Avoidance means doing without products and thus avoiding subsequent waste. For tyres, for example, this would mean driving less.

Under Preparation for recycling is the further use of the existing product, in the case of tyres, retreading and further use as tyres. As tyres are a highly complex, high-tech product, this is only possible a few times, so that the third and fourth options are in practice the ecologically and economically sensible ways to avoid landfill:

Under the Utilisation of recycled material is understood to mean that the products are materially utilised, i.e. broken down into their individual parts and this material used for New products - often also products with a long shelf life. In the case of car tyres, this is achieved with 90 % of the ingredients: 75 % of the used tyres are broken down into rubber granulate and powder thanks to sophisticated machine and plant technology, and 15 % into steel. Both high-quality secondary raw materials are reused in new products. Only 10 % of a used tyre - the textile part - is used for energy recovery:

The Energy recovery refers to combustion with energy benefits. The textile components of tyres can serve as a substitute for fossil fuels such as coal in industrial processes.

Waste disposal is the last of all options to be selected and refers to classic waste incineration or landfill. With a waste tyre mountain of almost 600,000 tonnes per year, this is not only bad for the environment, but also not an option for economic and logistical reasons.

Sustainability focuses on meeting the needs of people in the present without compromising or severely compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The concept of sustainability is made up of three pillars: Economic, Environmental and Social - also known as Profit, Planet and People.

Companies are increasingly making public commitments to sustainability, for example by reducing waste, investing in renewable energy and supporting organisations that are committed to a more sustainable future.