Schwalbe rolls out 70% sustainable bicycle tires

Reichshof, Germany – Schwalbe has rolled out a 70% sustainable bicycle tire, setting a ‘new benchmark’ for environmentally friendly bicycle tires.

Green Marathon features 100% recovered carbon black from end-of-life tires (ELTs), supplied by Pyrum Innovation, a German waste tire pyrolysis company.

Furthermore, the tire is produced with 100% fairly traded natural rubber, for which Schwalbe said it pays a premium of €0.50/kilo.

In addition, the Addix Eco rubber compound has a “particularly high proportion of” recycled rubber and silica from rice husk ash.

The tire’s puncture protection belt GreenGuard is made from one third recycled latex products, the other two thirds are fair rubber.

The bead core wire of the tire is made of recycled steel, according to the German bicycle tire maker.

Compared to the predecessor model, the production of the new Marathon saves more than a third of CO2 – around 34%, said Schwalbe.

“Green Marathon… is the result of years of research work that we have carried out together with our production partner Hung-A,” said Frank Bohle, CEO of Ralf Bohle GmbH, Schwalbe’s parent company.

The tire, he said, “doesn‘t compromise on performance in any way and continues to lead the way in puncture protection and mileage.”