycled materials are generally more sustainable to obtain, more energy efficient to process and easier to manage at end‑of‑life than virgin and fossil‑based materials such as synthetic polymers and silica obtained from conventional materials such as quartz sand, yet perform similarly.

Reuben Chorley, Sustainable Industrial Operations Director, Jaguar Land Rover, said, “This is another example of how JLR is leading on sustainable design innovation in collaboration with its supply chain partners to deliver at scale, while reducing the environmental impact of our products. Achieving a more sustainable composition without compromising quality and performance is a challenge because of the complexity of tyre design. But working closely with Pirelli and leveraging both company’s expertise in procurement and engineering, we have been able to deliver this industry first.”
JLR and Pirelli are strengthening their commitment to sustainability with the introduction of the new P Zero tyre, featuring FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified natural rubber. This initiative builds on JLR's pioneering move last year to incorporate FSC-certified natural rubber across its entire vehicle portfolio, ensuring responsible sourcing within its supply chain.

Both companies are dedicated to increasing the use of recycled and bio-based materials in their products. All such materials will undergo third-party certification to verify their quality and quantity. The long-term ambition for JLR and Pirelli is to achieve 100 percent sustainable materials in their tyres.

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Prism Worldwide, a pioneer in converting discarded tyres and plastic waste into high-value circular polymers, has introduced three revolutionary advancements that promise to reshape the sustainable materials landscape. The company's breakthroughs in eliminating rubber odours, creating tyre-derived thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV) and enabling high-content EPDM recycling address longstanding obstacles that have hindered widespread adoption of recycled materials across industries.

The company's cost-efficient, American-made production methods offer significant savings compared to virgin materials – a critical advantage amid fluctuating tariffs and increasing demand for domestic supply chains. This economic benefit allows manufacturers to embrace sustainable solutions without compromising profitability, removing a major barrier to eco-friendly material adoption.

Prism's innovations enable manufacturers to seamlessly integrate up to 50 percent recycled tyre content into existing production processes like injection moulding and extrusion – a dramatic improvement over previous limitations. This technological leap expands applications beyond traditional compression moulding, allowing for odour-free recycled materials in premium products like automotive interiors and fitness equipment.

The company's odour-elimination technology, rigorously tested to meet automotive industry standards, solves one of recycling's most persistent challenges. Equally groundbreaking is Prism's development of sustainable TPV derived entirely from end-of-life tyres – an industry first that creates new possibilities for high-value applications. Equally significant is their breakthrough in EPDM recycling, overcoming the material's inherent resistance to reuse through an innovative devulcanisation process that maintains critical performance characteristics.

These collective advancements represent more than incremental improvements – they fundamentally redefine what's possible with recycled materials. By tackling odour, performance and cost challenges simultaneously, Prism is transforming sustainability from a compliance obligation into a competitive advantage.

Bob Abramowitz, CEO, Prism Worldwide, said, “This is a turning point for end-of-life tyre recycling and sustainable polymer development. These are not incremental improvements. We’ve tackled odour, cost and performance, three of the biggest barriers to more widespread adoption of recycled materials, and overcome them all with commercially viable solutions. Our team’s diligence in developing solutions that solve these challenges allows us to deliver cost-effective, high-performance materials without requiring customers to pay a green premium. Companies pay lip service to sustainability values, but they change their tune when it costs more. We are creating additional profit opportunities while helping them to meet corporate sustainability objectives.”

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Orion S.A., a global speciality chemicals company, today announced plans to shut down three to five carbon black production lines across facilities in the Americas and EMEA by the end of 2025. CEO Corning Painter stated that this decision aligns with the company’s strategy to prioritise maintenance investments on higher-performing lines, improving reliability and productivity while rationalising underperforming assets. The move aims to boost free cash flow.

Painter noted that recent US tariffs, the EU anti-dumping probe and ongoing tyre capacity investments in these regions are expected to reverse the decline in local tyre manufacturing. However, due to the uncertain timeline of this recovery, Orion has chosen to act now to optimise operations.

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