The automotive supplier Continental is increasingly focusing on tires produced using recycled or renewable raw materials. These raw materials include above all rubber and circular resins. They are among the most important substances in tire production and often determine their quality. By 2030, the share of sustainable tire production is expected to rise from 26 percent to at least
40 percent.
According to Continental, synthetic rubber from environmentally friendly raw materials is crucial for sustainable tire production. The material is among the most important in road mobility.
In modern high-performance tires, it accounts for up to 40 percent of the total weight.
Synthetic rubber is used mainly because of its good performance characteristics in braking and rolling resistance.
The synthetic rubber is supposed to consist increasingly of renewable and recycled raw materials. Examples include used cooking oil or pyrolysis oil from end-of-life tire recycling. Also circular resins and other additives based on plant oils or cooking oil are used in the further processing of rubber.Circular resins refer to resins that originate from biological (bio-based) or recycled sources
and are integrated into the circular economy.
Step by step, all raw materials should come from more sustainable sources. The company does not want to do away with traditional natural rubber entirely, though. According to the tire manufacturer, the high impact resistance and durability cannot yet be produced artificially. Therefore, the tread surfaces of the tires are still produced
