Continental Tires: Sustainable Materials & Innovative Tech for Eco-Friendly Driving

Continental AG is pushing the boundaries of sustainable tire manufacturing, moving beyond incremental improvements to incorporate unconventional materials like rice husk ash and dandelion rubber into its products. The German automotive supplier’s efforts, detailed in a report by Netzwelt, aren’t just about greenwashing; they’re yielding tires that perform at the highest levels, challenging conventional wisdom about material science and automotive engineering.

A Fundamental Shift for Continental

Continental’s transformation isn’t merely a product-level change; it’s a strategic overhaul. In September 2025, the company spun off its Automotive division as Aumovio, listing it on the stock exchange. The planned sale of its ContiTech industrial division in 2026 will abandon Continental focused solely on tires. This streamlining, under new CEO Christian Kötz, aims to position the company as “the most progressive tire manufacturer in the world.” The UltraContact NXT tire, launched in 2023, serves as a flagship example of this ambition, incorporating up to 65% sustainable materials while achieving top ratings for wet braking, rolling resistance, and noise reduction – a triple ‘A’ rating in the EU tire label. Independent testing by auto motor und sport in 2025 confirmed its superior performance, awarding it a “überragend” (outstanding) rating and the shortest wet braking distances in its class.

From Kitchen Scraps to Cutting-Edge Tires

The materials science behind this shift is striking. Continental is utilizing silica derived from rice husk ash – a byproduct of rice processing – recycled polyester from plastic bottles, recovered carbon black from end-of-life tires, and is actively researching the leverage of rubber extracted from dandelions. These aren’t theoretical concepts; many of these materials are already integrated into the UltraContact NXT. The company’s approach challenges the traditional notion of a tire as simply “black, round, and made of rubber.”

The UltraContact NXT: A Deep Dive into the Ingredients

The composition of the UltraContact NXT reads like an unconventional recipe. Here’s a breakdown of key components:

Silica from Rice: A Novel Approach

Silica is a key ingredient in modern tires, enhancing grip and reducing rolling resistance. Traditionally sourced from quartz sand, Continental is now leveraging rice husk ash, a byproduct of rice milling, particularly from Italian risotto rice production. Burning the husks yields silica that performs comparably to conventionally produced versions, offering an energy-efficient and waste-reducing alternative. This silica is produced by Solvay in Italy, demonstrating a collaborative supply chain approach. Solvay’s website provides further details on their silica production processes.

From Bottles to Belts: The ContiRe.Tex Technology

Reinforcement materials, comprising around 18% of a tire, are crucial for its structural integrity. Continental’s ContiRe.Tex technology, developed in partnership with OTIZ, transforms used PET bottles into high-strength polyester yarn. This yarn replaces conventional polyester, reducing CO₂ emissions by approximately 28%, as verified by an independent assessment from SGS. Continental ensures that the recycled bottles are sourced from regions without established bottle deposit systems, avoiding disruption to existing recycling loops. The company is too increasing its use of recycled steel in tire construction and employing the COKOON adhesion technology – developed with Kordsa – to bond textile reinforcements to rubber without harmful chemicals like resorcinol and formaldehyde. COKOON has been released as an open-source solution for the entire industry.

Recovered Carbon Black: Closing the Loop

Carbon black, making up to 20% of a tire’s weight, provides strength and durability. Traditionally derived from oil, Continental is exploring alternatives. Bio-based carbon black, produced from tall oil (a byproduct of paper production), and recycled carbon black (rCB) obtained through pyrolysis of end-of-life tires are gaining prominence. Continental is collaborating with Pyrum Innovations to refine the process of recovering carbon black directly from old tires. Currently, rCB is used in forklift tires at the Korbach plant, with plans for wider application. Pyrum Innovations’ website details their pyrolysis technology.

The Dandelion Project: Taraxagum

While not yet in the UltraContact NXT, Continental’s research into dandelion rubber – known as Taraxagum – is a long-term bet. Since 2011, the company has collaborated with the Fraunhofer Institute IME, the University of Münster, and the Julius-Kühn-Institut to extract rubber from the roots of Russian dandelions. This rubber is comparable to natural rubber from tropical sources but can be grown in temperate climates. A 30,000 square meter research facility in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, has received around €35 million in investment. The “Urban Taraxagum” bicycle tire, launched in 2019, is the first commercial product featuring this innovative material. Scaling up production for passenger car tires remains a challenge, but the project has garnered recognition, including the 2021 German Sustainability Award.

Certification and Transparency

To ensure the credibility of its sustainability claims, Continental has obtained ISCC-PLUS certification for eight of its tire plants, including all European sites and facilities in China and the US. This certification guarantees the traceability of all sustainable raw materials used through a mass balance approach, allowing Continental to gradually increase their proportion without overhauling its entire production infrastructure.

Research and Development: Paving the Way for Future Tires

Continental’s tire research and development center in Hanover-Stöcken employs around 1,000 researchers, designers, and engineers, developing up to 9,000 different tire designs. The company invests approximately €349 million annually in R&D, representing 2.5% of the tire segment’s revenue. Testing takes place at the Contidrom near Wietze, Germany, and at facilities in Sweden and the US. The Contidrom features the Automated Indoor Braking Analyzer (AIBA), enabling weather-independent brake testing, and a driver-in-the-loop simulator, saving approximately 100,000 test kilometers and 10,000 test tires annually.

Market Position and Financials

With a 6.9% market share, Continental ranks fourth globally, trailing Michelin (14.1%), Bridgestone (13.6%), and Goodyear (9.6%). While facing a significant gap in market share, Continental distinguishes itself through profitability, achieving a 13.7% adjusted EBIT margin in 2024 – among the highest in the industry. The company’s focus on innovation and sustainability is expected to drive further growth.

The Road to 100% Sustainability

Currently, around 26% of the materials used in Continental tires are sustainable. The company aims to increase this to at least 40% by 2030 and 100% by 2050, with 60% of the latter derived from recycled tires. This ambitious goal is underpinned by ongoing research and development, strategic partnerships, and a commitment to transparency and certification. Continental’s progress demonstrates that sustainability in tire manufacturing is not merely a marketing tactic but a tangible outcome of dedicated research and innovation. The company’s next milestone will be its keynote presentation at the Tire Technology Expo in Hanover in March 2026, focusing on tires for autonomous vehicles – a field where the definition of a “black, round, rubber tire” may be about to undergo another revolution.