BIG INTERVIEW
Schwalbe aims to be committed to environmental issues
“It was really the first tyre developed for the cyclist, developed for really good puncture protection, for long durability, for everyday use at a reasonable price point. “Back then we didn’t think about it being a sustainable product but it kick-started our product development into being aware of making products that will last, making good products, making quality products and that still continues to this day.”
The second milestone that Jahn refers to could be seen as the starting point for Schwalbe’s tangible attempts to tackle sustainability in the product cycle of tyres. In the early 90s, the brand started taking back tyres through its dealers in Germany and made rubber floor mats out of them for workshops “That was our idea of recycling back in the 90s,” explained
Jahn. “Nowadays we know much more. Back then it was downcycling, which is only a continuation of the linear economy and as an industry, as a society, we must get away from constantly using new resources and throwing them away. “At the end of the day, old tyres, old tubes, they’re still valuable raw materials. We can reuse it if we do it properly.” The first step of taking back old tyres and tubes led Schwalbe to consider what else could be done. Fast forward to June 2023 and technology has enabled Schwalbe to celebrate another significant milestone, the launch of the Green Marathon.
The Green Marathon is made from 100% fairly traded natural rubber and consists of 70% recycled and renewable materials. But launching it at Eurobike marked the end of a long road. “It took us essentially 20 years,” said Jahn. “I would say the first 15 years consisted of us talking to potential partners and everybody laughing in our face saying ‘it’s not possible.’ “The biggest hurdle at the very beginning was shredding the tyre without destroying the machinery, which we eventually did [overcome]. “And then it’s relatively easy to reuse recycled materials in a new product, but there’s no benefit to the cyclist or to the environment if that product only lasted half as long. “You must find that balance of using recycled and renewable materials and maintaining the same quality and performance. I think that’s the only way you can also win over
22 | September 2023
people, customers, and stakeholders. And that is something that we now achieved with our new Green Marathon tyre.”
The future Although Jahn and his CSR team are making strides in terms of reducing environmental impact, there is still a long way to go. Currently, the tyre recycling can only be processed in Germany with many other countries only offering a tube collection service. Jahn would like to see this change in the future and it’s something Schwalbe is working to achieve. “That is the question I get on a daily basis [on expanding beyond Germany] and I totally get it,” said Jahn “You have over 30 million tons of old tyres a year globally - only a very small fraction of that is bicycle tires - but almost half of those tyres are burned. The other half usually ends up in landfill, so there’s a lot to be done.
“But there’s a huge logistics machinery behind this system. It’s a lot of organisation and there’s also legal hurdles you need to overcome when you transport tyres from one border over the other.
“So yes, we are working really, really hard on rolling this out. “We will get there, but right now it’s only in Germany.” On the future of Schwalbe products, Jahn sees the Green Marathon being the starting point for future development of the brand’s other products, just like the original Marathon was in 1983. “[The Green Marathon] sets the benchmark, and every new product whether it’s a road tyre, or a high-end downhill mountain bike tyre is measured against that sort of benchmark,” said Jahn. “We will see these green attributes of the Marathon in more and more Schwalbe tyres in one way, shape or form. “Our R&D is not done either. We are highly motivated and
we have amazing suppliers that are always coming up with new materials which can be tested and tweaked. “I’m really confident for the future that we see a higher
content of recycled and renewable materials in all products, meaning that in general across the board our product will be environmentally responsible. That, mixed in with recycling in more markets, I think will make a great impact for cyclists, as well as the dealers.”
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