SCHWALBE OPTS FOR GREEN

Schwalbe said to itself, “Cycling and recycling – they’re just meant to go together.” Now the company is introducing the new Green compound as the third milestone, after GreenGuard puncture protection and tube recycling, for more sustainable tyres and tubes.

The “green” rubber compound on the tread provides formidable standard quality in terms of grip and durability. The rubber is now mainly natural rubber which is sourced from sustainable rubber trees. The remainder comes from recycled rubber materials, such as rubber gloves and door seals.

As the tread forms the majority of the composite tyre product, it also offers the best options for recycling. René Marks, Schwalbe Product Manager Touring, explains, “Depending on the tread, it accounts for 70 to 80 percent of the total rubber on the tyre, thus representing a substantial amount of rubber that will now be produced more sustainably.”

What are the benefits of using recycled material? “It means we consume fewer resources because efficient recycling of rubber materials and increased use of renewable raw materials saves energy and raw materials when manufacturing new tyres.” Added to this, René Marks stresses, “We no longer use carbon black for the Green compound.”

Schwalbe is deliberately starting its environmentally-friendly makeover with the Road Cruiser all-round tyre. This top seller has been delighting specialist retailers and consumers alike for almost two decades. The tyre manufacturer is thus demonstrating that the Green Compound is not merely a trial but rather a broad-based development that won’t end with the Road Cruiser.

New tread, new sizes and almost 40 versions

The new Road Cruiser, identifiable from the green labels, rolls on a state-of-the-art, dynamic tread with a pronounced central tread and high-grip shoulder area.There are also two new versions in the popular 27.5 size: 37-584 and 44-584. This means that the popular everyday tyre is available in almost 40 variations with new tread, stylish colors like coffee, brown and creme among them, fitting modern and classic city-bikes as well as popular leather saddles and accessories. The three full-color versions are not equipped with Green Compound though, which is reserved for black treads only.

And when will other models featuring the Green Compound be available? “Haste makes waste,” says the product manager. “The next logical step for us is to use the Green Compound for our other Active Line standard tyres. Maybe the future generation of the Green Compound will also be suitable for our top models. The process isn’t complete, in fact it’s only just begun to take off.”

The new Road Cruiser with Green Compound is available in the specialized trade. Price: US$13.

GREEN MILESTONES

• GreenGuard: one third of the Marathon’s puncture protection belt is composed of recycled latex products.
• Schlauch-Recycling: German specialist retailers can take advantage of a returns system to send used tubes back to Schwalbe free of charge so that they can be recycled and used in the production of new tubes.
• Green Compound: the compound on the tread of the Road Cruiser is made from renewable and recycled raw materials.

Further information:

SCHWALBE | Ralf Bohle GmbH
Press Office
Otto-Hahn-Straße 1 | 51580 Reichshof-Wehnrath
Phone: +49 22 65 109-0 | press@schwalbe.com
www.schwalbe.com