recycled bicycle tires
(as of 06/30/2026)
recycled bicycle inner tubes
(as of 06/30/2026)
fewer emissions in
production since 2018
CO2e avoided by using recycled
butyl rubber (cumulative)
PROGRESS DOESN’T OCCUR ALL AT ONCE;
IT’S THE SUM OF LOTS OF SMALL STEPS,
TAKEN GRADUALLY AND CONSISTENTLY.
GOOD IDEAS ARE GENERATED BY EXPERIENCE – COUPLED WITH AN OPEN MIND.
Holger Jahn, head of Development and Technology, has spearheaded product development at Schwalbe for almost three decades. In our interview, he explains why sustainability is now a fixed feature of all development, why the Green Marathon became a turning point and why the biggest hurdles no longer lie in technology but in availability, scalability and cost. The question is no more “does it work?” but rather “can we provide it cost-effectively and in sufficient quantity?”.
FROM USED TIRES TO RAW MATERIALS – IN FIVE STAGES.
The graphic shows how specialist retailers, logistics, research and industry work together to close material loops in five stages. All brands of used tire are collected in recycling boxes at bicycle stores. These are then collectively transported to Pyrum Innovations, where rubber, steel and textiles are separated and pyrolysis takes place at around 700°C to form gas, oil and recovered carbon black. The rCB is ultimately used in new Schwalbe tires from the production sites in Vietnam and Indonesia.
THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY – KEEPING RESOURCES IN THE LOOP
Schwalbe was the first manufacturer to establish a take-back recycling system for bicycle tires and began recycling inner tubes as early as in 2015. The tire recycling process developed by Pyrum Innovations and Cologne Technical University supplies recycled carbon black that’s now used in 70% of Schwalbe’s tire portfolio. A pilot project will start in Austria in 2026, with four other EU countries to follow in 2027. Returned inner tubes from eleven countries are processed to form rButyl that’s already contained in 20% of all new Schwalbe tubes. The first recycling-optimized tires according to Design for Recycling principles are planned for 2027.
THINK CIRCULAR. RETHINKING MATERIALS AND REDESIGNING CLOSED LOOPS.
At the Schwalbe lab, new materials must show what they can do. Rolling resistance, grip, puncture protection and tread life are measured and compared. The Green Marathon proves that recycled and renewable raw materials give premium performance, with a carbon footprint of 1.43 instead of 2.43 CO2e per tire. One surprising realization from Schwalbe’s life cycle assessments is that the greatest environmental impact isn’t caused by transportation but by the raw materials used. Recovered carbon black has a 73% lower global warming potential than fossil-based industrial carbon black.
IN FULL VIEW: THE FUTURE IN NUMBERS
One of our aims is to be transparent in all that we do. Our recycling graphic visualizes what’s otherwise normally hidden from sight: return rates, the percentage of recycled materials and the amount of CO2 saved as actual and forecast values. As of June 30, 2026, 2.5 million tires and 18.3 million inner tubes were returned to the loop. By 2028, this statistic is to rise to six million tires and 24 million inner tubes. Since the introduction of tube recycling, around 14,822 metric tons of CO2e have been saved in total. Our material loop transition plan has been reviewed by our auditor with limited assurance.