Dunlop makes tires with rCB in Japan

Tokyo-based Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. has announced the mass production of passenger car tires made with recycled carbon black (rCB). The Dunlop brand tires are being produced at its factory in Miyazaki, Japan.

Sumitomo says for the first time, it has adopted the use of sustainable carbon black for mass production tires designed for certain passenger car models.

The rCB is being made via a chemical recycling process that uses end-of-life tires (ELTs) and other materials, and the production of rCB-containing tires commenced in Miyazaki in November, according to Sumitomo.

“The sustainable carbon black is manufactured using rubber chippings generated from tire manufacturing processes and crushed ELTs, which undergo a process called chemical recycling [in] a joint project with Mitsubishi Chemical Corp.," Sumitomo says.

In August 2025, Sumitomo supplied tires produced using the rCB at a competitive racing event.

“The tires demonstrated consistently stable performance throughout the race in the field, which stands at the forefront of tire development where the latest vehicles are introduced,” the company says.

The use of the rCB is part of Sumitomo's larger Towanowa circular economy concept for the tire industry.

“By putting Towanowa into practice, we will continue striving to reduce environmental impact, enhance the performance and safety of tires and expand our solutions services,” the company says.