Continental Tire offers recycled-content model

Germany-based tire producer Continental AG has introduced a passenger vehicle and small truck tire model that contains up to 65 percent of sustainable materials, including recycled content. The UltraContact NXT model initially will be available in Europe in 19 sizes.

Continental, which has sizable North American operations based in South Carolina, says the new tire is made with renewable, recycled and mass-balance-certified materials such as resins based on residual materials from the paper and wood industries, silicate from the ash of rice husks, natural rubber, recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, sustainable synthetic rubber and carbon black made from bio-based, bio-circular and/or circular feedstock.

The tire maker says up to 37 percent of the materials used in the UltraContact NXT models are recycled or renewed, placing an estimate of up to 5 percent on recycled materials.

“We’re also stepping up our recycling game, with PET plastic bottles being processed and reintegrated into new tire production, contributing to a robust circular economy," Continental says.

The firm says the steel reinforcing its tires also is now largely drawn from recycled sources, offering “a significantly reduced environmental impact.”

Not included in the 5 percent are resins based on residual materials from the paper and wood industries, which Continental places in its renewables category. “The Ultra Contact NXT contains silicate from the ash of rice husks [and] rice husks are an agricultural waste product [that] may be processed into silica through a new, less energy-consuming process,” according to Continental.

The company says the benefits of the new circular-focused tire model offer advantages tied to environmental sustainability and economic efficiency.

“Sustainable transportation often focuses on optimizing resource usage, which can lead to significant cost savings over time," the company says of the model's economic efficiency.

Continental strives to have more than 40 percent renewable and recycled content in its tires by 2030. “Continental continues its drive toward 100 percent-sustainable materials in all its tire products by 2050 at the latest,” the firm says. “The UltraContact NXT is an important step to fulfill these ambitious sustainability goals.”