Conti dandelion rubber tire wins two titles 

Hanover, Germany – Continental’s Urban Taraxagum bicycle tire, made from dandelion rubber, has won two accolades recognising it for its design and sustainability features.

The tire won the Red Dot Award earlier this month, for the design of the tread of the tire, which is based on the cell shape of the dandelion, said Continental in a 25 June statement. 

In addition, in the March issue of German magazine Focus E-Bike, the tire won the E-Bike Design & Innovation Award in the sustainability and green category.

"They [awards] reflect the particularly successful design and sustainability of our 'Urban Taraxagum' bicycle tire,” said Thomas Falke, head of Continental’s business unit two-wheel tires. 

Conti has been manufacturing the bicycle tires at its production facility in Korbach, in central Germany, for the past two years.

"Our dandelion rubber tires are an important part of our extensive sustainability activities and of the ambitious goal of making our products and production processes as well as our research and development even more sustainable,” said Claus Petschick, head of sustainability in Continental’s tires business area. 

As part of this, Conti strives to end the imports of rubber material from the tropics, and instead to manufacture it as close as possible to its tire plants, said Petschick.

In the long-run, Continental said it aims to supply natural rubber from dandelion plants to its factories for the production two-wheel, passenger car or commercial vehicle tires as well as other vehicle parts.