Continental’s tire manufacturing plant in Mount Vernon, Illinois, has become the company’s first facility in the United States to receive International Sustainability and Carbon Certification PLUS (ISCC PLUS). According to Continental, the certification confirms compliance with strict documentation and traceability requirements for renewable and recycled raw materials and represents an important step in the company’s global sustainability strategy.

The certification supports Continental’s objective of increasing the share of recycled and renewable materials in its tires to at least 40 percent by 2030. Commenting on the milestone, Nik Pearce, Head of the Mount Vernon tire plant, said: “This certification confirms our commitment to increasingly sustainable production processes and recognizes the outstanding efforts of our entire team.”

ISCC PLUS is a globally recognised, government-supported certification scheme that verifies transparent supply chains across complex manufacturing processes. Continental reports that all of its European tire plants have already achieved certification, along with its Hefei facility in China, making Mount Vernon the latest addition to its certified global production network.

A key element of the certification is Continental’s use of the mass balance approach, which allows certified renewable and recycled materials to be integrated into existing production processes while remaining fully traceable through audited bookkeeping systems. “We rely on transparent and traceable supply chains. That’s a fundamental prerequisite for making our tires increasingly sustainable,” said Jorge Almeida, Head of Sustainability for Continental Tires.

Through this approach, Continental can document the use of alternative raw materials such as synthetic rubber derived from pyrolysis oil produced from end-of-life tires, as well as circular and bio-based carbon black. The company states that mass balance certification enables a gradual increase in sustainable material use while supporting supplier innovation across different regions.

The Mount Vernon plant has been producing tires for more than 50 years and currently manufactures passenger car, light truck, and commercial vehicle tires, with an annual capacity of approximately 11.4 million units.

Learn more about the topic on Continental’s website.