Continental’s Groundbreaking Sustainable Tire Revolution: Transforming Recycled PET Bottles and Steel into High-Performance, Eco-Friendly Tires to Boost Recycled Material Content to 40 Percent Within Five Years 23-10-2025
Sustainable tire
The tire industry is witnessing a meaningful pivot toward sustainability, and Continental AG is taking a strong leadership position. The company’s latest announcement outlines plans to raise the share of renewable and recycled materials in its tire production from about 26 % in 2024 to at least 40 % within five years. Continental AG+2Continental Tires+2
Recycled steel and PET bottle yarn become core materials
For tire reinforcement, steel and textile fabrics are critical components. In passenger-car tires they account for roughly 18 % of the material content, and even more for commercial and specialty tyres. Continental AG+1 Continental will increase the share of recycled steel across key components — including belt layer steel cords, carcass reinforcement in commercial tyres and bead core wires — while insisting that safety and performance are not compromised. Continental AG+1
At the same time, the company is rolling out its ContiRe.Tex technology, developed together with textile manufacturer OTIZ, to convert used PET bottles into high-performance polyester yarn for tire carcasses. Sustainable Tire
Using this yarn can reduce CO₂ emissions by about 28 % in the PET-cord fabric compared to fossil-based alternatives. Depending on tire size a single tyre carcass may be made from up to 15 recycled PET bottles. Continental AG+1
Innovative adhesion technology and broader sustainable raw-material mix
Beyond the steel and textile reinforcements, Continental and Kordsa have introduced the COKOON adhesion technology. This system bonds textile reinforcements to rubber compounds without using resorcinol or formaldehyde in the dip-bath process, offering a more environmentally friendly alternative. Sustainable Tire
Continental is making COKOON available cost-free and open-source to other tyre makers and suppliers. Continental AG+1
Additionally, the company is introducing synthetic rubber derived from used cooking oil, resins from bio-waste, and silica derived from rice‐husk ash into its raw-material mix. These efforts support an overarching goal of circular economy integration. Continental AG+1
Strategic outlook and value-chain implications
By targeting at least 40 % of tyres made from renewable and recycled materials within five years, Continental is signalling a major shift in the value chain. The company’s sustainability roadmap extends further: by 2050 it aims for tyres made entirely from sustainable materials. recovery-worldwide.com+1
For OEMs, fleet operators and tyre-users this means performance characteristics such as strength, durability and stability must remain intact even as materials change. Sustainable Tire
Continental emphasises that new materials are thoroughly tested to maintain safety and comfort. Continental Tires+1
Suppliers and downstream partners should expect increasing demand for recycled-steel solutions, recycled-PET textile reinforcements and eco-adhesion technologies. The open-licence approach to COKOON suggests an industry-wide push toward adoption rather than proprietary lock-in. Sustainable Tire
Conclusion
Continental’s material transition is more than a marketing message: it reflects a substantive change in tyre construction, sourcing and sustainability strategy. With recycled steel and PET-bottle-derived yarn making their way into key reinforcement structures, and adhesion chemistry being re-engineered for environment-friendly bonding, the tyre maker is laying the foundation for a more circular future. For stakeholders across automotive manufacturing, mobility services and materials supply, the shift presents opportunities and challenges: sustainability goals are rising, performance expectations remain high—and the value chain must adapt. Sustainable Tire
By integrating increased recycled content and new technologies, Continental is positioning itself as a sustainability frontrunner in its sector—and reaffirming that responsible mobility extends beyond propulsion to the very materials used in tyres.
