Green Marathon

The abbreviation rCB stands for recovered carbon black. It is obtained from used tires. In the recycling process at our partner Pyrum Innovations, the tires are mechanically processed (shredded) and then recycled in a thermochemical process known as pyrolysis. One of the outputs is pyrolysis coke, which is then further processed into rCB. We have now used the rCB for the first time in the production of a new tire. The complete recycling process is explained here: https://www.schwalbe.com/en/recycling-system/

The rCB replaces industrial carbon black produced from fossil fuels (vCB = virgin Carbon Black). In the rubber compound, carbon black acts as a filler and reinforcing agent, whilst also influencing the tire’s dynamic properties (wear, rolling resistance, wet grip) and serving as a colorant.

The majority of virgin carbon black, or industrial carbon black, used worldwide is made by the so-called furnace process. In this process, fossil raw materials (crude oil and natural gas) are heated to temperatures well above 1000 degrees Celsius and then abruptly cooled. The product of this energy- and emission-intensive process is virgin carbon black.

We have been producing our tires and inner tubes in close partnership with the South Korean family-owned company Hung-A in Southeast Asia since the Schwalbe brand was founded in 1973. This means that our factories are located where almost all necessary raw materials and materials are also extracted. Production in Germany would increase our transport emissions by a factor of three and a half (calculated on the basis of the emission factors of EN 16258 and the Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) and reference to the ecoinvent 3.6 database, as of 2022). In addition, there would be transports to the manufacturers, most of whom also assemble in Asia. For the climate, a relocation of the production site would not pay off. At the same time, there are further advantages of our 50-year partnership with Hung-A: Not only do we know the people and processes very well, but we also have very high labor, human rights, environmental and quality standards at our production sites. There is a Schwalbe plant in both Vietnam and Indonesia. In addition, the know-how in the rubber industry in both countries is outstanding.

At present, the proportion of 80 % recycled and renewable raw materials is the maximum possible. The fact that such a proportion is possible at all is due to our many years of research and development. Currently, we include the largest possible amount of recycled and renewable raw materials. Our goal is to further increase this proportion - but the range of "sustainable" materials currently available is not yet sufficient. We hope that research and technological developments will continue to progress in such a way that this will soon change.

The Green Marathon uses natural rubber, recycled rubber, recovered carbon black (rCB) from the Schwalbe Recycling System, recycled steel and silica from rice husk ash.

The recycled proportion is around 30 % and a further 50 % is renewable.

That was the tough nut to crack for us and something we achieved with the new Marathon- mainly thanks to extensive research and development and many years of experience. Basically, if we were to take back only Schwalbe products, the recycling percentage in our products would be even higher. The fact that we take back all brands means that we encounter different quality standards. Since our premium Schwalbe quality is an absolute priority for us, we determined the maximum possible percentage through countless tests, which guarantees that there is no loss in quality. This is currently around 20 percent for our tubes. However, we are naturally pursuing the goal of further increasing the proportion of recycled materials.

That was the tough nut to crack for us and something we achieved with the new Marathon- mainly thanks to extensive research and development and many years of experience. Basically, if we were to take back only Schwalbe products, the recycling percentage in our products would be even higher. The fact that we take back all brands means that we encounter different quality standards. Since our premium Schwalbe quality is an absolute priority for us, we determined the maximum possible percentage through countless tests, which guarantees that there is no loss in quality. This is currently around 20 percent for our tubes. However, we are naturally pursuing the goal of further increasing the proportion of recycled materials. That was the tough nut to crack for us and something we achieved with the new Marathon- mainly thanks to extensive research and development and many years of experience. Basically, if we were to take back only Schwalbe products, the recycling percentage in our products would be even higher.

We have conducted intensive research over an extensive period of time to ensure that, despite the high proportion of recycled and renewable materials, we can still guarantee the durability for which the Marathon is known for. And we have made no compromises whatsoever in terms of riding characteristics either. In doing so, we have achieved something great, because recycled materials often are often of a lower quality than new materials. We are continuously developing recycling technologies together with our partners so that we can further increase the proportion of the material in other tires in the future - and the product quality remains just as high.

The Marathon remains the pioneer in terms of durability. It makes no compromises in terms of riding performance, grip and safety. Schwalbe's credo is always the combination of consistently high quality, maximum safety for the user and the maximum possible use of sustainable resources.