Dunlop makes tires with rCB in Japan

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

Sumitomo says it has “for the first time 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, according to the global tire producer. The production of rCB-containing tires commenced in Miyazaki in November, says 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.,” says Sumitomo.

The tire producer says in August 2025 it supplied tires produced using the rCB at a competitive racing event. “The tires demonstrated consistently stable performance throughout the race in the motorsports field, which stands at the forefront of tire development where the latest vehicles are introduced,” states Sumitomo.

The company says the use of the rCB is part of its 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,” says the company.