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Continental is breaking new ground in the development of sustainable material solutions: For the second time this year, the Hanover-based technology company has joined forces with the Berlin-based innovation network for advanced materials (INAM) to launch the Continental Challenge for start-ups and university institutes. Continental’s advanced materials and innovation experts hope to generate new ideas for the production and recycling of rubber and plastic products. The challenge is one of the numerous initiatives launched by the company as part of its sustainability roadmap in its anniversary year 2021.

Continental, a premium tyre manufacturer, is consistently expanding its activities in the area of circular economy. To this end, the premium tire manufacturer has signed a development agreement with Pyrum Innovations, a specialist in the pyrolysis of end-of-life tires.

Thanks to 160 energy-saving projects, Continental Tires reduced its annual energy requirements by around 150 gigawatt hours in 2023. This was achieved, for example, through the increased use of renewable energies and thermal insulation. 150 gigawatt hours equates to powering about 12,500 family homes for a year, with an average consumption of 12,000 kilowatt hours per year. Energy in the tire industry is used, for example, to generate steam, which is required for tire vulcanization. In this production step, a rubber compound is converted into flexible, elastic rubber. With more efficient steam generation, Continental has reduced its CO2 emissions by 31,000 tons in 2023 alone.

Continental continues to step up its activities to ensure a circular economy. Recently, the tire manufacturer added recovered carbon black (rCB) to its newly produced Super Elastic solid tires at its tire plant in Korbach, Germany, thus reducing the use of fossil raw materials and CO2 emissions. Solid tires such as Continental’s SC20+ already contain around 60 percent renewable and recycled materials thanks to their high natural rubber content. By 2050 at the latest, Continental aims to use 100 percent sustainable materials in its tire products.

The tire engineers and material experts of Continental are silently revolutionizing the industry by planning to use only sustainable materials for tire production by 2050. Although the journey is long, the gradual selection of raw materials has already begun to give shape to the future tire construction. The list includes agricultural waste, such as ash from rice husks, dandelion rubber, and 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 tire industry in terms of sustainability. We aim to use 100 percent sustainable materials in our tire products by 2050 at the latest.” He adds, “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 tires.”

In Continental’s recent press release, the tire manufacturer made a very positive announcement related to sustainability. Now that Claus Petschick heads new Sustainability department, sustainable management is expected to become an integral part of Continental’s “Vision 2030” strategy program. Besides, the company will continue engaging in consistent research and development of new technologies, alternative materials and environmentally friendly production processes in the tire sector.

Continental has introduced its most sustainable tire yet, the UltraContact NXT, which combines a high proportion of renewable, recycled, and certified materials with excellent safety and performance. According to Continental, it is the first tire on the market to achieve both a high share of sustainable materials and the highest EU tire-label performance. All 19 available sizes of the UltraContact NXT have received the highest rating ("A") in rolling resistance, wet braking, and exterior noise on the EU tire label. The UltraContact NXT contains up to 65% renewable, recycled, and mass balance certified materials, depending on the tire size. Renewable materials make up to 32% of the tire, including resins derived from residual materials from the paper and wood industries, as well as silica extracted from rice husks.

Continental tires with ContiRe.Tex-technology can now be ordered by dealers across Europe. The company's press release says the PremiumContact 6, EcoContact 6 and AllSeasonContact in five dimensions are each equipped with the sustainable ContiRe.Tex technology. Continental tires containing polyester made from recycled PET bottles are now available to all dealers in Europe. The company has brought the so-called ContiRe.Tex technology, which can completely replace the conventionally polyester in the tire carcass, into series production in April 2022.

Continental has taken on the role of fourth co-chair of the Tire Industry Project (TIP). With this step, the tire manufacturer is further emphasizing its comprehensive commitment to sustainability. Continental will contribute resources and its long-term expertise in the areas of end-of-life tires, sustainability assessment methods, and sustainable materials. The Tire Industry Project (TIP) is a global CEO-led initiative of leading tire manufacturers in the context of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). TIP is the tire industry’s most important global forum for sustainability issues.