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CDA
March 08, 2023
Continental has launched the commitment that all its tires use sustainable 100×100 materials by the year 2050.
Not only car manufacturers are working hard to reduce the impact of your cars on the environmentso are the companies of other products related to the industry.
One of the most important is that of tires, which are also developing more sustainable and less polluting wheels: this is the case of Continental. The German manufacturer is working on a plan to manufacture tires made from sustainable and fully recycled materials by the year 2050. How will you do it?
Dandelions, rice hulls, used plastic bottles
Continental Commitment
Natural rubber, the key element in making tires, is obtained from certain trees in the form of latex, and will continue to be a key ingredient in making these products in the future. However, it will be complemented with other plant resources such as dandelion, which is also a source of rubber. Besides, Silica will also be usedwhich plays an important role in various aspects of performance, from grip to rolling resistance.
The vegetable oils and rice hulls left over from productionare a good source of silica and Continental argues that they are a more energy efficient solution for manufacturing.
As for the used plastic bottless, Continental can use them to create a polyester cord used for the tire casing. Depending on the size of the bottle, between 9 and 15 bottles per tire could be recycled.
As in the case of rice hulls, Continental claims that using the bottles is a more efficient alternative from the energy point of view to capture the polyester needed for manufacturing. This process is already used in the company for some tire casings.
Tires: tips, use and maintenance
Finally, there is the old tire recycling processseparating the rubber, the steel and the ropes, something that Continental defines as a “highly sophisticated process”.
In theory, the result of all these efforts will be ntires made from 100 percent recycled or sustainably sourced materials. According to Continental, these materials already account for 15 to 20 percent of modern tires.
“Continental is on its way to becoming the most progressive manufacturer in the tire industry in terms of sustainability,” said Claus Petschick, Continental’s Director of Sustainability. “Our goal is to use sustainable 100×100 materials in our tire products. by 2050 at the latest”.
