Continental: Leaning on Procurement for Sustainable Tyres
Continental Tires is putting procurement at the heart of its sustainability ambitions, integrating more recycled and renewable materials into tyre production.
The company, which averaged a 26% share of such materials in 2024, plans a 2-3% percentage point increase in 2025.
This planned step forward hinges not only on new material technologies, but on how the business sources and tracks its raw inputs.
Sustainable procurement choices for the long term
By 2030, the target is to push this share beyond 40%, but Continental insists safety and performance will not be sacrificed in the process.
The material mix includes synthetic rubber derived from renewable or circular oil, recycled steel, polyester made from used plastic bottles and silica sourced from agricultural by-products like rice husk ash.
"We are systematically increasing the share of renewable and recycled materials in our raw material portfolio," says Jorge Almeida, Head of Sustainability at Continental Tires. "In five years, we aim to surpass the 40% mark.
"To achieve a sustainable mobility, we are constantly searching for even more environmentally-friendly materials. After extensive testing, we integrate them into production as quickly as possible.”
Focused procurement and mass balance approach
Much of Continental's progress depends on procurement systems that can trace and validate material sources.
Here, the organisation relies on the mass balance approach. Under this system, certified and non-certified materials are physically blended across the supply chain, but bookkept separately. That means the business can track how much recycled or renewable material is used and verify that it matches what is procured at the start.
Mass balance is crucial for managing Continental’s broad global footprint. Raw materials are handled at multiple production sites and the company uses the method to allocate sustainable content on a site-specific basis. By keeping records through mass balance, it can continue to scale up use of sustainable inputs without overhauling its existing production infrastructure.
The approach is backed by ISCC PLUS certification – a system for sustainability claims that validates these bookkeeping methods. Continental is already using mass balance-certified materials such as synthetic rubber and carbon blacks made from bio-based, bio-circular or circular feedstocks.
Tyre plants in Lousado, Hefei, Puchov and Korbach now hold International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) sustainability certification, supporting the company’s wider sustainability ambitions.
Sourcing smarter: from PET bottles to rice husks
Natural rubber remains a core material in tyres, but for Continental, how it’s sourced is just as important.
The company takes a broad approach: using systematic risk mapping, investing in cultivation technology and working with local suppliers to make the rubber more sustainable.
At the same time, Continental substitutes conventional components with recycled equivalents. Polyester yarns used for tyre reinforcement are now made from plastic bottles using the firm’s own ContiRe.Tex technology. This avoids intermediate chemical steps and provides a tough, thermally-stable fabric suitable for high-performance use.
Steel used in components such as bead cores and casing reinforcements is increasingly sourced from scrap metal. Meanwhile, silica – a filler material used to improve grip, fuel efficiency and mileage – is being manufactured using rice husk ash instead of quartz sand.
Rice husks are a waste product from rice production and can’t be used for food or feed. Using them as a base for silica means the filler can be produced with lower energy input.
Alternative bonding and additive solutions
Continental is also changing how tyre parts are bonded and protected. One major step was replacing formaldehyde and resorcinol – both standard bonding agents – with its own textile coating, COKOON.
Developed with Kordsa, a supplier of reinforcing fabrics, this new bonding system ensures rubber and textile layers adhere firmly while reducing environmental impact.
Even the additives used during vulcanisation, the process that gives rubber its elasticity, are being replaced.
Traditional chemical protectants are being swapped for compounds made from renewable or recycled sources. These prevent oxygen and heat from degrading the tyres while aligning with the company’s wider sustainability aims.
Throughout the procurement chain, every material is being evaluated. The focus is on sourcing alternatives that do not compromise on quality or safety.
This commitment is driven by long-term planning and a procurement strategy designed to identify, test and scale sustainable inputs across all tyres.
"We have developed a comprehensive portfolio of diverse, more sustainable materials and are continuously integrating them into all our products after extensive testing,” summarises Jorge. "In doing so, we ensure that there is no compromise in safety or performance.
"With this portfolio, we are getting closer and closer to our ambitious, long-term sustainability goals."
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