# Styrene-butadiene rubber: Emissions

Butadiene and styrene bring most of the carbon

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sbr/emissions/

What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies. Emission intensity 3.00 t CO2e per t range 2.5-4.2 · derived: 0.76 t butadiene x 1.3 + 0.24 t styrene x 2.8 = about 1.7 t, plus about 1.2 t polymerisation, stripping and drying and 0.1 t transport; OEKOBAUDAT gives 4.2 kg CO2e/kg for Germany (data year 2018) Global emissions per year 16.5 Mt CO2e per year 2024 · about 5.5 Mt x 3.0 t CO2e/t (derived, indicative)

Per t of SBR, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: butadiene and styrene tiles (indicative); OEKOBAUDAT 2023-I via Climatiq (upper range). Global total: derived.

#### Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
 Feedstock 57% Production / process 40% Movement 3%

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Feedstock** | about 1.7 t CO2e/t | 57% | naphtha cracking, butadiene extraction, styrene dehydrogenation | butadiene uses mass allocation of cracker emissions | derived from butadiene and styrene tiles |
| **Production / process** | about 1.2 t CO2e/t | 40% | refrigeration (cold ESBR), monomer stripping, solvent recovery (SSBR), drying | SSBR solvent recovery uses more steam | indicative |
| **Movement** | about 0.1 t CO2e/t | 3% | container shipping of bales | small | indicative |
| **Use** | not quantified per t of SBR | – | tyre rolling resistance and wear | the use phase dominates a tyre's life-cycle emissions through vehicle fuel or electricity (indicative); tyre wear releases microplastic particles | indicative |
| **End of life** | about 3.3 t CO2 per t if burned (calculated from about 90% carbon) | – | end-of-life tyres to cement kilns, pyrolysis, crumb rubber or landfill | vulcanised rubber cannot be remelted; devulcanisation and pyrolysis are the recycling routes | calculated (indicative) |

#### Other environmental impacts

Tyre and road wear particles are one of the largest sources of microplastics (indicative); butadiene emissions; extender oil PAHs (now limited).

#### Levers to cut emissions

- SSBR with silica cuts rolling resistance, saving vehicle energy across the tyre's life (indicative).
- Bio-attributed or bio-based butadiene (from ethanol) and styrene under mass balance (indicative; Synthos and others have announced programmes).
- Recovered monomers from tyre pyrolysis oil fed back to crackers (indicative).
- Renewable steam and power at rubber plants.

#### India

India's SBR footprint is in Reliance and Indian Synthetic Rubber plants plus imports. Waste tyre EPR (2022) and India's large tyre pyrolysis industry create a route to circular feedstock, though informal pyrolysis has pollution problems (indicative).
 Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.

#### Low-carbon routes

| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Bio-based butadiene from ethanol for SBR** | not published in sources reached | large at current ethanol prices (indicative) | pilot and demonstration (indicative) | indicative |
| **Circular SBR from tyre pyrolysis oil (mass balance)** | not published | not published | early commercial in Europe (indicative) | indicative |

 For a climate investor The climate effect of SBR is larger in use than in production: low-rolling-resistance tyres save fuel and EV range. For a fund, the openings are SSBR and silica compounding capacity in India, which still imports most SSBR, and clean, regulated pyrolysis of end-of-life tyres. What has to be true: tyre labelling that rewards efficiency and enforcement of waste tyre EPR.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sbr/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sbr/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sbr/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sbr/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sbr/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sbr/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sbr/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sbr/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sbr/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sbr/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sbr/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sbr/links/index.md)