Sustainability begins with the conception of every bicycle tire. Following the “Design for Recycling” principle, we ensure from the earliest stages of development that each tire incorporates sustainable features. For example, through the use of recycled materials such as rCB (recovered carbon black), recycled nylon from old fishing nets (Seawastex), or renewable raw materials like natural rubber. Every tire is designed to be durable, resource-efficient, and environmentally compatible - without any compro-mises on performance and quality. The same applies to our innovative TPU tube, Aerothan, which uses pyrolysis oil from our own recycling system in production. The end of a product’s life cycle also plays a key role. That’s why we have made it our mission to address all these challenges holistically. We use sustainable raw materials and ensure that tires can be fully recycled at the end of their life through our own Schwalbe Recycling System.

With our Schwalbe Recycling System, we close the product loop for tubes and tires and ensure that valuable raw materials can be reused. Since 2015, we have been collecting used tubes of all brands through a comprehensive network spanning ten European countries and North America. Participation is free of charge. More than 15 million tubes have already been returned to the material cycle. The recovered butyl is processed through a devulcanization process and reintegrated into new tube production. Every Schwalbe standard tube today contains 20% recycled material. This process saves 80% energy and over 97% CO₂e compared to producing new butyl.

We are also taking major steps forward in tire recycling. Since launching the program in 2022, we have already collected and successfully reintegrated over two million tires into the cycle. Working with Pyrum Innovations AG, old tires are shredded and converted through pyrolysis into valuable secondary raw materials - gas, oil, and recovered carbon black (rCB). The recovered gas powers the pyrolysis plant, enabling it to operate energy selfsufficiently. The rCB replaces conventional industrial carbon black in more than 70% of our tire range, maintaining the same high quality and performance. The recovered oil is used in the production of our Aerothan tube.

We combine renewable and recycled materials to minimize the ecological footprint of our products. Among the renewable materials is fairly traded natural rubber, responsi-bly sourced under the Fair Rubber Association. For recycled materials, we use recovered carbon black (rCB) from our own tire recycling, as well as recycled butyl rubber from tube recycling. These secondary raw ma-terials increasingly replace petroleum-based ones - without compromising quality or performance. Another example is Seawastex, a sustainable material derived from discarded fishing nets that are collected, cleaned, processed into recycled nylon, and integrated into our tires.

We also focus on responsible energy use in production and increasingly rely on renewable energy. Our largest factory in Vietnam already operates using 100% locally generated renewable electricity. And at the end of the product life cycle, used tires and tubes are turned into valuable materials that flow back into new Schwalbe products through our Schwalbe Recycling System.

We have set ourselves ambitious goals: By 2030, we aim to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions across the entire value chain (Scopes 1, 2, and 3) by at least 55%. By 2040, we strive to lower Schwalbe’s overall environmental impact to net zero, in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This means we will reduce our emissions consistently and based on science until they are aligned with the 1.5°C target of the Paris Climate Agreement.
In addition, we are pursuing a clear longterm vision: 0% waste and 100% material circularity - every Schwalbe product should remain in the system forever. We aim for 100% realtime traceability of all raw materials, including ESG data, carbon footprint, biodiversity status, and social indicators.

Unavoidable residual emissions will be balanced through the permanent removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere. In the long run, we even want to remove more CO₂ than we emit, creating a positive contribution to climate protection. We also take social responsibility seriously: All Schwalbe CSR initiatives will verifia-bly help improve social participation for at least 100,000 people, measured through reliable, indicator-based methods.

Our entire sustainability strategy follows one guiding principle: to take responsibility – environmentally, economically, and socially – and to leave a livable planet for future generations.