Continental is pushing the boundaries of circular materials in the mobility sector. The company now incorporates synthetic rubber derived from used cooking oil and pyrolysis oil into its tyre production, working toward a future where more sustainable feedstocks reduce reliance on fossil-derived rubber. 

Why Cooking Oil & Recycled Feedstocks Matter

In 2024, Continental’s share of renewable and recycled materials averaged 26%, with plans to increase this by 2–3 points by the end of 2025 and reach at least 40% by 2030. 

To achieve this, the company sources synthetic rubber from more sustainable origins, such as pyrolysis oil from end-of-life tires or used cooking oil, through suppliers like Synthos and TotalEnergies Cray Valley, utilizing a mass balance approach under ISCC PLUS certification to trace renewable inputs. 

In parallel, Continental’s ContiTech division has acquired patent rights and established a pilot facility utilizing thermal purification to convert complex rubber waste into high-quality pyrolysis oil, thereby opening new avenues for rubber recycling. 

This strategy enables Continental to reduce its dependency on fossil raw materials while maintaining optimal performance in braking, rolling resistance, and durability.

Continental uses synthetic rubber made from recycled oil to increase the use of sustainable materials in tyre production.

Continental revealed that the use of renewable and recycled materials in its tyre production averaged 26% in 2024, and the company aims to increase this by 2 to 3 percentage points by the end of this year. By 2030, this figure is expected to rise to at least 40%. Among other materials, Continental focuses on rubber and resins from various more sustainable sources.

Synthetic rubber from renewable and recycled materials, as well as responsibly sourced natural rubber, are crucial in more sustainable tyre production. This is due to the high content of this key raw material in every tyre produced, with modern high-performance tyres consisting of up to 40% rubber by weight. The actual type of rubber used in a tyre depends heavily on the component in question and the function it performs. Continental car tyres are manufactured using up to 100 different raw materials, which in turn are used to produce up to 20 different customised rubber compounds per article, among other things. These also contain recycled variants of additives and supplementary raw materials, as well as circular resins that make the resulting rubber more pliable and improve overall tyre performance. 

“We’re closing the loop: Continental is ramping up its commitment to a circular economy and mapping out its path for the future,” says Jorge Almeida, head of Sustainability at Continental. “Innovative solutions enable us to use more sustainable raw materials, such as synthetic rubber made from used cooking oil or resins based on certified renewable feedstocks originally derived from vegetable oil.”

Continental mainly uses two categories of rubber, each offering specific technological benefits for specific tyre components: natural rubber and synthetically produced rubber.

Natural rubber – which is typically used in tyre production – is used, for example, in the treads of car and truck tyres, where the rubber needs to be extremely hard-wearing. Its special properties include its impact resistance and durability, thanks to the strain-induced crystallisation inherent in naturally grown rubber. This unique feature of natural rubber cannot yet be reproduced artificially.

Meanwhile, synthetic rubber is incorporated into car tyre treads in addition to natural rubber due to its superior braking performance and reduced rolling resistance. Continental is increasingly using synthetic rubber derived from, for example, pyrolysis oil made from end-of-life tyres or used cooking oil, sourcing it from suppliers such as Synthos and TotalEnergies Cray Valley, both of which are using a mass balance approach to valorise sustainable sources certified by the ISCC PLUS International Sustainability and Carbon Certification. The production processes and raw materials used to manufacture the synthetic rubber supplied comply with this system.

Continental uses circular resins produced by suppliers like TotalEnergies Cray Valley, which are ISCC PLUS-certified, thereby supporting the development of renewable feedstocks along the value chain, initially derived from vegetable oil or used cooking oil. Continental also uses the ISCC PLUS-certified rubber additive TMQ from LANXESS. According to life cycle assessments, this additive, produced from raw materials such as biocircular acetone, has a carbon footprint that is more than 30% lower than its conventionally manufactured counterpart. Biocircular acetone is made from waste of biological origin, like recycled cooking oil. 

The use of such materials is possible thanks to the mass balance approach, which involves mixing fossil, renewable, and recycled materials during the manufacturing process and tracking them as they move along the value chain. This enables the company to attribute the input of renewable and recycled raw materials to the output of the final product, thereby precisely documenting – and subsequently increasing – the use of ISCC PLUS certified materials.

“The mass balance approach enables us to efficiently manage the complexity of the raw materials portfolio and track how these raw materials are used at multiple production sites in a wide range of markets,” explains Matthias Haufe, head of Material Development and Industrialisation at Continental. “In this way, we can steadily increase the share of renewable and recycled materials in our tyre production – and transparently document the progress we make.”

Learn more:

• Tire Pyrolysis Project
• Pyrolysis Oil Fuel Credits
• Tyre Pyrolysis Guide
• Plastic Pyrolysis Solutions
• Tire Pyrolysis Plant Setup

Lead the Circular Shift in Tyre Materials with Klean by Your Side

Innovation. Sustainability. One Partner That Turns Vision into Value.

Continental’s move toward synthetic rubber from used cooking oil and recycled feedstocks marks a turning point in the tyre industry. Klean Industries brings deep technical, circular, and project expertise to help companies integrate these innovations into viable manufacturing pathways.

Klean’s Value for Circular Tyre Innovation:

✅ Validation & Integration of Novel Rubber Feedstocks
✅ Process Design & Purity Assurance
✅ Offtake Strategy & Market Positioning for Circular Materials
✅ Life Cycle & Carbon Footprint Modeling
✅ Advisory Support from Pilot to Scale

With Klean’s domain knowledge across circular systems, your materials or tire project can lead the way in the new era of sustainable mobility.

Ready to explore feedstock innovation, rubber recycling, or tyre circular models?

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