Continental's dandelion rubber project nominated for GreenTec Awards 2014

ERJ staff report (TP)

Hanover, Germany − Continental and the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME) in Münster have been nominated at the GreenTec Awards 2014 for their joint development project "Rubin – rubber that can be industrialised and is made from dandelion plants for tire production" as one of the top three projects in the "Automobility" category.

This category recognises technological innovations, eco-friendly mobility concepts, and mobility services in particular. The GreenTec Awards are Europe's biggest environmental and business awards and have been presented since 2008. On 25 February, the 50 experts on the jury will decide the podium positions for the three finalists in each of the 14 different categories.

The award ceremony will take place in Munich on 4 May, at the start of IFAT (International Fair Trade Association) − the world's leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste, and raw materials management.

Nikolai Setzer, Head of the Tire Division and Member of the Continental AG Executive Board, believed the project will further improve tire production: "This is because the production of rubber from dandelion roots is far less weather-dependent than production from rubber trees.

“Furthermore, the new system is so undemanding in terms of agricultural requirements that it opens up a whole new potential – particularly for areas of land in Europe that are currently uncultivated. By growing the crops much closer to our production sites, we can also significantly reduce the burden on the environment and our outlay for logistics."

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Press release from Continental