ContiTech earns ISCC Plus certification at two German plants

HANOVER, Germany—Two of Continental A.G.'s ContiTech plants in Germany have received ISCC Plus certification for their ongoing sustainability efforts.

The Hanover-based auto supplier's plants in Waltershausen and Eislingen are its first two German facilities to achieve ISCC Plus certification, the company said in an Oct. 30 news release. Other ContiTech plants around the world, including Portugal, China and Slovakia have already received this accreditation, it added.

The ISCC Plus accreditation recognizes companies for usage of sustainable bio-based and recyclable materials and for working toward an environmentally healthy supply chain.

"Achieving ISCC Plus certification in Waltershausen and Eislingen is an important milestone toward a climate-neutral materials value chain in our industry," Anne Windberg Baarup, Head of Sustainability for ContiTech, said in a statement. "It is also a testament to the commitment of Continental's materials experts in driving this change forward."

Baarup said that the company is dedicated to offering products that carry a reduced environmental impact. She added that the ISCC certification is just one step in the right direction when it comes to creating a climate-neutral tire and rubber industry.

"With our mass-balanced materials, we are steadily increasing the share of renewable and recycled raw materials in Continental products and can precisely track this process," Baarup said. "We're also helping our industrial customers worldwide in meeting their sustainability goals and transition to a circular economy and bioeconomy."

ContiTech has implemented butadiene rubber and ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber at its Waltershausen plan. And at the Eislingen plant, "Continental can now verify the proportion of certified raw materials in polyolefin-based surface materials," the company said. These new sustainable products will appear in automotive interiors, as well as on doors, instrument panels and center consoles.

"The certified compounds are indistinguishable from their fossil-based counterparts in terms of their properties and quality, and they meet the same regulatory requirements," the company said.

ContiTech continues its drive toward carbon neutrality. As the group works to implement its comprehensive sustainability plan, it hopes to replace all products with fully renewable and recyclable materials by 2050.

"Continental is working hard to replace as many raw materials as possible in production with more alternative materials," the company said. "The recent ISCC Plus certification demonstrates the company's ongoing efforts to implement its comprehensive sustainability strategy."