In cooperation with VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava, where RPG Recycling is a partner of the project Innovative Technologies for a Cleaner Ostrava Region, we took part in a site visit held on May 14, 2025, at the Continental plant in Otrokovice.
Continental is one of the world’s leading tire manufacturers, with a history dating back to the Baťa era, when tire production in the Zlín Region first began.
At Continental, we had the opportunity to visit selected parts of the production process, including component manufacturing, tire assembly, and the curing (pressing) of passenger car tires.
We discussed environmental topics and innovations in environmental protection that Continental has implemented at its Otrokovice plant in recent years. We also debated future possibilities for the processing of waste tires—both defective production tires and end-of-life tires (ELTs)—in terms of material and energy recovery. The discussion also touched on one of the key topics of recent years: pyrolytic waste processing, the potential recovery of raw materials through pyrolysis, and their possible reuse in rubber compounds.
The following day, on May 15, the roles were reversed, and we welcomed representatives of VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava and Continental to our site in Uherský Brod. We presented the real-life processes required to treat collected end-of-life tires in order to achieve material recycling—namely their transformation into high-quality secondary raw materials for further processing into rubber products made from tire granulate.
Our discussions from the previous day continued, focusing on practical experience in processing waste rubber in the context of introducing new technologies and innovations in tire design. We also addressed the challenges that certain manufacturing innovations pose for waste processors. An interesting debate arose around competition in the tire manufacturing sector and the import of tires from abroad—especially from third countries—and the obligations related to placing tires on the market in the Czech Republic as a member state of the European Union.
After a two-hour tour of our production facilities, we continued the program exclusively with colleagues from VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava. In the afternoon, we discussed the next steps of a joint project focused on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contained in tires—their concentrations and their potential impact on products made from end-of-life tires in relation to environmental protection and product safety.
I believe that strengthening and expanding cooperation with Continental can take many forms, and I hope that we will soon be able to share further news about our common interests within the tire industry.
Pavla Toboláková
