Sumitomo started adding recycled carbon black to mass-produced tires

Sumitomo was the first to use technical carbon, obtained through the chemical recycling of old tires and other rubber waste, in the production of serial automobile tires. The production of tires using recovered technical carbon (rCb) was launched in November 2025 at the plant in Miyazaki (Japan), and a project to obtain raw materials from used tires and rubber waste generated at tire enterprises was launched in conjunction with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation in January of this year. 

In August, racing tires made using rCB were successfully tested in the GT300 class of the Japanese Super GT series, with the car on new tires being the best for two days in a row, and the manufacturer emphasizes that "the tires showed stable performance throughout the entire track time". 

The development of rCB was implemented as part of the Towanowa strategy, aimed at introducing the principles of a circular economy in the tire industry, and Sumitomo says it will continue to work on reducing environmental impact while improving the operational characteristics of tires and the level of safety they provide. 

Under the terms of the agreement with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Sumitomo supplies rubber waste generated during tire production, as well as crushed old tires, which are recycled chemically in coke ovens to produce technical carbon suitable for reuse. 

"By creating a system for reusing rubber waste and used tires, which are currently burned and used as heat sources, we can expect a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions," Sumitomo points out.