Continental is increasing its use of recycled materials in tyre manufacturing, with more facilities now using polyester fabric made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. This initiative has raised the recycled content in several tyre lines by an average of thee percent. Depending on the tyre size, up to 15 PET bottles can be used in a single tyre, conserving valuable resources.

“Reduce, reuse, recycle – this trio is key to more sustainable tyres “, says Jorge Almeida, Head of Sustainability at Continental Tires.

“Reduce, reuse, recycle – this trio is key to more sustainable tyres. Wherever possible, we use recycled materials while maintaining our highest quality standards,” says Jorge Almeida, Head of Sustainability at Continental Tires. “Our polyester yarn made from recycled PET bottles is just as strong as conventional polyester yarn. This shows that sustainability, performance, and safety go hand in hand at Continental.

The company’s ContiRe.Tex technology, unveiled in late 2021, processes PET bottles that would otherwise go unrecycled. These bottles are spun into high-performance polyester yarn without intermediate chemical treatments, producing materials robust enough to meet the demands of tyre manufacturing.

Since 2022, this technology has been used on a limited scale at Continental’s tyre plants in Lousado, Portugal, and Otrokovice, Czech Republic. Recently, facilities in Korbach, Germany, and Sarreguemines, France, have also adopted recycled PET in series production.

Ambitious sustainability goals

The transition to sustainable materials aligns with Continental’s broader sustainability strategy. The company aims to increase the proportion of renewable and recycled materials in its tyres to over 40% by 2030. By then, all new car and light truck tyres are expected to feature high-performance polyester fibres made entirely from sustainable PET.

At present, an average passenger tyre contains 15–20 percent recycled and renewable materials. By 2050, Continental plans for all its new tyres to be made from 100 percent sustainable materials.

Turning waste into high-quality materials

Continental’s use of recycled PET is part of a broader effort to replace raw materials with sustainable alternatives. Textile fabrics made from recycled polyester enhance the strength, flexibility, and durability of tyres, with performance matching that of materials derived from crude oil.

In addition to recycled PET, Continental is exploring other sustainable materials, including bio-based and chemically recycled PET. Agricultural by-products, such as rice husk ash, rubber from dandelions and recycled rubber, are also being tested for future use.

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Epsilon Carbon Pvt. Ltd., a global manufacturer of carbon black and speciality carbon products, has published its sixth Sustainability Report for FY 2025–26, titled ‘Anchored in Carbon. Embedded in Circularity’. The document outlines the company’s advancements in emissions reduction, energy efficiency, workplace safety, inclusion and community development while detailing its strategy for a more responsible and resilient carbon value chain.

The company’s sustainability efforts are deeply integrated into its manufacturing operations and its support for customers in the tyre, rubber, manufacturing and industrial sectors. Epsilon Carbon aims to supply dependable carbon materials while enhancing resource efficiency and lowering the environmental footprint of production. In FY 2025–26, it recorded a 98 percent drop in Scope 2 emissions intensity against its FY 2022–23 baseline, alongside a 6 percent reduction in energy consumption intensity driven by operational improvements.

A 17 MW captive power plant using waste hot gases from production remained central to decarbonisation, achieving 77 percent waste heat recovery utilisation and remaining on target. This helped avoid over 89,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions by reducing coal-based power reliance. The company also cut Scope 3 emissions intensity by 8.13 percent compared with FY 2024–25, supporting more sustainable manufacturing across its value chain. Its Vijayanagar plant holds an annual capacity of 215,000 tonnes of carbon black and 500,000 tonnes of speciality carbon.

The report further highlights workplace safety and inclusion, with zero fatalities, 10 percent women representation on the Board and 9.41 percent of the overall workforce. CSR programmes positively impacted approximately 140,000 lives, fostering community development near its operations. Epsilon Carbon’s sixth Sustainability Report gives stakeholders a clear view of its ESG performance and reinforces its focus on responsible growth, operational excellence and its expanding role in the global carbon materials industry.

Vikram Handa, Managing Director, Epsilon Carbon, said, “Sustainability is central to how we are building Epsilon Carbon for the future. Our progress in reducing emissions intensity, increasing the use of waste heat recovery and improving energy efficiency shows what is possible when sustainability is built into everyday operations. Our customers in tyres, rubber and other manufacturing sectors are also working towards more responsible and efficient value chains. We are committed to supporting them through dependable products, strong manufacturing capabilities and continued innovation. Alongside our environmental priorities, we remain focused on safety, inclusion and creating a positive impact in the communities where we operate.”

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Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp (Toyo Tires) celebrated a milestone achievement in short-course off-road racing as driver Ryan Beat captured the 2026 Championship Off-Road Pro-2 title. The decisive rounds unfolded at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California, where Beat piloted his #51 Bilstein / Toyo Tires / Rockstar Energy / Chevrolet truck to the first Pro-2 crown of his racing career.

Beat arrived at the season finale holding a 17-point advantage but faced punishing Southern California heat and a determined group of rivals. A mid-race restart intensified the competition, yet Beat powered through the field and crossed the finish line first on Saturday night, sealing the championship.

His truck ran on standard 35x12.50R17 Open Country C/T tyres throughout the campaign. Beat concluded the year at the top of the Pro-2 standings with 722 points. The result marked the sixth occasion he has placed among the top three in the class, having previously earned four runner-up finishes and one third-place result.

The championship extends Team Toyo’s strong presence in short-course competition, complementing Pro-4 titles claimed by CJ Greaves across 2023 through 2025 and Kyle LeDuc between 2012 and 2020. Toyo-backed drivers have also found success in desert racing, with six SCORE Baja 1000 victories, six Baja 500 wins, five Baja 400 triumphs and four San Felipe 250 titles.

Beat said, “The championship came down to the final race and to not only win the title, but to do it by winning the final race was a dream come true. Surrounded by my family, friends and partners, this one is going to be hard to top.”

Adrian Puente, Events, Motorsports and Technical Manager, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp, said, “Congratulations to Ryan and his motorsports team on securing the first Pro-2 championship of his career! A hard-fought season ending in triumph is a great result for Team Toyo and showcases the versatility and performance of our tyres on and off the track.”

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The DUNLOP ALL SEASON 2 tyre has earned a ‘very good’ rating in the 2026 all-season tyre test conducted by the Automobilclub von Deutschland (AvD). Evaluated against 11 rival all-season tyres spanning premium, mid-range and budget brands, it performed strongly across every category, including wet and dry driving performance. The tyre stood out particularly for its snow performance, efficiency, wear and other environmental considerations. As the lightest tyre in the AvD test, it also achieved the best result for rolling resistance, which directly influences fuel efficiency.

Its overall performance places it among the very best all-weather tyres tested by the AvD this year. With a score of 4.37 stars out of 5, it secured a ‘very good’ rating alongside four other tyres, all of which were more expensive at the time of testing. The AvD examined 12 different 225/50 R17 tyres, one of Europe’s most popular tyre sizes, to assess safety-related handling characteristics across a broad range of driving conditions. All tyres were fitted to a BMW 3-Series and purchased via the open market to ensure independence, with testing carried out between the AvD and TEMPOTIRE, an independent testing organisation.

A strong rating in the annual AvD all-weather tyre test is an important marker of trust in Germany and many other European markets. The test is notably thorough, with tyres rated on a five-star system for braking, traction and handling performance in all conditions, subjective handling performance, aquaplaning in the wet and noise levels and rolling comfort in the dry. It also covers environmental factors such as tyre weight, wear, fuel efficiency, emissions levels and rolling resistance.

The DUNLOP ALL SEASON 2 is engineered to deliver confident driving throughout the year and suits owners of cars and SUVs who prefer not to change their vehicles’ tyres with the seasons. It is available in 74 sizes, ranging from 14 to 20 inches in diameter. Its advanced compound and distinctive V-shaped tread design with three-dimensional interlocking sipes improve braking stability on wet and dry surfaces while creating numerous ‘biting’ edges that can aid traction and grip in snow. A reinforced structure enhances tyre stability, contributing to confident handling on wet and dry roads. Crucially, every variant adheres to Europe’s official Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) legal standards, meeting the official legal requirements for use throughout winter in European countries and regions where winter tyres are legally mandated, such as Germany and Sweden.

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Goodyear is all geared up for the European Le Mans Series season finale, the 4 Hours of Portimão, supplying its Racing Eagle tyres across LMP2, LMP2 Pro/Am and LMGT3. The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve hosts the decisive round, with its dramatic elevation shifts and technical layout through the Algarve hills expected to produce moderate tyre wear over four hours.

In LMGT3, the Medium specification could enable single-stint strategies, letting competitors maximise pace throughout. For LMP2 and LMP2 Pro/Am, the same Medium compound is built to deliver the consistency needed for double-stint running.

With championships undecided in all three categories, tyre strategy will prove pivotal. LMGT3 leaders Iron Lynx hold just three points over TF Sport, while United Autosports lead Forestier Racing by Panis by 13 in LMP2. The LMP2 Pro/Am top four sit within six points, AF Corse setting the pace.

Portimão also closes the second season of Goodyear Racing's newest Eagle Medium LMP2 specification, now well understood after extensive European Le Mans Series use and two Le Mans outings. It marks the final LMGT3 run for the current Eagle before a more sustainable generation arrives in 2027. Goodyear Racing Eagle tyres additionally feature this weekend at Charlotte in NASCAR and Brands Hatch's British Touring Car Championship finale.

Stephen Bickley, Goodyear Endurance Program Manager, said, “Portimão is a fitting place to bring the European Le Mans Series season to a close. The undulating circuit combines dramatic elevation changes with high-speed corners and more twisty, technical sections, so we expect moderate levels of tyre wear and degradation. It looks like a hot and sunny race awaits us on Sunday, but should wet weather arrive, teams do have Goodyear Racing Eagle wet tyres available.

“It is significant that the LMGT3 field will use our current Goodyear Racing Eagle slick specification for the final time in the series this weekend. Next season, we will introduce a new generation of tyres with 66 percent sustainable-material content, continuing our focus on performance at the highest level of endurance racing.”

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