Continental debuts responsibly sourced tyres – 100% of range by 2030

Mountain bike tyres from the Continental Gravity range have become the first products to feature responsibly sourced natural rubber from a project aimed at establishing sustainable natural rubber supply chains. Continental aims to achieve 100 per cent sustainable supply chains by 2050 at the latest, but is going one step further when it comes to natural rubber and intends to cover its entire demand exclusively through responsible sources by as soon as 2030.

The rubber comes from West Kalimantan, Indonesia, where Continental launched a joint project with German development agency the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit’ (GIZ) in 2018. Together with its partners, Continental is demonstrating through this project how education and digitalisation can play a key role in establishing sustainable natural rubber supply chains.

“I’m delighted that we are now using responsibly sourced natural rubber from our project in Indonesia in series production for our Gravity mountain bike tyres,” says Claus Petschick, head of sustainability at Continental Tires. “Our ambition is to actively take responsibility in our supply chains. For us, digitalisation and education are the keys to enhancing the transparency of our natural rubber supply chains.”

Establishing a fair value chain

Continental defines natural rubber as being responsibly sourced when it is sustainably cultivated and processed through a transparent supply chain that is monitored by a due diligence mechanism. These measures help to uphold human rights, minimise environmental impact and improve the living conditions of local smallholders. The goal is to establish a fair value chain for natural rubber.

The aim of the joint project with the GIZ is to enable smallholders in the natural rubber sector to boost their incomes through the cultivation of a high-quality product in compliance with clearly defined sustainability criteria. The two parties agreed to significantly expand the project last year. Both Continental and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), which is the GIZ’s client, are members of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR). Together with other members, they are working to improve sustainability in the natural rubber sector the world over.

5 Gravity patterns

Continental Gravity mountain bike tyres come with five different tread patterns – Kryptotal, Argotal, Xynotal and Hydrotal – adapted to withstand four different ground and weather conditions. As part of an extensive development process, Continental systematically tested and optimised each tyre model according to specific requirements by professional riders on downhill, endurance and trail courses.

With Gravity, Continental offers its first tyres containing responsibly sourced rubber (Photo: Continental)